Update!

I've decided to expand this blog to include some personal posts.  Not every post will focus on ecothriftiness, but I'll try to keep any new info I learn circulating through this blog.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Tired of the dog ripping up your kids' expensive toys!?! Me too!

Someone in my MOMS Club group recommended that I try a spray on deterrent.  She recommended "Bitter Apples," but my husband, the ex-chemist engineer, wasn't fond of the isopropyl alcohol it contained.

We found another brand, "Bitter Yuck" on sale.  It only contains water, baking soda, and rosemary extract.

Our dog Pretzels has really turned out to be a great member of our family.  He's housebroken, calm, loving, and does superbly with our toddler friends.  He doesn't even chase the cat!  The one problem we've had with him is chewing.  Although they say he is 2yo, he's been chewing ALOT.  After getting on to him for the thousandth time, I bought the spray deterrent.  Its incredibly easy -- spray it on, let it dry, and it tastes like hell.  I went to work!

Well, of course, Pretzels got his first taste, and that was it for chewing on Jack's toys.  It took two tastes of his favorite steal, big purple bunny, to conquer that, but hey, no one is perfect!  However, Jack kept putting his toys in his mouth!  Of course, the taste is terrible, and hard to get rid of. 

The first time I gave him a mint to suck on.  The second time, he brushed his teeth for 30 minutes (well, sucked on the toothbrush anyway).  Finally, I had to scrub his mouth with tons of toddler toothpaste.

Pretzels has learned, but Jack is a little slower on the uptake!

2 comments:

The Craig Family said...

Hey! I love all of your blogging! I can just hear your voice when I read about what you are doing from day to day. I miss you, friend, and hope you are having a wonderful day!

Layla said...

lol!! :)

I have a dog called Pretzels in my old gotta-finish novel-to-be (only he's 3 times bigger and has 3 heads!:)

I can just see them doing the tasting, lol!!
Maybe you could DIY the repellent, if it's just baking soda and rosemary? Sounds and interesting idea to try!