Learning, Just Not Applying

I know I've mentioned Rusty our naughty puppy more then a few times, but here we go again. He is learning, but he is not applying what he's learned. You might wonder how I know he's learning he shouldn't be doing the things he does if he still does them, well let me tell you. When he has been naughty and chewed something while we've been gone he doesn't greet us at the door when we get home. He is either standing back in the kitchen tail down looking guilty or cowering in his dog bed, depends on how naughty he was. Also the other night I was taking out the recycling. I thought the gate to the back yard had closed behind me but apparently it had not. I was standing at the bin putting in stuff and I see Rusty peak out from the side of the house and look at me in front of the garage. His tail dropped, his ears went down, his head went down, then he decided screw it and dashed. You know what I did this time instead of running after him, I went back in the house 3 more times to take out more recycling (I'm big on recycling) then I also emptied the trash and took that out. At some point during my back and forth Brent said are you going to go get the dog? I was seriously contemplating not going after him! He has a tag with our numbers on it, someone would find this cute dog and call. If not, would I really be sad?? Finally I got a leash and started pacing the neighborhood calling his name. A nice boy was walking his dog and decided to help me. We looked and looked, called and called, no Rusty. I started to get a little worried, I check outside of our neighborhood on the main street, all the while praying. I found my self praying "I'm sorry I hate him, please help me find him" Then I realized I'd just said hate...Sorry I hate my puppy (which by the way he really is no longer a puppy he's a year and a half old I just call him a puppy still because then I think his behaviour is more age related then Rusty related). I've thought many times about getting rid of him. I threaten him all the time with my friend Craig and his nice list. I also tell him if he wants to be so naughty he can do it somewhere else, I'll take off his tag open the front door and let him run! He is really cute, someone would find him and take care of him. Someone always finds him. The same thing happened that night, someone found him, called, I went to yet another neighbors house thank them for catching my puppy and go home fuming and wanting to get rid of him. I'm tired of finding things in my back yard. He drags out, dishes, nursing pad, underwear, trash (especially embarrassing), baby toys, baby clothes, and other things really just about anything that will fit out the doggie door. So we look like the trashiest people. I'd hate to know what our neighbors who can see our back yard think of us! He has chewed up his dog be in the back yard, so there is constantly batting strewn through out the back yard, it's disguising. He has literally cost us hundreds if not thousands of dollars in damage and ruined belongings. He's chewed just about everything in the house, he is much better now with the chewing then he was when we first got him. The occasions are getting fewer and father between that we come home and he's chewed up something. At this point you're probably thinking why hasn't she gotten rid of him. Well he is cute, he does fun tricks, but most importantly Rusty and Bosco are best friends. They play together all the time. They are great companions. Our poor social Bosco needs a friend. When we got rid of our old dog Bentley I thought, let's just have one dog. Well poor Bosco got so depressed, he wouldn't eat, he moped around, he would just come and lay by us so sad. Bosco needs Rusty. Also I watched Marley and Me, bawled through most of the movie and decided Rusty and Croix will be great friends someday. That's why we still have Rusty. Hopefully I have the strength and patience to keep him long enough to become great friends with Croix.

Such good buddies

They are so cute when the sleep

Bosco continues to be the worlds best dog!

Rusty is good for entertainment

Yes he is as much of a Tasmanian devil as he looks in the pic.

And YES the mess is from Rusty.

They love it when I open our bedroom window,

which is on the second story. They just stair outside.

Brothers