Since fencing in the yard, it's been nice to just let Echo out and do his thing. We thought it would be GREAT to be able to leave him out there in the morning while we got ready, etc. Not so.
Echo has taken much enjoyment out of digging up the garden and grass and eating clumps of clay. We've lost one plant already that he ripped out and ate - it was pretty hurting, though, and was just finally making a comeback from the winter with little leaves coming out of the bottom. The rest looked like dead sticks. He pulled that one out shortly after digging a nice little hole beside the deck. Both of these incidents occurred after getting back from our little vacation and leaving him at the kennel all week. So, we thought it was just a little acting out at us for that. Nope, it's been a constant battle since getting back. The latest repeat victim is a rose of sharon planted in the corner beside the deck. He had dug it out and ripped it out of the ground last Sunday while Marnie and Carey were ON THE DECK chatting. I guess that was his little, "hey, pay attention to me!" thing. Little bugger! Marnie yelled at him pretty good, from what I was told. The plant still had most of it's root ball intact, so we thought, throw some bone meal in there and replant it... it'll be fine. I did that and it looked like nothing happened. Hearty little plant! Well, on Tuesday he had it out again, but I was out with him that time and caught it before he had any real fun. I put it back in and again it seemed to be fine. Well, this past weekend, he was at it again. Marnie and I were putting up a trellis for the clematis at the front side of the house, by the fence. Echo was behind it looking at us. I joked talking to him through the fence, "you better not be digging up that plant!". When I walked from the front of the house, to the back, he had ripped it out again, but this time was having a ball with it. He was laying down in the middle of the yard with the rose of sharon in his mouth, shaking it around. The plant was completely bare rooted this time. Not an inch of soil on it. As soon as I saw him and ran out towards him, he just stopped completely, dropping the plant and laid there as I approached him. He knew he was in trouble. After putting him in the house, I went out to assess the damage. It didn't look good. The plant looked like it had been washed, the roots were so bare. I thought, what's it going to hurt now - I'll put it back in and if it dies, it wasn't meant to be. I threw a little more bone meal in and replanted and watered it. I decided to block off that section of the yard beside the deck to give the little plant a break from the jowls of Echo.
So Tuesday, I was out playing with Echo and decided to put up the other trellis we bought for our yard. I had to move aside the one lawn chair that I had set up as a blockade and went inside for literally 1 minute to get my drill and some screws, and pretty much as soon as I turned my back and went inside he was at it again. unbelievable! I left the chair open to get back there and he went in and pulled it out YET AGAIN! I ran out and told him to get in the house and he jumped up and ran to the back door, I put him in and said "lay DOWN and STAY there!" pointing to his mat. He laid there no hesitation. I was fuming mad, but tried not to get too overworked, as that's what he was looking for, no doubt. He stayed there the whole time I put up the trellis. For the fourth time in 9 days, that damned plant had been uprooted by Echo... and for the fourth time, I replanted it! lol
It's been 2 days since the latest uprooting, and yes, it's surviving so far! If this thing grows and flourishes, it'll be a miracle and might possibly be the most hearty plant ever!
I have to do some research to see if there's some scent or "flavour" on this plant that dogs like, but I think it's just Echo trying (and succeeding) to get our attention.
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