Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

“woke” is the new caravan.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

I was promised a recession.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Tuesday Evening Open Thread

Tuesday Evening Open Thread

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Badger is growing! Here he is on May 14:

Here he is today in the same dog bed:

Unfortunately, shortly after that photo, he ripped open the dog bed and distributed chunks of mattress stuffing all over the house. He’s a good boy, except for the dog bed thing. This is the third he’s destroyed.

We start puppy class tomorrow, and I’ll try to find a more durable dog bed and maybe get some of that sour apple spray that allegedly prevents chewing.

If y’all have any suggestions, please share. Open thread!

Reader Interactions

140Comments

  1. 1.

    zhena gogolia

    I love his side-eye! He is such a darling, it always lifts my mood to see him.

  2. 2.

    JPL

    There’s chew toys for that. At least that is what I did when I owned a puppy. He’s such a sweetie though.

  4. 4.

    Elizabelle

    Badger is so beautiful.

    I liked your Trumpenberg post too. Please bring that back! Could be a continuing feature.

  5. 5.

    Mnemosyne

    I made it to Denver in one piece and got checked into my hotel and the conference safely. So far, Denver is my kind of town — not only was I able to take a train directly from the airport to downtown Denver, the first sight I saw at Union Station was a local bookstore.

    After I rest my bad knee a bit more, I’m going to go to a meet n greet for the mini conference I’m attending tomorrow and then see if I can hit the Tattered Cover before it’s time for tonight’s meetup.

    It turns out that my brother-in-law and his boyfriend are also on their way to Denver, but they got stuck at the airport by thunderstorms in the East. ?

  7. 7.

    Humdog

    Is there anything else he likes to chew? Distract him with fresh whatever that is when he starts to look at his bed like it’s a toy. Nylabones worked for one dog, hiding almonds around the dog bed worked. One really loved a rope. Had one critter who loved to run around th ehouse with a stuffed animal in her mouth. A later addition to the the pack loved to destuff stuffed animals. Lots of stuffed animal “blood” around the house in those years.

    Thanks for the critter pic!

  8. 8.

    geg6

    Lovey chewed everything in sight to bits for a year. Lost three pairs of glasses that way. Expensive. But by the end of the year, she left our belongings alone and chewed up just bits of dog beds and blankets and concentrated in ripping her toys to pieces. And today, she chews nothing but treats. A rubber toy now and again. We tried everything, but it just took time for her to figure it all out and she has a hard time controlling her impulses. ?

  9. 9.

    Another lurker

    Since this is an open thread, I like to say I appreciate BJ more and more each day. You Jackels are are the most knowledgable in the blogosphere.
    I like Steve Bennin’s posts for Rachel, but her regular commenters can’t hold a candle to J.C’s front pagers.
    To top things off, Rachel’s trolls are so bad, they are not even amusing. Making fun of them is too easy. Their Russian Bots have to have been created using a Commodore 64.
    Again, all hail Cole, servant of Lilly!

  10. 10.

    WereBear

    GIve him things he can destroy, and tell him his bed is NOT to be destroyed. Maybe put it away when he can’t be supervised until he gets it.

  18. 18.

    Josie

    My suggestion is to quit buying dog beds until he is a year old. Buy old quilts or old towels at a second hand store and fold them enough to give him a soft bed. Duncan the corgi did not chew up quilts as readily as he did dog beds, my shoes, the wall, you name it. After he matured he never chewed anything again except for his own toys.

  20. 20.

    Mnemosyne

    @rikyrah:

    I have to say, it does make me feel better that in many of these new stories, the cops are like, “Really? You called me for this? Get the fuq outta here, #CouponCarl.”

  24. 24.

    JPL

    The mutt’s dog walker is going on vacation, and I’m in charge of his tortoise. I’ve been over several times to watch the feeding routine, and when he said he said she likes to go outside every hour, I said yeah. I didn’t add that won’t happen.
    He gave me pages of directions, and the parents called and said once a day was fine. Just like babies, first pets are treated differently

  26. 26.

    debbie

    @JPL:

    Just like babies, first pets are treated differently

    And being a first child, I can say, “Rightfully so!”

