Tug

Ever since Ben and I went to Oregon for a few days in February, Porter has been humping his bed when feeling anxious. It happens when one of us comes home at a different time than normal and when we have guests.

Porter bites the bed, holding it in place with his teeth, and humps with a one-track mind. The only way I've been able to stop him in the past is by tethering him away from anything remotely soft.

Then, recently I discovered that playing tug is as good of a stress reliever for Porter as humping his bed. So now, instead of letting him get to the point of no return, I'll whip out his favorite tug rope and get him excited about playing. He loves it, and holds on so tight that we can lift him off the ground and even turn in a circle while lifting him up so that his body is flying in the air.

At least he's not a hump machine anymore.