Thursday, February 28, 2008

BigDumbDog

It's Friday and that means Show and Tell over at Kelli's. Click above to participate.


Last week I showed you our backyard in the early summer of 2007. After hearing your comments, I'm back with more BigDumbDog. Now I will show you our backyard today, February of 2008 and the damage that Sampson has done. He looks so cute doesn't he? We picked up Sampson in June of 2007 at a shelter in Hermiston, Oregon. They guessed his age at 9 to 11 months and the vet thought it was fairly accurate. While he was a rescue, there is no reason to belive he isn't a purebred. He is excellent with the kids, good with the cats, and quite the puller when we go for walks.



Here is our deck. What you can't see is the wisteria. It used to grow up through the lattice, then Sampson chewed it all to nothing. I still plan to train it to go up higher on the lattice and up over the top instead of through the railings and then onto the lattice. That is also the dog house that cost $168 and he's been in once voluntarily (that we know of).


Here are just a few of the holes he has dug. This was all freshly planted grass, except right up by the compost bin. That's where the raspberries used to be.



Here is a photo of the electric pet fence that he unplugs. And the tires and wheels we have used to keep him from digging (the phone line runs through this area).


Proof of him eating my rose!!!! I'm pretty sure the other two miniature roses will not be coming back. This was the hardiest, and I'm just waiting for the ground to thaw enough that I can dig it up and put it out front. He's also destroyed 2 bushes, and we shall see how much damage to the phlox, chicks and hens, and bleeding hearts he has caused as the year progresses.



Here is another photo of our deck. I love it now that the lattice is up and we have more privacy. There would be even more privacy, if Sampson would allow the wisteria to grow!

Dana had to devise a plan to keep Sampson from eating the wires to the sprinkler system and his heated water bowl. It's worked well. It's a bit hard to see, but there is PVC pipe split in half, attached to the house with diamond plate brackets. That protects the sprinkler system wires. I had my first ever wiring experience, fixing the sprinkler system controller after Sampson unplugged it, chewed through the wires and made off with the plug and this was after Dana put up the pipe!


Here is Kaia's surviving wind chime. She received this as a gift for her second birthday. She loves them and has been given many more. Unfortunately, all the others have been blown apart during wind storms. It is in the shape of a swan and the globe sits on it's back.



I just love the way our deck casts shadows! Here is BigDumbDog drinking his water.

So content after chewing on my miniature roses! That's all from my garden today. I hope you enjoyed viewing the destruction one Alaskan Malamute can cause.

13 comments:

Art said...

That is a beautiful animal! I'm glad he got such a good home.

Rebecca said...

What a beautiful dog. He must be loved!!

j said...

You have to love that Big Dumb Dog if he keeps up all CHEWING and you keep him around. Now I know you don't just give away family members, but SHEESH Tj, you guys have put up with a lot of stuff! He really is gorgeous though. One look at those eyes and that doggie smile and I guess I would forgive him too.

Did you see Sharon's post about her puppy Bailey that did the same type of things? She's a pretty puppy too and got into a lot of trouble also. Look for Sharon's name in my links and the post was about a week ago! You'll laugh!
Thanks for sharing...Jennifer

cherished*vintage said...

All that trouble but oh how cute Samson is! I feel bad for laughing at all the chewing. I've been there too.
-Karoline

Anonymous said...

Love the wind chime. Your dog is beautiful.

Hootin Anni said...

Well, Sampson is beautiful...how can you not love him and forgive him? In time, I'm sure he'll grow out of his 'puppyhood'. And then once again, your yard will be a showcase with an added bonus, a beautiful dog to protect it.

My S n T is shared. If you haven't dropped by, I sure hope you can stop and say "Howdy Do!".

Happy Weekend to you and yours.

Constance said...

"Mutes" are my favorite dog, even though I am a cat person! I have heard that they can be destructive if they ever get bored. The neighbor up the streert has one (poor dog living in Texas!) and their yard looks like it was taken over by monster gophers thanks to him! Great S&T today! He's gorgeous though!
Connie

GranthamLynn said...

Thank you for rescuing and keeping big dumb dog. Maybe he isn't quite so dumb? Anyway did you notice his face whil chewing on the rose. What a sweet face! Come over tomorrow and hear my story about my Daisy! She doesn't get the leash other.

nannykim said...

Well, guess you won't have to prune your roses, will you? You would think the sharp things would prick him. We had to spend hundreds of dollars on one of our dogs one time; why? Because he dug up and ate glass, brick and sticks. Stuff buried there by former owners.

nancy said...

I don't know what proof you have of Sampson's breeding, but he looks a lot more like a husky to me. Huskies do all of these things you have described. They are happiest when they can sit up high and look out over their area. My husky, Milak, could hear the voles and mice under the ground and would dig to get them to eat. If these dogs are loose, Huskies are cleptomaniacs. They will bring home people's shoes, toys, pots and pans,or anything else that gets their attention. Mine once brought home a small plastic Igloo cooler. He regularly brought us the neighbor's boots off his back porch. they mature so slowly that they are still puppies until they are about 3 years old. That's when they seem to settle down. Anyway, that's my experience. Milak never ate our roses, but the moose did!
Nancy

The Apron Queen said...

We had a wonderful Australian Shepherd named Taz. He was a chewer too. He would gnaw on the siding of the house. My husband would put hot sauce on it hoping to deter him from chewing on it. Nope, he licked it right off & seemed to chew even more! He was a wonderful dog even though he was a chewer!

You can pop on over to my show & tell at http://anapronaday.blogspot.com

JEWELGIRL said...

What a face! How could you
not pick Big D Dog!
Shelters are like a box
of chocolates - you never
know what your going to get! :)
Happy to see BDD has a
loving home!

Cheryl said...

Your very sweet to not drop that dog back off at the shelter lol. Now... have you tried putting his own poop in those holes? That worked for a dog we once had. Also, moth balls.... get some old nylons and place a few moth balls then tie a knot all the way down the legs of the nylon. You can then cut them into two or more bundles of "smellies" Hang them around plants, wires etc. Then I'd go to a butcher shop and buy the biggest dog bones they sell. I think this would slow your dogs distructive behavior down.