  28. 28.

    trollhattan

    Such a cute li’l bug-eyed little dude.

    Still waiting for our GSP puppeh, now two, to stop random destruction. It’s dialed way back but for an under 50-pound pooch he’s cost us dearly in clothing, furniture, dog beds and yes, dog toys. Even mastered the Kong Extreme. The best toy brand to date is West Paw, proudly made in Bozeman Montana. They even replaced this orange S thingie after a year of abuse saw it split in two pieces. Highly recommended–the gear and the folks.

  29. 29.

    JPL

    @debbie: I’m still not taking it for a walk every hour. lol

    I don’t care if it’s a tortoise and not a turtle.

  30. 30.

    SiubhanDuinne

    A few of you may know that I enjoy writing current-events parodies to familiar songs, mostly Gilbert & Sullivan.

    Well, to my endless sorrow, I didn’t write this, but I’m in awe. It is hilarious and brilliant and on point. Long live Randy Rainbow!

    Also, Badger is extremely cute!

  31. 31.

    Aleta

    My pup loves to shred egg cartons, the cardboard ones. He seems to like the mouth feel as he carries them. Then the geometry of the surface interests him as he rips pieces off. The cardboard has the right resistance. At first I’d put a little kibble inside, but he enjoys them just as well without.

  32. 32.

    Gelfling 545

    Flora the Pug has chewed up innumerable dog beds. To her anything with stuffing is just an opportunity to unstuff. She now has a pillowcase filled with old towels and an old crib blanket for her sleeping accomodations. At least he’s little. My nephew’s Malamute puppy ate his kitchen floor.

    Badger is such a sweetie, though. What’s a dog bed here and there?

  33. 33.

    Elmo

    @NotMax: Let me put in a plug for K9 Ballistics. They are NOT CHEAP, but in 30 years of large and giant dog rescue they are the best dog beds we’ve ever had. I just bought a second XXL for my 175-lb Anatolian because of how comfy the first one was when I tried to sleep on it while he’s recovering from surgery. Just a super product.

  34. 34.

    JPL

    @debbie: Let me add that along with his pellets he likes four slices of cucumber sliced 1/8 of an inch thick and cut into 8 pinwheel type of slices. It has to be english organic cucumbers though.

  36. 36.

    ElegantFowl

    k9ballistics.com Our hound consumed a number of chew-proof dog beds until we got him their “tough” crate mat. Now he’s given up trying and likes his crate.

  46. 46.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Mnemosyne: if you’re looking for really good (Colorado style) Mexican food, go to the Blue Bonnet. And ask at the hotel, but one of the best Japanese restaurants used to be in the basement of one of the VFWs. Don’t remember which one, been a long time since I lived in Denver. There are a lot of good Korean restaurants out near Windsor Gardens too!

  47. 47.

    NotMax

    Looking forward to your review of the Instant Pot after a proper period of breaking it in.

    Three minor tips:

    1) When going to use the saute option, wait until the display changes to “Hot” before adding oil or butter.
    2) Avoid, if possible, using it in a position such that the vent spout is underneath cabinets. Steam (rarely, steam with some glop) would otherwise soak that surface.
    3) Chopsticks or a long wooden spoon are handy for turning the release spout to the open position in order to completely eliminate the slightest chance of scalding your fingers.

    And one major tip:

    Pay attention as to whether a recipe recommends using instant release or natural release.

  48. 48.

    JPL

    @MomSense: Walls and a Persian rug, but only the edges of the rug, so that’s good. Oh yeah the legs of a mahogany table also. Those pups are long gone, but the damage left behind leave me with fond memories.

  50. 50.

    Gravenstone

    @JPL: How far can it go in an hour? Just place it one end of his room, then turn him around after the hour…

  51. 51.

