Keeping Kipper

A couple of days into ownership of Kipper the dog, it becomes obvious that we have made a major commitment and possibly a serious mistake.

A hole the size of a softball in the back cushion of a couch is hard to hide. Its only the third day of having Kipper in our lives, but I feel like he's walked in circles on my heart and settled in for good. Returning him to the shelter is out of the question.

I purchase some spray which is meant to keep animals off the furniture. We leave for a weekend trip. We are gone about 2 hours before my sister goes to my home to let Kipper out. She opens the door to piles of white fluff and a devoured recliner.

I talk about it, do some research, and decide to purchase a crate to keep Kipper in when no one is at home.

We set up the crate in the kitchen. When he pees in the crate, we decide to move it to the basement. When we come home to find him not in the crate, we purchase a lock for the crate. When we find Kipper has again escaped, I buy a chain lock normally used for bicycles and wrap it around the top of the crate to keep Houdini well-contained.

I seem to have solved the problem of chewed furniture. Our separation anxiety-ridden dog is now able to enter a Zen-like state in his crate while we are gone. Surely, life will go on peacefully now....if only I'd known...