• By KitKat, June 26, 2010 @ 4:23 pm I have 4 dogs and my house does not smell not do they destroy everything. Whatever the puppy did was your fault…you let him on the rugs, you let him run free to chew on things.

• By mickey g, June 28, 2010 @ 5:19 pm wow, you apparently dont know how to train a dog. i got my pup for $35 at the local pound, she was 8 weeks old. spend $75 for spay/first vet fees. she learned to go outside and only outside within 3 days. the only thing she’s distroyed in the house is paper products she can get her teeth on (she likes to shred them) and a cd case. she’s now 7months old. all the rest of the money we’ve spent on her has been for her vaccines, toys, and food. she’s never even been to a single trainning class. we just took the time to love her and train her ourselves. and we both work and i go to school part time as well, so dont even begin to say we have too much times on our hands. if you cant control your pet, it shouldnt have free run of the house.

• By notyou311, July 2, 2010 @ 4:35 am The dog needs obedience training. That investment might have spared you the other expenses.

• By Truebluexhooligan, July 3, 2010 @ 4:29 am Dude I have a puppy and besides a couple times peeing on the floor he hasn’t done anything, maybe the dog you got was just a wild hair.

• By nickynoodle, July 3, 2010 @ 4:33 am I have trained dogs my entire life. My son is multi handicap and has a dog to assist him. It doesn’t sound like your family kept up their end of the bargain. The DOG IS NOT TO BLAME

• By DanieleR, July 5, 2010 @ 11:35 am sounds like you should have invested more money, or better yet your time, on training right off the bat. Millions of people have dogs, and clean homes with no destruction, myself included. The dog could probably sense your dislike towards him. if you have an untrained pet, that is what you end up with.

• By Lilly, July 8, 2010 @ 6:44 am I noticed your bills listed nothing about puppy training classes or obedience training, or even books about how to bring up a puppy properly. I have a dog who is incredibly well behaved and hasn’t chewed on anything she wasn’t supposed to. Because I watch her and I teach her. It’s not rocket science … but apparently too complex for you.

• By Tam Tam, July 8, 2010 @ 7:11 am When your son was 2 years old would you have, or did you, allowed him to roam free in your house and yard without supervision? Of course not, he would have destroyed things ( and most likely did even WITH your supervision.) I imagine he also had a few “accidents” when he was being potty trained. Puppies are much like 2 year olds. I have yet to meet a problem dog. Only problem owners.

• By Funky51, July 10, 2010 @ 9:46 pm Dogs don’t have to cost that much, but are an expense that you have to be prepared for! The carpets and furniture, etc. that was destroyed is indeed YOUR families fault…don’t leave your puppy unattended to destroy things…duh. The training is a need not a want and the 390 you paid should have been justified if you actually continued training at home not just expecting your pup to come home perfect after a few classes. You have the wrong attitude to own a puppy and raise him to behave, find a good home for this poor little guy…someone that will take care of him properly!

• By sheila_0123, July 11, 2010 @ 1:14 pm Well, I had not thought of it the way you put it before; however, I am pleased to learn that some households do repair the damage. I usually just tolerate the ‘scars’. Tell them that the expenditures are coming out of the vacation fund and see if they can find ‘fido’ a nice home with less expensive appointments. Or, the concept of ‘doghouse’ come to mind. Personification of pets is common in metropolitan areas…if you have the space in the backyard, save your angst for stepping ‘in it’ anguish. They are wonderful confidants and companions; however, during the puppy stage, they try our tolerance and patience (similar to children). Also, I suggest that you find and use an obedience training school for your puppy. That way, the discipline and correcting measures will be more effective than yelling at the poor, little ol’, bewildered, schweetums.

• By happy2luvk9s, July 11, 2010 @ 9:49 pm He is only a baby, so chill out please didn’t your son damage things when he was just beginning to learn to walk and all? I now understand why you didn’t get a dog earlier, you aren’t a true animal lover. How sad for you not to ever really know the joy that a happy dog can give you.