    Jay

    Until they are about 2, puppies need to chew, just like babies need to teeth.

    So the pup needs to have “chews”, and discipline about what they can and can’t chew.

    When we were building our coffee table, Casey loved, loved, loved the pine offcuts. When the coffee table was finished she tried once, but a firm “no” just as she started, meant that even years after she passed, there was one faint bite mark to remember her by.

    Puppies and dogs also often chew in response to anxiety and stress.

  53. 53.

    MagdaInBlack

    When we get stress overload at work, we have “puppy! pic” time out.
    I needed this puppy time out ? TY !

    Our Airdale pup ate windowsills. Only on the porch tho, because he was pissed he was out there. He graduated to chewbones. Really big ones.

  54. 54.

    Gravenstone

    @NotMax: If you instant release, place a light towel over the vent to keep the steam and ejecta from damaging yourself or your surroundings.

  55. 55.

    NotMax

    @SiubhanDuinne

    Had a children’s record of G&S numbers. Must have driven the folks crazy that I played “When I Was a Lad” over and over and over when I was, well, a lad.

  56. 56.

    maya

    Best chewing/ teething toy we ever used, with German Shepherds, were knotted up nylons, cotton socks might do too. Hard to rip them apart but they have lots of fun trying. Also, too, if the ripping of bedding happens while you’re out and about always leave the radio on. Rush Limbaugh might actually serve a purpose here. Doggie believes someone is home with him. Music is OK but human voice better.

  58. 58.

    eponymous

    @Mnemosyne: welcome to Denver – the Tattered Cover is a great bookstore. I am very sad not to be able to go to the meet-up, because of a rehearsal that I cannot miss, but I work right next to the Sheraton, so if you want to get lunch or something, get my email from TaMara or another mod, and let me know. (my email address is my entire name, so I’d rather not share).

  59. 59.

    Steeplejack

    @Betty Cracker:

    How about letting him sleep on a bag of coal in the scullery, like Cinderella? See if that changes his views on dog-bed destruction.

  60. 60.

    Jager

    @MomSense:

    A much loved and spoiled Dalmatian belonging to friends of ours, ate the right front seat of a their Mercedes ML. The dog was so spoiled, they gave him a cookie and said, “That’s a Good Boy!”

  61. 61.

    hitchhiker

    Reading Josh Marshall’s latest piece about our redheaded spy and coming to the conclusion that:

    1. Putin was well aware that American politicians were going to fall all over themselves if he dangled some of that sweet oligarchy dough in front of them. That long game plan was under construction right from the jump.

    2. He would have been happy to work with anybody, but it turned out that Republicans were more likely to be on board with gas, mostly because they refuse to accept science.

    3. Having picked that horse to ride, he started setting up channels to their voting blocks: evangelicals and gun fanatics. This is where our red sparrow came into the picture. She spent several years assiduously making friends with as many Republicans as she could — astonishingly using the legend of herself as leader of a gun rights in Russia movement. As if such a thing would ever be allowed to exist!

    4. But it didn’t matter. Republicans looking at ginormous piles of cash don’t care if the story makes sense. They were happy to play.

    And now she’s in jail, and it looks like the prosecutors have got the goods on her. I hope they’re all just looking at their bank accounts and wondering if it’s really possible that good lawyers will drain them.

  64. 64.

    Davebo

    @Jager: One of my Labs chewed up the linoleum floor in the kitchen as a puppy. Wife loved it. Hello Cherry Hardwoods!

    Truth is, the dog probably didn’t hurt the resale value of the ML all that much. ML’s suck.

  65. 65.

    NotMax

    @SiubhanDuinne

    True story.

    Was in the cast of Pinafore. Mere days after auditions and casting, the entire (all wood) venerable theater building burned to the ground. Spectacular fire, visible from miles around.

    The powers that be managed to scrounge up a separate rehearsal space. And also permission to use a long since closed (and empty) movie theater built in the days when they were accompanied by stage shows.

