My Dog Ate My Library Book

It's the old -- very old -- standard excuse from kids that "my dog ate my homework." Well, I recently experienced the adult version of this.

My two-year-old dog Riley "ate" my library book. I will chalk it up to an excess of energy on his part and, as I hang my head in shame, maybe not enough attention. But the other day as I came out from the bathroom, while I assumed he was quietly sleeping, the library book I had set on the table was missing. I heard this crackling sound and I ran into the other room to find Riley chewing apart and dragging the book around!

See the pictures above and below for just a sample of the "damage"-- back and front covers both torn off and several pages inside (even beyond those photographed) chewed in half. I also now owe a $15 fine to the library to replace the book. Luckily, they had another copy (in hardcover) that I was able to check out since I was right in the middle of what is actually an incredibly good book. Incidentally, I recommend both reading and seeing the movie version of "Into the Wild".

I am not one of those shaming dog owners you've seen who will post a photo of Riley's guilty face with a sign reprimanding him for what he did -- he wouldn't sit still long enough anyway. But I will definitely not repeat the same mistake of being overly trusting of Riley and leaving destructible items, particularly ones that don't even belong to me, within his reach anytime soon!

What is an example of some minor, but annoying damage your dog has done? Let me know in the comments!