We’re so glad Rita is a tiny little runt of a dog. I can’t imagine what life with her would be like if she was much bigger. She can be so sweet and she can be 100% devil dog!
Rita’s Sweater
She doesn’t mind her clothes so much any more and I love dressing her. Earlier this week, it was pretty cold and I think she liked having on her little fleece sweater. By the end of the week, it was near 80º and the only appropriate clothing would have been a bikini, which she doesn’t have . . yet. We had the air conditioner on yesterday afternoon!
Her devil behavior started Thanksgiving Day. We went to the home of friends for Thanksgiving and they didn’t want the turkey carcass so I brought it home to make broth and turkey bone soup. There was a bit of meat left on the bones so Vince sat down at the table and picked it all off, piling it up on a plate. Then we went out to take care of the chickens and he forgot to push his chair in. When we got back in the house, Rita had gotten in his chair and on the table and had her fill of Thanksgiving turkey!
We’ve been very careful to push our chairs under the table but yesterday I went to town. We were going to grill burgers for dinner. I guess the bag of buns was hanging just over the edge of the counter and she must have jumped and jumped til she grabbed the bag and pulled it down.
Buns
I crumbled the remaining buns for the birds . . we did NOT have them for dinner.
Vince said “Rita, I can see why your former parents yelled at you!” We didn’t yell at her but I guess we’re going to have to be extra careful about everything . . even things we thought there was no way she could reach!
myrna sossner says
LOL! Our Rascal did the same thing … with left over roast beef on the dining room table … It was to be Nancy’s lunch!!! How can you scold a dog for your own carelessness? It is just what makes life interesting.
Diana in RR,TX says
Could tell you some funny stories, not funny at the time tho. all I can say is where there is a will there is a way!
Judy says
Our whippet once managed to get a coffee cake left on the table and devoured it all. We feared she had also eaten the plastic wrap that covered it, but later discovered she had taken it over to the sofa and hidden in behind one of the cushions!
Toni now in Washington says
It is amazing what they can get into! Our dachshund, Huckleberry (affectionately called H’dog) once got at the leftovers on our Thanksgiving table. And the chairs were pulled away from the table as were serving buffet style. He stilled managed to leap (and he was not agile) from a chair that was close to the end of the table. We were saying goodbye to family and then said “Where is Huckleberry” as he usually would have been saying goodbye too! Everyone had a good laugh…but I didn’t think it was that funny!
Quilterbee says
You will have to say no sternly or bad dog so she knows it is wrong to get things from the table. You know she loved that turkey. My dog slept in his crate when I left the house until he learned to unlock it. When I was home I left the crate door open and would find him taking a nap in his crate. I bought a dog bed that was flat like a large pillow for the bottom of the crate so it would be soft. We’ve all had our pets steal food. One time I had pizza on my plate while I was walking and bent down to pick something up from the floor and the dog came up and ran off with my pizza. He was fast about it which was funny because he usually only moved in slow motion. Rita, will learn the rules of the house.
Karen says
We learned our lesson the hard way – Jill got on a chair (7 lb of Maltese) in the RV and ate 3 large squares of dark chocolate – very bad for dogs. She ended up with an emergency visit to the vet (thankfully there was one in town that returned our call immediately) had two doses of hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting, almost had to have her stomach pumped and scared us half to death. Now nothing is left on the table and all edibles are up high or in a cabinet. They’re such inventive little creatures.
Theresa says
Any dog or cat that’s had times of starvation will not be able to pass up food, if she can get to it. Our newest basset hound helped herself to my salmon dinner while I was answering the door on Halloween this year. She will also help herself to anything she can reach on the counters. We’re working on training her not to do it, but I think it’ll always be in the back of her head, “where’s my next meal coming from?”
Chris in So Cal says
We have Great Dane. You can imagine that we are very careful with what we leave on counters. Last Christmas we went out to dinner leaving behind 5 dozen cookies in a sealed a Tupperware container. When we got home I wondered why there was a Tupperware container on the floor. It took me a minute to put two and two together. She ate every single cookie, licked up every crumb, and somehow managed to hide the wax paper that I had placed between each layer! I was sure we’d be up all night with her but she was fine. We are now careful to leave all food in the microwave!
