Dog Chewing Gum

Yesterday I was working in my sewing room and both dogs were visiting me. As I sat at my sewing machine, I could hear Rudy chewing something. Since I had not given either dog a chew treat, I couldn't figure out what he was chewing. I got up from my machine and went around the desk to where both Rudy and Emme were lying. Rudy had something in his mouth and Emme had her mouth as close to Rudy's as she could get. I pried open Rudy's mouth which is no means feat with an 80 pound Labrador Retriever. After I got his mouth open, I ran my finger around the inside of his mouth and could feel nothing. I figured I was too late and he had swallowed whatever he had in his mouth. I went back to my sewing machine and Rudy started chewing again. I got up a second time and fished around in his mouth. Nothing. Back to my machine. Back to Rudy chewing. This third time when I got up, he had dropped the item out of his mouth. It was a piece of fabric about 3 inches by 5 inches.

Rudy used to always fish around in my trash basket for little pieces of cloth I had thrown away and chew them like chewing. I got smart and bought a trash basket with a lid and that ended the dog chewing gum. Recently I was straightening up my sewing room, putting things away in their right places. I must have dropped that piece of fabric on the floor for Rudy to find. After I picked up the soaking wet fabric from the rug, I took it to the bathroom to rinse it out, prior to throwing it away. I put it on the counter top to dry and forgot all about it.

Later that evening, I heard Emme whining and crying. I got up to take her outside and she was not at the door. I looked all over the house and finally located her on the second floor, took her outside, and went back to my chair in the living room. A little later, more Emme whining. Ken discovered that she had gone up to the second floor to the bathroom and was sitting in front of the counter whining for the piece of fabric. I brought her back downstairs and not much later she was back upstairs in the bathroom crying for that piece of cloth.

I didn't know how to get her to stop. Ken suggested that I go to the garage and find a "new toy" one of the toys that are currently not in circulation, take it upstairs, call Emme and give the toy to her. Maybe that would make her forget the cloth. So I went out to the garage and got two plush toys. Of course, I had to get one for both Emme and Rudy. I tucked them under my shirt (giving me more chest than I have ever had) and snuck upstairs to the bathroom. I called Emme and "discovered" the toy on the counter top. She was ecstatic. She ran downstairs with the toy. She forgot the fabric. Some times distraction works.