• By doctoru2, July 14, 2010 @ 12:11 pm I will not say it’s “you”. Dogs – all dogs – chew and can and will be destructive. It’s not that they are “bad”, it’s just their nature to chew and dig. As such, it’s our job to try to stop that. As such, I will say that you were clearly unprepared to be a dog owner. Getting an animal – any animal – is an expense. I would say for you or any future owner of an animal to do lots of homework before adopting. Puppies are adorable. But do you know the costs associated with shots, neutering, food, insurance, kennels, collars, toys, dishes, etc.? Do you know how to train or care for a dog? Do you know the time commitment? For example, you could have saved yourself tons of money on carpets and furniture by properly crate training your dog. Yes, the crate costs money – anywhere form $80-200. But that’s a small price to pay considering how much you claimed to have spent on all the other items. Also, I would have spent a lot more on training. An obedient dog is worth any sum of money and the amount you listed suggests that you received some training, but not nearly enough. Please consider additional classes. To me, a pet is a bit equivalent to having a child. There are tons of sleepless nights, doctor visits, accidents, destruction, food bills, clothing bills, toy bills, etc. Eventually, though, you have a good child, teen or adult who brings you joy and happiness. The good news is that the damage is now done – you’ve paid the price. By now your dog should be an adult. All the chewing he did as a pup will stop. And soon you may have a wonderful dog in the house.

• By doofuss, July 17, 2010 @ 11:42 pm Your home, furnishings, and knowledge of canine training are not conducive to raising a puppy. Maybe a professional trainer would be helpful, but that costs money. We had similar problems years ago with our dog. Hey! No one said it would be easy. She did cost us some money, but repaid us with love, loyalty, and laughter. She’s over 15 now,not eating, and blind. I’m taking her to the vet today to be put to sleep. She was a member of the family. We’ll miss her. If anyone asks me, I’ll say Get a dog if you can take good care of it.

• By SUSAN H, July 20, 2010 @ 7:31 am UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH OK ITS YOU NOT THE DOG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

• By Jenny, July 21, 2010 @ 7:56 pm Try crate training (there are a lot of posts on here how to do it correctly) and obedience class. It really sounds like he just needs some good, solid training. He can’t destroy your carpets, furniture, etc, if he is either crated or being closely supervised. Puppies should never be left unattended for this reason…you can’t correct them if you can’t see what they are doing. If he chews on something and no one stops him, he will assume it’s ok. While puppies are cute, I agree with you that they aren’t for everyone. They do chew and have potty accidents and you must be willing to deal with some smell and some chewed up objects until they are fully trained. I think you might feel a little differently about dogs had you gotten an adult who is through the chewing phase and housebroken, but I am biased as puppies tend to drive me nuts as well sometimes. If you’ve never had a dog before either, I can certainly understand your frustration with a puppy. That said, I think if you are willing to work with the dog, you’ll get the most loyal, loving friend you’ve ever had in return. Try some Bitter Apple spray if you haven’t already. It works well on stopping dogs from chewing things. Also try a product called OUT. It is sold at walmart and grocery stores. Gets out any stain and smells nice and powdery fresh. And dogs start teething at about 4 months. You didn’t mention how old he was, but a lot of his chewing could be due to teething.

• By KB, July 24, 2010 @ 8:22 am You needed to stand up for yourself more, sorry. I did this to my mom when I was a kid. Our dog never did THAT much damage, it was more that I went to school and my mom was stuck at home with an animal she didn’t want. She had it gassed. We never should have adopted it and someone else could have given it a loving home. I now have 4 of my own dogs, and I don’t HAVE carpet, I have hardwood floors. And expensive furniture resides in a room behind either closed doors, or a 4′ tall baby gate so the dogs can’t trash my good furniture. Normal dog costs aren’t cheap – annual vet, food, toys, etc. Everything ELSE is due to LACK OF TRAINING. Not saying it is your fault, but people beg and plead for pets and then don’t follow through. Dogs take time, they aren’t perfect, and they take THE COMMITMENT OF THE ENTIRE FAMILY. Dogs are a pack animal and look to the whole pack for assurance and direction. If the whole family isn’t into it, then they shouldn’t get a dog!

• By Meredith, July 27, 2010 @ 4:06 am Dogs aren’t born automatically knowing where to go to the bathroom and where not to, and which toys are theirs to chew on. You have to teach them that. You don’t let your son run around the house peeing on things and destroying the funiture, do you? No, you taught him how to use the toilet and respect the furniture. If you aren’t willing to learn how to train a dog, then you’ll never know what a joy a well-trained dog can be.

• By Stephanie, July 28, 2010 @ 10:06 pm I have two Jack Russells and my house does not smell like a kennel. Actually when people come over they say they can’t even smell dogs in my house. Puppies chew on everything. You should have known that before you got a dog. Also dogs do cost money just like kids. If you can’t handle a dog then why the heck do you have kids? Not a very smart idea on your behalf. I think you should find a good home for the dog.

• By woooh!, July 29, 2010 @ 8:51 am …after you had your azz chewed all day and the dog lays his head in your lap it is PRICELESS.

• By mother of Bridezilla, August 1, 2010 @ 12:50 pm you should have gotten a crate.

