How Does He Do That? (OT)

Okay, I know this is not the "My Dog Butters" blog, but really, how does he do these things?

I've learned to pay attention when I hear Butters energetically going at something, and this morning I looked up from typing to discover him chewing on his own collar.

What? How did that happen?

I suspect Lulu of aiding and abetting.

Anyway, Butters is currently going around sans bling, and I guess now I have to look for a super-tough chew-resistant collar.

Sigh. It's always something with this dog.

Mike

Original contents copyright 2015 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

TOP's links!

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Ned Bunnell: "We give Max multiple balls to keep him busy. However, he still prefers my socks if I happen to leave the closet door open  :-)  "

Comments

[JTW]

Buy a Kong, drop some dog cookies into it, cap hole with some peanut butter and voila, confine the chewing to something he can't destroy.

[Nicholas Condon]

The look of totally innocent triumph on Butters' face is priceless: "Hey! Look what I did! Pretty cool, huh, boss?"

[Bryce Lee]

A large plastic cable tie, tight so it can't be easily removed MIGHT be a solution. Doubt it though...

[Ken Ford]

I suspect the only reason he isn't pot roast by now is because he's so cute!

[Tony Rowlett]

It looks like he unclipped it as well. Amazing fellow!

[Del]

Can we just go right to the photos of them sitting in chairs with green visors playing poker? My dad had a fondness for that series.

[Mark Kinsman]

Clearly, he's mastered the quick release clip. Certainly can't be accused of being a butterfingers....

[jim woodard]

I would suggest that you need a cat who would teach Butters a few things, like never tear up your toys- always tear up theirs! And the correct place to nap on the couch- exactly in the middle, securing the soft blanket entirely for yourself. Oh and ALWAYS jump up on the keyboard just as the last delicate touches are being added in Photoshop!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/25099302@N03/15159784687/in/dateposted-public/

[Rod Thompson]

My boy Jack has invented a term called a "knock", which is a holed sock tied in a knot to show its new status. If they start to get shedded (mainly by our outher dog), Jack can create a new one almost immediately. Clever boy, very productive.

[Manuel]

Pets!
I'm not a dog man, but I happen to have a cat. Those miniaturized tigers do seem to develop some wicked sense of humour with time. A few months ago he was sitting on my desk alongside one of my lenses. He gracefully moved his paw and, with subtle, small pushes, threw the lens onto the floor. (Cats do this all the time, with a variety of objects, but I'll never know what they do it for.)
Fortunately the lens, which was one of my less valuable ones, fell on a fluffy carpet; otherwise some kind of punishment would have been called for.
Maybe it was his way of telling me he resents the fact I spend more time photographing than giving him attention; or maybe he was trying to stop me from becoming a gear nerd. Who knows what's in a cat's mind?

[Malcolm Leader]

Mike, get a collar from Lupine. Lupinepets.com guaranteed for life under any circumstances. A bit more but if it even gets damaged, take it back to the store and they hand you a new one. I have two Goldens and have never had this problem but one of my neighbors with a pit bull mix has had his replaced free 3 times.
What is the first thing a dog does when you get them a new squeaky toy? A squeakerectomy!

[Jake]

Butters appears to be an intelligent enough animal but one should remember that, in doggie IQ, even a genius canine is still in the single digits. OTOH, a cat's IQ would likely be expressed as a negative integer.

[Mike Whitten]

Mike,

I love your Butters posts, no matter the nominal topic of this blog. But this one got me thinking and I did a quick Google site-specific search here before writing.

Google finds the word "microchip" all over The Online Photographer but I didn't see it in reference to Butters.

So... no bling means no ID means.... probably absolutely nothing. There's such a tiny chance of anything going wrong. But once in a while a beloved pet scoots away or a well meaning stranger "rescues" your dog (happened to me) or who knows. Microchips can be a heart-saver in that situation.

https://www.facebook.com/amah8536/photos/a.388095501246501.88000.346314228757962/878523072203739/?type=1&fref=nf

Joanne's a friend from our local photo club; she's a sweetheart.

You're a smart man, probably already have it handled. But if not - it's cheap, cheap insurance.

All the best,
Mike

PS - my wife's a vet, I shoot pet portraits for fun. Consider this sort of full disclosure.

[Both my doggies are chipped, never fear. --Mike]

[Jim in Denver]

The collar was too loose. It's not that hard to get the bottom jaw into it, and then it's just a matter of time.

Get some properly sized and the issue goes away.

(FWIW, my dog got through 5 collars before we realized how it was happening... :) )

[Bob Rosinsky]

Butters has a lot of character. He will eventually grow up and chew less (maybe). Meanwhile, isn't it great to have a dog around who doesn't mind having his picture taken?

[Richard Parkin]

If he is getting it off because it is too loose, tighten it up. I have twice found dogs walking on 3 legs with the other trapped in their collars. It is devilishly tricky to sort out with a dog who does not know you. I think I succeeded because they were so tired from struggling with it for some time.

[Bruno Masset]

Mr. B realized that the collar was the disgraceful embodiment of an iniquitous servitude, and decided to rend it.

Bad Mr. B.

The disobedient Mr. B. needs to be taught who is the master.

Although this kind of chew-resistant collar is more often seen on dobermans, there's no law that prevents them from being used on other breeds.

;-)

[Charles Dunton]

I could not help laughing. We have brother and sister Weimaraners that love to play, and they play rough. Their favorite move is the Dog Collar Take Down. Lunge for the neck, grab the collar, and pull. Sometimes the take down succeeds, and sometimes your opponent escapes by pulling out of the collar, but that's ok because the two of you now have a new chew toy to wrestle over. Of course the "toy" cost $20 and it won't last 20 minutes, but that's no problem because Dad will buy you a new one.

We went through a number of collars this way. We even found a brand at our vet's that guaranteed them for life. Just turn in the "broken" one and take home a new one. Eventually our vet stopped carrying them - too much trouble she said.

Then a friend recommended the Dura-Lon collars from dogsunlimited.com. They have held up fabulously for a year now. They look great, they seldom get dirty, and when they do, a quick wipe with a damp cloth has them looking like new. They also come with a brass or steel name plate with up to 4 lines of identifying text.

We went with the double ring version. The weight of the buckle keeps the second ring on top for quickly attaching the leash.

Highly recommended.