    First time any of us other than tech crew set foot inside that building was opening night. No sooner did the the ensemble began dancing around on the stage than decades of dust and grit, accompanied by swarms of flying gnats and assorted insects, arose in a clearly visible cloud.

    We didn’t miss a word or a beat.

  66. 66.

    Redshift

    @hitchhiker:

    He would have been happy to work with anybody, but it turned out that Republicans were more likely to be on board with gas, mostly because they refuse to accept science.

    It’s a lot more than that. They (including a lot of the wingnut base) feel ok love with Putin because he turned Russia into the world center of white Christian nationalism. Once liberalism replaced communism as “the enemy,” joining with a foreign adversary against other Americans was a small step.

  67. 67.

    Gelfling 545

    Flora is what the vet refers to as a “power chewer” ( She has amazingly good teeth for a pug ) She shreds stuffed toys but it took her 3 years to get the squeaker out of this brand. I just got her another one. https://smile.amazon.com/Bamboo-DAM660104-Fat-Terrible-Assorted/dp/B002TVYF9A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1531872613&sr=8-4&keywords=fat+cat+toys+for+dogs. Dogwood chew sticks by Petstages are also a favorite though when she gets one gnawed down to a stub she expects me to hold it for her so she can continue gnawing. She drops it into my hand and pushes at my fingers with her paw.

  71. 71.

    Mel

    @SiubhanDuinne: We do light opera with pet themes at our house. The selections from “Oklahoma” always seem to lend themselves favorably to the cause.

  72. 72.

    Baud

    I’m taking comfort that any other president would have been invited to throw out the first pitch in the All Star game tonight. #AmericanPariah

  75. 75.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @NotMax:

    When I was a laddess (laddette?), we had all the G&S D’Oyly Carte recordings — all that were available back then — in those old 78rpm albums. I cut my musical teeth on them, but it was fine because both sides of the family were avid Savoyards, and they loved the fact that I played them over and over. By the time I was 5 or 6, I knew all the words and music to every song from Pinafore, Pirates, Patience, Iolanthe, Mikado, Gondoliers, and Yeomen. (The other six came later as new recordings were released.) This stuff is mother’s milk to me.

  76. 76.

    debit

    Since this is pet thread, I would really appreciate any insight you guys might have. My cats, all four of them, are ravenous monsters. Breakfast and dinner time are loud and semi hysterical until everyone has food. Dani becomes so frantic that she runs and grabs bites out of everyone’s dish until I fill hers. Until yesterday. She picked at breakfast and turned her nose up at dinner, then ate a little. Same thing at breakfast today. She ate a little tuna, but was more interested in the liquid. She sniffed at the dog’s food, but walked away from her’s again tonight. Now Julian is doing the same, as is Oscar. The only one eating as usual is Oliver.

    These are all indoor cats, all up to date on shots and vet visits. They aren’t slinking around or hiding; they all walk around with their tails up, are affectionate and interested in toys. Just not eating.

    Should I be freaking out and scheduling a vet visit? Could it be the food (except Oliver is still inhaling it)?

  77. 77.

    Davebo

    @NotMax: Awesome!

    Seeing G&S this Saturday. Sort of a Medley put on by our local G&S Society but at a great venue (Hobby Center).

  78. 78.

    J R in WV

    @rikyrah:

    …a woman reportedly harassing a black couple for blocks as they walked down the street in Berkeley, CA. She was yelling “get out of Berkeley” but tried to play the victim when police arrived. To her utter shock, she was arrested instead.

    It appears that almost all of these people get arrested, and if they don’t, the cop(s) get fired. You would think that eventually these racist cows would learn not to do this in public, learn not to attack someone even verbally. But no, they’re that stupid. That’s why they’re fascist, racist monkeys.

  79. 79.

    CarolPW

    One of our dogs unstuffed two couches and a chair but always left her dog beds alone. She also ate a couple of glass Christmas tree ornaments, but fortunately the only impact was having glitter-poops the next day.