• By doggzma, August 2, 2010 @ 8:29 am It sounds as if DW and DS did not do their homework on what it takes to raise and train a puppy. It should not have gone down this way and I am sorry for all concerned. Having a dog does NOT have to be what you have gone through, in fact, it shouldn’t be, if one prepares properly. The links below may help with getting the puppy trained. If DW & DS cannot do it on their own, shell out yet more $$ to have the 3 of them go to a trainer, the classes will more than pay for themselves in saved furnishings. The Humane Society &/or the ASPCA in your area should be able to help you finding good trainers, in many cities, they offer classes themselves. They can also offer you excellent help with your pup in general. Good luck and bless you for going against your own self interests and opening your family up to what in the long run will be a wonderful experience with a different type of family member. Hang tough, it gets better.

• By tgbc, August 2, 2010 @ 4:29 pm There seems to be something very wrong with your household management. Who is the real boss in this household? People/parents should run a household and not children or their pets. 1. First of all parents learn very fast that children do not (in most cases) take care of cleaning up after a puppy or grown dog for very long. That happens only in fairy tales. 2. Why isn’t the dog confined to linoleum covered areas where he cannot urinate onto carpet, attack the piano or other furniture? A large Kennel for housing the still untrained pet, would help while you are away in the day time or at night when the family sleeps. 3. In the back yard there should be a small area fenced in with cheap fencing. This area should be used as the dog’s bathroom area-only for peeing and pooping. My dog learned this very fast and raced to that area so she would not mess up the rest of the yard. She was also taught not to run thru flowerbeds, no matter how full her bladder was. No, this training was not achieved via screaming and beating, but by talking gently to her and repeating this until she knew it by heart. 4. Every dog should go thru several weeks of obedience school training. There it will be taught to sit, heel, lie down, stay and so on, and not to attack people or things such as furniture. While the dog owner is present during this training, she/he can pick up helpful suggestions for their own behavior.

• By Lovemychi, August 3, 2010 @ 10:30 pm Unfortunately, it is you. And it is your wife and your son as well. Puppies are just like babies. They require a lot of time and patience. The number one reason that dogs end up in shelters is “behavioral problems”. Would you have regretted having your son if he did not potty train within a certain time frame? Of course not. Puppies can and do learn. The owners have to be consistent. Know where your puppy is at in the home at all times. If you can not look after him or need to leave, crate training works great. You can also purchase protectors to go around the legs of your piano or other furniture until puppy learns not to chew. If vet bills are too much for you, try investing in a pet health plan. We pay $20.00 per month and all of our puppies vaccines, check-ups, and even the cost to have her spayed is covered. I admit, I did not know the first thing about training a puppy when I got mine, but I did know enough to enroll her (and me) in a training class. They have showed me how to train, treat, discipline and react to my puppy. Dogs want nothing more than to please you. But first they have be shown how to do it, and you have to be a responsible pet owner and get the ball rolling. The dog can not learn on it’s own.

• By Beano, August 4, 2010 @ 12:42 pm It is you! You don’t think your dog can sense the dis-pleasure you have with this dog! I would tell you to take control of the situation, but that would be useless. After all your not really in charge of the house your wife and son are. Your solution is one of two things A) You have to be trained to be a GOOD pack leader. B) Allow someone who is qualified to care for the dog take the dog. Shame on you for showing you child you have no control. P.S. Carefull what you do to the dog, if you are mean to that dog, it may just turn around and bite someone in your family. P.S.S. As and American I have the right to say what I said to you.

• By Carol G, August 5, 2010 @ 3:39 pm Sounds like those Mastercard commercials but without the happy ending. Wow you do sound like you’re in hell, and I bet that your puppy is just as miserable. My best advice is to crate train him. Next is providing the dog with a lot of interesting toys to keep him occupied. Third is limit the area of the house that he’s allowed in and puppy proof that area. Slowly introduce him to other parts of the house with supervision to always let him know what is and isn’t acceptable. A bored puppy is a setup for disaster! Owning a puppy is a lot of work at first. You have to invest the time, the tools and the training. Some research and reading up on pack behaviour could have saved you and your family a lot money, headache and disappointment and you may have been able to choose a breed better suited for your lifestyle. It’s sad that your and your family did not get to enjoy a treasurable addition to your home. You may not agree but the biggest loss is suffered by the puppy. If owning a dog was such a nuissance, you wouldn’t find so many dog lovers. So be the alpha. Be strong and firm not abusive and angry. Be consistant. Set your puppy up for success by controlling its environment. Knowledge is power so go out there and learn about the canine world instead of taking the easy way out! A puppy doesn’t come pre-programmed. It looks to you for everything.

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