Television personality Ellen DeGeneres recently asked viewers to send in photos of their Home Alone Pets (or rather, photos of the aftermath of home alone pets) and pet guardians responded with enthusiasm.

While, yes, some of this destructive behavior is the result of anxiety that needs curtailing through proper training — but sometimes a dog is just a dog, and those new couch cushions are just too reminiscent of a tasty hunting catch to resist. Just like the Dog Shaming Tumblr that took the Internet by the tail, these photos are less about public humiliation (because dogs don’t actually care) and more about the lessons in patience that our pups teach us daily. Like human pups who destroy expensive electronics or doodle on important documents, dogs don’t understand the importance of some of the items in our homes. Most of the time, the item is replaceable. The dog, however, is not.

It makes us think of all the bad habits we have that we just can’t seem to break. So while it might be exasperating to come home to a pile of unrolled toilet paper, it’s just a reminder to shut the bathroom door on the way out. If you can’t beat ’em, at least make it inconvenient.

Photos via the Ellen website