In our ongoing effort to distract or encourage Rocky not to destroy things while we are gone, I hit upon a new strategy. Our vet had suggested freezing peanut butter inside one of those toys that is made to hold a treat. Then giving it to him as we left. That worked all right... for about 5 minutes. And I admit he loves it. But then his reign of terror would continue.
But it occurred to me to try a big rawhide bone. Something tough enough to last a little longer. So I bought one that is about 13 -14 inches long. It's heavy too. Poor Nipper can't even hold it up for more than 30 seconds. Rocky is very interested in the bone. Unfortunately, I missed one important thing about it. There's only one.
Nipper has decided it should be hers. Not because she actually intends to chew on it, mind you. She really has no interest whatsoever in chewing on it. Or even tasting it. Nor has she. She just doesn't want him to have it.
Every time he comes near it (that being defined as two paws into the same ROOM it's in), she shows her teeth. If he makes the bad decision to walk past it, she jumps up, runs to him, and nips at him. I don't think she intends to hurt him -- just to make him think she will. Therefore, he doesn't go near it.
This proves that adoption works. They are almost a decade apart in age but if that isn't acting like siblings, I don't know what is. The only problem is that I can't make her write the verse about loving one another 50 times as punishment for acting that way. I think I may have to get another bone.
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