For all of her life, Theresa Potratz’s family has had dogs. She’s always invested time and energy into making sure that every pup in her home is obedient and well-behaved at all times, so her pooches have always known good manners!
But she was in for a new challenge with Murphy the Cavalier King Charles spaniel. To say Murphy had a chewing problem would be an understatement. The pup had a compulsion to chew at, bite, and eat everything and everyone within his reach. No matter what Theresa did, she couldn’t wean him of this behavior.
Eventually, the chewing led to a blockage in Murphy’s digestive track, resulting in an emergency rush to the vet and an invasive surgery. But the pup still hadn’t learned his lesson – or rather, he had no idea the damage he was doing. He continued to chew like there was no tomorrow.
Theresa tried every training trick in the book and even had him enrolled in a training class. But more surgeries from blockages came and went, and soon Murphy had to be hand-fed at every meal due to them. Theresa was at her wit’s end, and one day, completely discouraged and heartbroken, she broke down.
Theresa went to work the next morning with a weight in her chest, but then a bouquet of flowers arrived for her. When she read the card on it, she was so touched she nearly began crying at work. The card said: “Sorry I was a bad puppy, I will be a better dog I promise”, and it was signed by Murphy.
The flowers had been sent by her husband on Murphy’s behalf. The family knew that Murphy didn’t understand the negative consequences of his actions, and they knew he never wanted to hurt his beloved Mommy.
This encouragement gave Theresa the strength she needed to push through. Now, much later, Murphy is an adult dog whose chewing compulsions have greatly lessened. While he will have to be hand-fed for the rest of his life, Theresa has never lost faith in him and he is a happy, healthy pup.
Images & Feature Image Source: Theresa Potratz