The whole family is getting in on the decluttering action. Including Eddie, our four legged family member. All I have to say is that Eddie is a lucky dog.
He was found by one of Stephen’s coworkers wandering the street with no collar and no microchip in the dead of winter, scrounging for food. It took her and her friend weeks to get him to trust them enough to get where they could catch him. When they finally did, Stephen’s colleague fostered him until she could find him a home. We were that home. He was about six months old when he came to us, with his name, and he’s been wreaking havoc ever since.
But we love him.
When he was a pup, he chewed on pretty much everything. Furniture. Window sills. Bones. Our other dog, Toby. (She passed away last summer at the age of 14. She was a rescue, too.) He could be the star of Dog Shaming. Because although he’s super sweet and snuggly, he’s a stinker. At least now he doesn’t chew.
The Vet Says
Dr. Marty Becker at VetStreet.com answered the question of whether a dog can have too many toys. Admittedly, I looked this up after we’d gone through Eddie’s stash, but I’m glad to see that we did what Dr. Becker suggested. Specifically he said, “But if the toys wind up unplayed with and scattered on the floor, and the only time they see any action is when you trip over them, then yes, you probably have too many toys.”
Pretty sure this qualifies as too many toys. Some were actually dog toys and some were stuffed animals he stole from the children. And I do mean, quite literally, that he stole them. He’d slink into their rooms, sink his teeth into one and sneak off to the other room to decapitate or gut it. I considered completing an application for him for the CIA. He could be the first clandestine hit dog.
The Final Five
Since Eddie isn’t a puppy anymore and doesn’t chew everything he can reach, he no longer needs or is interested in tons of chew toys. Plus, an entire basket of toys for a tiny dog really didn’t make sense.
The kids and I went through his basket of toys. We lined them up on the floor and the ones Eddie picked up, we kept.
His favorite is Nala the lion. And when I say favorite, I mean his favorite. Sometimes I feel compelled to tell him to get a room.
He also chose a bone that is bigger than he is and a couple of others plush toys.
The rest got recycled.