Linda in NE says
My son’s Chocolate Lab once pulled a pecan pie off the counter and ate the whole thing. Needless to say the results were predictable. It’s a good thing Rita isn’t any taller than she is….though she seems pretty determined.
rusty says
Are you sure Rita isn’t part beagle? My Miss Abbie had a whole pumpkin pie one thanksgiving morning! She was vertically challenged, too, but she’d persevered
’til she got it off the counter somehow. I found the empty pan, upside down, with one bite of crust left in it, and Abbie groaning on her mat in the living room. (Needless to say, she wasn’t hungry for at least an hour or two:))
Marky says
We had a Dalmation who regularly raided counter tops, chewed on shoes, and loved to rip my quilting fabric. The obedience trainer taught me a trick that worked at protecting anything we didn’t want him to have: set mouse traps along the counter, on top of shoes, on the fabric shelves (just remember they’re there!) She said, “once he sets one off, the loud noise and possibly getting pinched, will teach him to never go near the items again.” It worked and has worked on every dog since. I can now set a trap without engaging the spring, and the dog stays away from my shoes.
Funny side story: when my parents visited mid-dog training period, my dad thought we must have a horrendous mouse problem judging by all the traps set along the counter tops!
Dorothy Schreyer says
I agree with Theresa, a rescued animal is a creature of opportunity. The only cat we ever had get into the trash was a rescued kitten. Our Chihuahuas will jump extremely high to get food, especially considering how short they are to start with.
Sharon Downey says
We have a Shitzu that we adopted from the shelter. For her size she can jump higher and quicker than any dog we ever owned thought of doing. Apparantly Rita is a very smart dog. I like Teresa’s answer. Rita probably has known starvation hunger. Most abandoned dogs experience it. I’ve stuck things in my microwave also to keep the temptation away.
Sherrill says
One of many reasons my punk goes in the crate whenever I leave!!!
pat says
I have a white and black chichuahua
She is named Trixie Lady Penelope
my little witch always into trouble
qtips are her favorite
she jumps from the bed to the end table to the dresser and steals everything.
but we love her dearly
she has 2 dashounds males for brothers
rusty dusty is my wild man
buster is so well mannered dog
Susan T says
We had a mini daschund that could get into anything! Ate the whole top of a peach pie, cleaned the butter dish, and worst of all – got into our son’s chocolate stash! Fortunately she threw up most of it, and after a couple of days was none the worse for wear! One place we lived had a small post office and a store, and often when we picked up our mail, our little devil ate the treats some of the children were holding – I often had to replace treats to avoid crying kids!
Dottie N. says
Rita has figured out where there’s a will, there’s a way. Pets are so comical, LOL.
Carolyn says
She’s a WILD child!
Pam J says
Another funny story to add. We were grilling out on the porch on one of those closer to the ground grills, had done it many times….but this one evening we were grilling 2 butterfly pork chops that were prolly 2″ thick, DH had been watching them, but needed something inside,stepped inside less than a minute. When he walked back out there was only 1 pork chop left…our Doberman Cheyenne had helped himself to the one missing…tail wagging we ask if he enjoyed it, as he was licking his chops…sure ’nuff…he reached in with his teeth &snatched it w/o burning his bottom chin R burning the hair off of it!!! Also my 100 lb American Bulldog use to jump up on the kitchen counter n eat whatever I happen to leave on the counter when he knew I wouldn’t catch him..he also stolen my mocca frappachino out of my console cup container when he stayed in my Landrover while I’d run in the store..he had to climb over the seats n lift the cup out of the console, Then carry it back to his bed in the back ….I only wish I could’ve observed that all taking place. The first time he did it, he buried the empty cup in his blankets & I didn’t find it until I later took his bedding out to wash…lo n behold there was the evidence!!! Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for., I do think Rita needs a Jack Russell for her partner in crime!! Ya’lld really have ur hands full….!!!
Diana says
We had a dachshund who loved to steal the steak off the table .. After the hubs brought it in after grilling ! It was so funny to see a grown man chasing a wienie dog !
It was a very funny sight to behold !