Life with puppies can be full of joy, cuddles, and chaos—and boy, are we living that chaos! We have two adorable furballs who just turned one, and while they’re the cutest creatures in the world, they also have a knack for destruction that rivals a wrecking crew.
Let me set the scene: When they were six and eight months old, we went out of town with a dog sitter at home. Despite having company and care, they managed to eat part of our wall. Yes, you read that right—the actual wall going up the stairs. My husband has now repaired that wall twice, only for them to turn it into a chew toy yet again. For now, we’ve covered the area to prevent further damage, but I’m counting down the days until this phase (hopefully) passes.
Fast forward to Christmas: another trip, another in-house sitter. This time, they ripped the back cushion of our couch the day we were coming home. My husband, the MVP of DIY fixes, stitched it back up. But recently, during one of my meetings, I heard that oh-so-familiar sound of trouble brewing. I stepped away to find that same cushion completely destroyed. Again.
After some brainstorming (and a lot of sighing), we’ve decided a couch cover might be the way to go—at least until the destruction subsides. We even looked at new furniture, just to dream a little, but we know better than to invest in anything fancy just yet. This couch, though old, still has to survive a few more rounds with these pups.
And if that weren’t enough, we returned from yet another outing to find they’d eaten part of our rug. This time, our teens were “watching” them. Lesson learned: Puppy-proofing is not a one-time thing—it’s a lifestyle.
I’ll admit, there are moments I wonder if getting these dogs was a mistake. But then they curl up in my lap, look up at me with those big, soulful eyes, and all the frustration melts away. They’ve got us wrapped around their paws.
Still, we need solutions. So, here’s where you come in, dear readers:
Have you ever been in the trenches of puppy destruction? What worked for you to curb it? I know they need better outlets for their energy, but balancing that with a full work schedule has been tricky. I’d love to hear any advice or creative strategies for keeping our little chaos-makers occupied and (hopefully) less destructive.
Drop your tips in the comments! My couch—and my sanity—thank you in advance.