    Our other, concurrent, dog was pretty good after she grew out of eating the heel tabs off of all my tennis shoes. But one day she ate (and distributed the debris from) a pigeon, my sunglasses, a cube of butter and my husband’s wallet. That was also the day the sewer backed up into the basement, so maybe she was trying to tell us something.

  81. 81.

    NotMax

    @raven

    Sacrilege! Those are for beef barley soup. (And boy, have those bones, which one used to get for next to nothing, now become ridiculously expensive!)

  85. 85.

    raven

    @NotMax: They are not bad at Publix but I don’t think you have one there! I had to quit giving them to my pups when the Bohdi broke a tooth on one.

  87. 87.

    Davebo

    @NotMax: Had 5 sweet bones from a bone in rib roast left over after 4th of July and no one to give them to.

    Should be some kinda online clearing house.

  91. 91.

    raven

    @Baud: It’s one of the reasons I didn’t go. TSA took over security and they actually closed 2 major gates. People stood in 45 degree rain for 3 hrs to get in. I was so fucking sick my doc said DON”T YOU DO IT. It broke my heart but the 2k I made on the tix helped.

  97. 97.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @NotMax:

    Yikes! I’ve heard some theatre horror stories, but never anything like that! Good for all of you for being troupers.

  99. 99.

    Davebo

    @NotMax: My freezer is stuffed already with snapper, specs, halibut and venison.

    Which reminds me. I need a generator backup!

  101. 101.

    Davebo

    @raven: My nephew had a business trip to Alaska this month and brought home almost 40lbs of filets.

    Sweet! I’m out of the oil bidness these days but I miss those trips.

  104. 104.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Mel:

    We do light opera with pet themes at our house. The selections from “Oklahoma” always seem to lend themselves favorably to the cause.

    So if your cat gets too close to a candle flame and burns off his eyebrows, you would all break into a chorus of “The Furry with the Singe on Top”?

  105. 105.

    Davebo

    @raven: I know the guy. Does a summer trip every year. Nice 26′ Glacier Bay Cat he drives up from Seattle. He’s the best fisherman I’ve ever known and I grew up on a boat.

  106. 106.

    Gravenstone

    @debit: Obvious question is any recent change in food brand/flavor? Are they still eliminating as usual? If it goes more than a couple of days, maybe run them by the vet?

  108. 108.

    raven

    @Davebo: I have a high school buddy up there who worked for Boeing. He’s retired and fishes alot. Name is Dave too!

  110. 110.

    Mnemosyne

    @eponymous:

    Thanks! Because of the conference, I’m probably not available for lunch until Saturday, which wouldn’t do you much good. ? Let me recheck my schedule, though, and see if there’s some wiggle room.

  111. 111.

    Jay

    @debit:

    Sometimes, when there is a sudden swing upwards in the temp, cats and dogs go off their food, but keep drinking.

  113. 113.

    debit

    @Gravenstone: Same food, litter box use is the same. I’m not one to easily freak out, but it’s just so different than their normal behavior. The more I think about it the more I’m tempted to just bring Dani in.

  114. 114.

    hitchhiker

    @Redshift:

    They (including a lot of the wingnut base) feel ok love with Putin because he turned Russia into the world center of white Christian nationalism.

    Yeah, I’m saying that Putin cynically chose to do that b/c he grokked that the R politicians were more likely to be buyable w/gas/oil rubles.

  116. 116.

    Pogonip

    If the puppy’s chewing up dog beds, why not let him sleep on old towels? Or cheap new ones from the dollar store? Or just wherever he likes to lie?

    Is it true that if you bump one of those bug-eyed dogs wrong, an eye may pop out? Most of them are sweethearts but I’m always afraid to play with them.

  117. 117.

    Pogonip

    @debit: I’ve seen cats catch centipedes, but they always spit them out. Some will eat crickets, do you have crickets in your basement?

  118. 118.

    Davebo

    @raven: Me too but my vacation time for next year is booked.

