Dastardly Dachshund Destroys Fabrics.

Murphy's blanket (left) and Sterling's pant leg hem (right) - It took only a moment.

We have had 5 dachshunds now, Murphy being the latest itineration, and they have quite a few characteristics in common.  This blog is about one of them - they love to chew things, and can completely destuff and destroy a dog toy in moments.  Of course, that behaviour isn't just restricted to toys.  Blankets, quilts, articles of clothing, really any kind of fabric - these dogs love to have their way with them.  And that usually means making holes.

We restrict the types of fabric that Murphy tears apart into his dog blanket and his toys.  However, he can turn his destructive influence to other chewy temptations on occasion.  We usually catch him before any damage is done, but if he is left unattended and has an opportunity, he can render a garment unusable quickly.  This fact was thoroughly established this New Year's Eve.

We had friends over to celebrate the turning over of the calendar.  They hadn't met Murphy before, and after some barking and then tail wagging they became fast friends.  As we were sitting down to dinner, one of our guests, Sterling, noticed that our doxy was "playing" with his pant leg.  He was content to let that happen, he thought it was kind of cute.  And so, as dinner went on, the dog continued to "play" with the hem and nothing was said.  Little did he know that the beast was on a mission.

After dinner we stood and stretched.  It was then that Sterling noticed that something was amiss.  His pant leg was sporting a new air-conditioning vent, one that had not been there before walking across our threshold.  It seems that his initiation into the Svendsen household left him less clothing than what he came in with.  Murphy had tore a hole in his pant hem.

I met with Sterling and his wife, Pat, today at church.  She was still laughing over the event.  I am glad that they didn't hold a grudge against our dog; we offered to reimburse them for the pants but they declined.  The next time he feels a need to shake a leg, he better check for any fabric-hungry weiner dogs.  That may just be the reason the urge has come about, he may be having a little help.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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