Pet Damage Insurance?

[baileyuph]

Working today on pet damage, sure chewed up some upholstery and wood.
Customer is beside herself, agreed to pay a bonus to get it corrected soon as possible.

Is pet damage a big business?  This damage was dogs, repaired cat damage yesterday in a leather cushion.  The cat seemed to enjoy digging their claws in.

I work all the time and can't take care of a pet, so I don't know these things, except it can get expensive repairing the damage.  Pet damage might be a smaller part of the repair business and too if a special insurance is required, few might buy the coverage and the rest, not do a repair - live with it?

Doyle

[byhammerandhand]

I do a fair amount of pet damage, dog chews to wood, mostly.

I do service work for several "protection plans" that work like insurance, but are not precisely insurance because they're not regulated as insurance companies.   I'll note that specifically excluded are damages caused by pet "claws, teeth, and beaks."   I'm sure they find these are recurring and extensive enough that covering them would raise the rates for everyone.   I had a client a few years ago that I visited three times over the puppy period.   He'd chewed up several places on the stairway, several dressers and a large spot on a sleigh bed.

[baileyuph]

This was posted very recently and ........."you guessed it!"  The dog did it again, same chair. same spot, but that isn't all, did the other arm this time in the same spot.  To add further; the dog this time also chewed cording on a pillow back cushion very badly. 

Customer brought both to me for quick repairs. 

Yes, it means business for me, plus I like certain pets .............but!

Customers come in and when seeing the repairs going on, the reaction range is from "how can someone let a pet ruin their world" to "it isn't the pets fault".

Probably not, after all who is living in denial and even obtained the pet?

I think my record of fixing same problem same place is three.  After that If I remember correcly, the husband walked.  Yes, they split over this mess.

In perspective maybe this is what is behind cultural values being what they are over furniture, empty rooms even make more sense.

Will there be a fourth occurence, standby.

Doyle

[gene]

When someone tells me their dog is stupid, I always have the same reply: "I understand that animals take on the characteristics of their owners." So far I haven't been hit. Maybe it's because I show my Conceal and Carry gun as I'm saying it.  :D (Just joking about the gun, but not the comment.)

People buy a 'working' dog and get upset when it wans to works. People buy a 'family' type dog like a lab, leave it alone all day, and get upset when it develops aberrant behaviors. Many people would be better off getting a stuffed animal from Kids R Us.

I got 2 or 3 phone calls last year where a cat clawed away at only one panel of a chair or sofa, and they wanted to know if I could use the fabric from one of their matching throw pillows to replace the panel. One lady had a swatch of fabric that had been in the closet for years and wasn't even big enough to make a throw pillow, let alone replace the back panel of a sofa.

gene

[byhammerandhand]

I've got two chairs ready to return where the dogs (two different owners) decided to chew the front wood off the arms.

We won't open up the discussion about "cat ladies."

[baileyuph]

Above, I described a client with repeated dog damages to upholstery.  I also suggested readers standby as I raised the question will this event occur a fourth time?

Got the answer today, yes it has happened four times during the last several weeks, probably less than eight.

People and their tolerance with pets who chew your nice furnishings  is an eye opener as to how the culture, as I have known it, has changed during my lifetime.

Please hear this, the customer not only has brought this furniture for the fourth pet damage repair, she indicated she ordered extra yardage from Joann's in case it happens again.

Is this the norm in the society today and my roll in the repair capacity is "culturally correct" is just keep on repairing and pretending I am not thinking whatever I am thinking.  I know it is business for me and keep my mouth shut, hoping it is soon enough so as not to appear "culturally incorrect".

Now that is off my chest.
You know, having grown up in a country setting, there was so much joy in grabbing the gun and going off to the woods with the hunting dog.  The dog and I were both incredibly happy with that relationship.

Back to reality, yes!  I predict a fifth occurence.

Doyle

[JuneC]

The dog most likely has separation anxiety and they can be cured of it, but the owner must want it to happen and pursue a solution.  I've been through it with more than a few dogs over the years, and they've all turned out to be great pets.  You might suggest next time she shows up for her to get some "Bitter Apple" they sell at the pet stores.  It tastes awful to dogs and it may or may not work for hers.  In my experience it helps.   The danger is that they find something more expensive that you didn't spray.

June

[JDUpholstery]

I am blessed with an animal that is well behaved, he has a dog door and uses...I can leave him alone to run the house for hours, even days, and know when I get home nothing will be chewed (even have a hard time convincing him he can chew on a toy) He is a mixed Black Lab I rescued from an animal shelter about 6 years ago....Personally I do not see how people tolerate animals that misbehave when they are so easy to train...repetition and reward, can teach a dog to do anything!

