[pyrnet] Bored Baby

[Rob & Stacey Korn <mushroom@gator.net>]

Hi all, I need some advice about what to do with my Pyr/Maremma cross.
Juma is three years old and bored out of her mind.  We live in the
country, in the middle of nowhere, and there's little-to-no activity
around here during the day (we have one neighbor who is gone all day
like we are).  Juma has taken to destructive behavior and "plays" with
anything she can get her paws on.  She went into the pumphouse two days
ago and found two water filters we'd stored on a shelf, and ripped them
to shreds in the yard.  She'll tackle any potted plant we leave within
her reach.  She nosed through a box of items I'd emptied out of my car
and left on the carport, and I came home yesterday to blue yarn strewn
across the yard.  She'll root through the recycle bins and grab empty
milk jugs to toss around.  She has also made screen-destroying an art,
crashing through nine screen panels on our screened porch.  (This, we
believe, came about the day she was spooked by some hunters shooting in
the distance, and she crashed through a panel to try to get to
"safety."  She has thus figured out that small woven metal spindles pose
no barrier to her.  She'll choose to crash a screen over walking in the
propped-open screen door.)

I love her to death and would NEVER consider getting rid of her (in case
anyone was wondering if I was ready to throw in the towel).  She is my
baby, pure and simple, and I'll have her until she dies.  But the poor
dear is bored out of her gourd and I need advice on how to stimulate her
during the day when we're not home.  (We're gone for 10 hours at a time,
but she has two acres to play on and plenty of wildlife to bark at).  I
contemplated getting a companion dog for her, but I won't have any
"quality time" available to nurture a puppy until I get my three-month
summer break (I firmly believe in "raising" a dog like one would a
child), and I fear that Juma would teach a new puppy new tricks when I'm
not around.

I also am not keen on keeping her in confinement, as my husband is close
to doing.  She just completed a seven-week "house arrest" for the
treatment of heartworms and I just can't bear to take any more freedom
away from her.  (Even on confinement, she burst through two screens in
our living room when we left the windows open.)  By the way, her
destructive behavior came about long before she was put on "house
arrest," so I know it's not directly related to that.

We make sure that when we are home we take time to play with her, walk
her to the river, have dinner parties with friends who bring their dogs
over so Juma can have "puppy parties" a few times a month.  We have also
taken to leaving a radio playing on the front stoop so she hears human
voices all day.  Any other ideas?  Thanks.

Stacey