A cheeky dog has been shamed by his owner for eating his training book seconds after it arrived in the post.
Owner Jim Hooker, from Newcastle upon Tyne, ordered a 'how to train your dog' book from eBay in hope it would help him train his 15-month-old dog.
But before he even got a chance to set eyes on the book, his cocker spaniel, Ralph, shredded it to pieces.
Jim, 36, said: “I was on a cocker spaniel Facebook group, and someone was asking for advice on how to train their dog.
"Somebody recommended this book, so I went on eBay, got it and paid for next day delivery.”
It happened on Jim's first day back to the office following the lockdowns. He said: “I left him for a couple of hours with loads of toys out to keep him distracted, knowing how he usually would nab the post anyway.
"But I came home and just saw that the postman had popped it through the letter box and he’d ripped it up.
“I have a feeling he knew there was something in it that was going to try and train him. I couldn’t believe it.”
Ralph is a well behaved and friendly dog, but he sure lives up to his name, as Jim says it was inspired by the movie Wreck it Ralph – due to his joy in wrecking anything that comes through the letterbox.
Up until now Jim has been working from home, which usually meant having to watch out the window for the postman to arrive. Jim says he has to race to the front door before Ralph beats him to it.
Jim said: “I was willing to sacrifice a couple of bank statements while I went to the office for a few hours but he’d decided to eat his entire training book. He’s a working cocker spaniel, that’s just what they do.
“I’m going to order another book and make sure that I’m in to sign for it this time, and I hope that the first lesson in there is how to stop your dog from chewing the post.”