    I’m tempted to change it but the SO has us in the south of France then Scotland for Xmas and well…

    Honestly, the guy is an incredible fisherman. He started in American Samoa but I had the best trip ever with him doing spring chinooks on the Columbia river. I gotta put my foot down at some point. May trip is GlenEagles followed by south of France, finishing up at St. Andrews. And I don’t play #[email protected] golf!

  119. 119.

    Steeplejack

    I’m in a grumpy mood. I don’t get sick very often, and I am sick now. It started with a dry cough a few days ago that became almost continuous, accompanied by extreme fatigue and dry, itchy eyes. I tried to sleep a lot, because then either I didn’t cough or I wasn’t aware of it. It changed into a more “normal” cold-type thing yesterday: less frequent but more “productive” coughing—I can hear and feel congestion in my chest—eyes still irritated, runny nose and epic sneezing. Still tired all the time.

    I dragged myself to the grocery today—I had to get cat food! anyway—and bought some cough drops. I had no idea what to get, so I got the bag with the smallest number of drops (Ricola lemon). Because I never get sick, I have a stunning lack of notions and sundries in my medicine cabinet. One small plastic bottle of Aleve tablets, used once or twice a year.

    Only after I got home did I think, “Hey, maybe I should have gotten some cold therapy thing to ease my symptoms.” Then: “Maybe I’ve still got something from last time.” Found a bottle of DayQuil in the linen closet—expired in 2012. Found a little vial of Thera Tears drops for my eyes—expired in 2006! That made me go back and look at the Aleve, one of which I took last night—expired in 2014. Yay. I know the Aleve probably doesn’t go bad, but still, WTF.

    Anyway, end of rant. This has also made me feel like 50 years ago I probably would have been an official “coot” living in a tarpaper shack on the outskirts of town. Maybe a quirky minor character pumping gas in a second-rate film noir. That’s probably the grumpy cold feeling talking.

  122. 122.

    Mary Ellen Sandahl

    If no one’s said it already, I highly recommend (my dog concurs) K-9 Ballistics beds. Comfy but tough. Really tough. Every night our eccentric Benny goes thru a routine of scraping vigorously at his bed, as if it were a nice patch of soft dry grass that needed to be fluffed and shredded before retiring. After 2 years of this and other rough treatment, not a sign of damage. Also, Badger is handsome!

  123. 123.

    Davebo

    @Steeplejack: I’m the same way. Very rarely sick, and when I am I hate to visit the Dr.

    But maybe it’s time to make an appt. My wife would force me to in the past and as usual, she was right.

  124. 124.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Steeplejack: Do you have fresh ginger by any chance? Make hot tea and add ginger slices (one or two should be enough) to the tea leaves when you brew it. Add milk and sugar. Should help with the congestion.

  125. 125.

    Davebo

    @raven: Theoretically I could catch some in Scotland but pacific Salmon is always better as far as I’m concerned.

  126. 126.

    debit

    @Pogonip: Nope. Well the googles say centipedes aren’t poisonous to cats, so I’m back to stumped. I’m going to give it another day, then bring at least Dani in if she’s still not eating.

  127. 127.

    NotMax

    @Steeplejack

    Maybe a quirky minor character pumping gas in a second-rate film noir.

    “Him? Pay him no mind, that’s just Creeplejack.”

    ;)

  128. 128.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    Wouldn’t even rate a name. Just a couple of crusty lines—“Bay City? Yeah, just keep going until you run into the ocean. Can’t miss it”—while I gas up the car and the private dick and the hot babe advance a few plot points.

  132. 132.

    Steeplejack

    @Davebo:

    I think I’m getting better, but if it looks like lingering I’ll hie myself to the Kaiser Permanente clinic.

  134. 134.

    Steeplejack

    @NotMax:

    I usually do have a little garlic on hand—it’sone of my favorite ingredients—but I’m currently out. Ginger sounds better, for some reason.

    ETA: I do have some Calvados on hand. Maybe that with hot tea.

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