If you give a dog some freedom...

and let her be outside with full access to the screened patio and fenced in back-yard, ...she might chew your door jambs...

In this case, you'll probably confine her to her crate during the daytime when you're gone.

You'll probably attend a birthday party with your sons and husband, and you'll come home and be greeted by this dog who has busted out of her crate.

You'll probably find that she's chewed up your son's dirtbike toy....

....then you'll see what you think is a shredded Game Informer magazine on the doggie bed.  At this point you'll realize that the magazine is still on the table.  Upon closer inspection, you'll realize that your dog has gone into your bedroom and retrieved a book (about cats, no less) from underneath your bed, and has shredded the book on the doggie bed in the living room....

...then your dog will tee-tee as you carry her outside while you figure out where to start on this mess clean-up, and while you're still dumbfounded as to how your dog got out of a crate.

You'll realize that, though massive, this dog is still yet a puppy.  Seven months old, no less.  You hope that the dog might still have a chance at outgrowing this destructive behavior.

After the mess is cleaned up and the house is back in show-order (because, of course, your house is on the market and shredded books, mangled dirt bikes, and chewed door jambs aren't selling points), you have to decide if you're going to grant freedom and risk more chewed door jambs, or if you're going to insist on restriction and try to keep the dog in a crate while you're out of the house.  But, of course, we all know that the real choice lies with this face right here:

And she creates her own freedom even through restriction.

You exhale deeply and think that it all started with just giving  a dog a little bit of freedom.




Until Next Time,
Much love,
Reba