My puppy, Halo, also likes things in her mouth. For example, when she wakes me up at night to go out she always has something in her mouth -- a toy, a sock, clothes, whatever :) This morning it was a collar that had been on the floor. She carries her object to the back door where I take it from her and out she goes, happy as can be.
When she was about five months old I noticed that my oven mitts and place mats kept showing up in the hallway. I reminded the kids of the need to not leave these things around where the puppy could get them. After a couple more days of this and more reminders to the kids (who, as always, said they did not do it :) I discovered that the wee fiend was opening the drawer and taking the items out. As I sat on the couch, she calmly went to the correct drawer (among four) in the kitchen, scratched at the top until she could get her nose in it, opened the drawer and removed the desired items. She carried each to the hall and went back for more. If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I am not sure I would believe it but it is true. She has never opened the drawers above or below -- just that one and she doesn't chew the things but rather just carries them places. Since I blame all devious actions on her father (since it could not possibly come from my own sweet Abra) I informed Terri Zimmerman of this new talent of Zaltana's offspring. Being a diplomat, Terri usually blames my cats for the puppies' bad habits, but this time she blamed me -- said it was from the tracking training I was doing with Halo since after all, she was just finding (oven) gloves ;) And she might have been right since little Halo deVil did get her Tracking Dog title on her six month birthday. I guess the trick is to practice at home with hidden oven mitts. Of course, now (the inappropriately named) Halo has learned to get the frig open -- since the cats do not do this nor does her perfect mother, I am sure we can agree that it must be from her father's side of the family ;) Mary-Ann Bowman Utah