[sofadoc]

I have a few regular customers that allow their pets to rule their home.
They've tried discipline and training products with little success. They seem quite content to just call me often. Fine by me.

My view is simple. When God created the Heaven and Earth, He never promised four-legged creatures an air conditioned roof over their heads. Living indoors is a privilege for an animal, not a birthright. I have an indoor dog and cat who understand this. I also have an outdoor cat who doesn't. On one particularly cold night recently, I spotted the outdoor cat in the garage on top of the hot water heater sleeping with a possum (I guess bitter cold makes for strange bedfellows).

 

[baileyuph]

Animals on the warm hot water heater, there is a strong message inferred there.  Both were happy, warm, and knew how to find their way.

Maybe the strange bedfellows are the ones overlooked by society?

If I understand correctly, the chemical discouragement treatment hasn't worked.

The dog owner now thinks arm covers are the answer, portable, easier/cheaper to replace. :-X

The saga goes on.........

Doyle

[baileyuph]

The saga continues, you guessed it:  The dog hit again and big!  He got the club chair that I repaired at least three times and included this time is a leather chaise lounge.  Yes, leather and we know the story there, $$$$.  Interesting because I told her last time, if she ever needed that reupholstered it would cost about a $1000 just for the leather.

The lady is determined to fix things, she odered three yards of matching fabric and I have both arms in work now.  The dog got the chaise while I am working on the chair.  It will be finished today.  Then, it is to move on to the leather chaise.

I am going to mention to the lady that a professional from Florida (June C.) suggested "bitter apple", available from pet stores would likely help and get plenty of it on!  June, I am beginning to feel sorry for this lady, it is going to happen again if she doesn't get something even if it is a wire cage to lock the puppy up while they are gone.

Yep, feel sorry for the lady, she doesn't want to destroy her daughter (I think it is her daughters pet), what a trooper!  If I needed the work, this would be jubilation
for me, but there is plenty to do in the shop.

The lady is banking on the pet to be out of the puppy stage in about 4 months, sad story isn't it.  Bitter Apple time!!!!  Double dose it!

Yes, it happens when left alone and the puppy always hits the cording of a seam which is filled with hard plastic.  What do you think, is the almost equal to "cutting their teeth"?

I will finish the chair today, pick up the chaise next week, which will probably take three or four hides.

I had a situation, some what similar few years ago and after the third occurence at the same spot on the chair, the marriage ended up in divorce.  The guy said it is either me or the pet, he went!

Not to bore you people,

Doyle

[sofadoc]

The lady is banking on the pet to be out of the puppy stage in about 4 months

I have a similar ongoing pet damage customer.

The last time, she said "I think that he is finally out of the chewing stage".

Well I should hope so........he's 15.

[JuneC]

Doyle, the wire cage (crate) is not inhumane treatment for a dog dealing with separation anxiety.  I truly felt bad the first time I put our dog in one when leaving the house (gave him a treat to ease the transition), but after about 6 months, all I had to do was say "CRATE" and he willingly went in.  In fact, after about 9 months I'd be sitting around saying "where's the dog?" and he'd be in his crate.  We got him a playmate and they both compete for crate time.   I'd love to get rid of it, but they just love it.  I've seen both of them (65 pound BIG dogs) sitting in there together.  Crates work and when used properly are a great training tool. 

But this thread is about pet damage, not dog training.  Too bad the animal is so stressed that he attacks furniture.  Many dogs don't outgrow it.  It starts with teething and becomes a bad habit produced by anxiety.  Hope she can change the behavior.

June

[baileyuph]

June, what you say makes a lot of sense to me.  In the end it is the best thing for the dog, too.

I got the chair finished but we got 4 inches of much needed snow, means delivery might not be until sometime next week.  The lady adores this chair, she said she decorated the entire room around it.  I got it back together and the history can't be detected, I know she will like it.  Darn near as expensive as recovering the whole chair, labor wise. 

Yes sofa, I wondered about the 4 months expection with respect to moving out of the puppy stage.  I did see the litte guy, very full of energy and loved to run and jump and play with the other dogs.

This dog damage is business for me but I still would like for this to be the last go around, such a nice lady.

I haven't put my foot in the door, but if I can insert and emphasize the cage idea in a encouraging way, that might happen.

The lady brought me four yards, there are almost three left, I was able to use good areas of the cloth removed to meet the requested maching armrest.  BTW, she said leave the foam filled cording off the arm covers.  No surprise, I do hope it makes chewing less likely, somehow I am in a wait and see mode on that idea.

Just doing as told and hoping ......

Doyle