Something’s happened. I actually have developed what one might call feelings of love for this dog we brought into our lives. Now, before all the animal lovers start sending me hate mail.. hear me out. We had just lost Gracie, the world’s most perfect dog. And then we adopted Tuck, who came in like a literal wrecking ball. Destroying all our most loved possessions, our walls, our floors, our furniture, and most of all.. my soul. For the first 6 months of this dog’s life all he would do is BITE THE SKIN OFF MY BODY.

It was tough, man. Being in the house with this monster. I’ve lost multiple phone chargers, shoes, shoe laces, pillows, clothes, and sanity because of this dog’s insatiable appetite for destruction. Bonding was difficult. Don’t get me wrong – I tried. I tried a lot. But it’s hard to forge a relationship with someone who when you try to pet him, he bites you. You try and play with him, he bites you. You try and teach him tricks, he bites you twice.

But.. something has happened within the last couple weeks. Maybe it’s defeat, maybe it’s boredom, I don’t care what it is but I’ll take it. Tucker has calmed down just the teeniest, tiniest bit. And he’s not biting me nearly as much. Instead, he’s wiggling more, and wanting his belly scratched more. And coming in for the kiss a little bit more (which is him hitting me in the face as hard as he can with his snoot).

Now, maybe Tucker will live up to my dream of being like the Australian Shepherd I saw on Instagram who goes with his human to the gym while she trains clients and does burpees with them. That’s all I’ve wanted.

5 Must-Have Items to Spoil Your Dog

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Boccoli AKA “B-Bob-Rocc”

Before we picked up Tuck to bring him home as a baby, I filled a basket with various toys. Last minute, I threw in this broccoli floret I found at Target, not really thinking much of it. When he came home, the only thing he wanted to play with was that broccoli. To this day, his absolute favorite toy in the entire world is this thing of Broccoli. He loves it so much, that we’ve already had to replace it with a brand new Brocc because he absolutely destroyed the first one when he snuck it outside and gleefully paraded it around the back yard, buried it, and then a storm rolled into town. It’s from the brand Bark, and they have a ton of super cute pet toys that are really inexpensive. It’s soft, it squeaks, it’s broccoli. What more could you ever want?

a blue merle australian puppy playing with a broccoli plush toy

Stuffed Shin Bone AKA “Chew Bone”

This was another “first week at home” find. It actually came with us from the breeder, and it’s been a life saver. He’s been working on the same one for months, and it’s great when he gets extra chewy and wants to destroy all the furniture in the house. When the insides get pretty thin, you can fill with peanut butter and throw in the freezer overnight.

a blue merle Australian shepherd puppy laying on his back while chewing on a bone

Lucy & Co Harness

Did you know that Tucker is actually a brand rep? That’s right, for Lucy & Co! We love our dino harness, and were really sad this past week when we went to put it on and realized he’s finally outgrown the small! We’ll be ordering another fun pattern in a bigger size, soon. (Bonus: you can use Tuck’s discount code LC6J39SE at checkout to get 15% off your entire purchase at Lucy & Co).

a side by side photo of a blue merle australian puppy wearing a dinosaur harness while out for a walk

Sleepy Cotton Leash

Tuck is also a brand rep for Sleepy Cotton! We initially ordered one leash from this company, then turned around and got another in a second color. Tuck also has the seatbelt harness/strap for his Jeep rides, and we LOVE the shampoo and face wash down below! My favorite part about these leashes is that they’re sturdy (he’s strong), and they loop around your hand for a better grip. You can also clip a little poo-bag carrier to the top, so you’re never without.

Sleepy Cotton Shampoo + Face Wash

We opted for the calming Oatmeal Shampoo and Conditioner and Repel Face Wash, and both make our house (and Tuck) smell absolutely delightful once bath time is over. Which, let’s face it, is quite often because this dog LOVES THE MUD. (Much to my dismay…we’re in the process of potentially ordering a white couch and that’s a recipe for disaster if you ask me). Bonus: use code AUSSIETUCK10 for 10% off your order!