Q. We adopted a Lab/Shepherd mix two years ago. He was good as gold for two weeks, and then little by little started getting the nibbles. Soon it was full-blown house destruction - he chewed coffee tables, ripped a couple of couches to shreds, tore up books and any paper he could find, ransacked garbage, etc. We were soon 'dogproofing', which basically meant we couldn't have ANYTHING sitting around within his reach (and he's TALL). This didn't stop him from going after furniture though...
We took him to the vet and found he had a sensitive stomach, so we started feeding him special food. This helped a little, but the behavior soon started again. We walked him every day multiple times, ran in the yard with him, bought him hundreds of dollars worth of toys...still, the behavior continued. We contacted a trainer, who gave us a crash course and then advised crate training. He was good in the crate for about a month, but one day he chewed his way out of it and destroyed more furniture (and his nose, in the process - it was a metal crate - that was a $200 ER bill). So...no crate.
Finally we took him back to the vet and told him we'd tried everything to no avail and were at the end of our ropes - he gave us an anti-depressant that he's been on for a year now, that's supposed to calm seperation anxiety. We also moved to a house (from the apartment), where he had a yard of his own. These together seemed to do the trick and he's been wonderful...
Until a few days ago. We took him to the vet with an ear infection, and ever since, he's been back to his old ways. I came home last night to find the pantry ransacked, the garbage can knocked over and ALL of our window dressings (and I do mean, ALL of them) torn from the windows and shredded. I'm talking everything from curtains to wooden blinds.
We both work, which is not something that's going to change, so my question is...what the heck do I do? Why the sudden relapse?? I'm so discouraged and upset...just when I thought he was basically trustworthy, this happens. We cannot afford to have him, in one fell swoop, destroying everything we own when he has a bad day. Suggestions??? HELP!!
Just in response to the suggestion that we don't love him - obviously we do. Otherwise he would have been gone a long time ago. He gets nothing but attention and affection when we're home. We have no desire to get rid of him, we just want to help him through whatever it is that's making him do this.
We took him to the vet and found he had a sensitive stomach, so we started feeding him special food. This helped a little, but the behavior soon started again. We walked him every day multiple times, ran in the yard with him, bought him hundreds of dollars worth of toys...still, the behavior continued. We contacted a trainer, who gave us a crash course and then advised crate training. He was good in the crate for about a month, but one day he chewed his way out of it and destroyed more furniture (and his nose, in the process - it was a metal crate - that was a $200 ER bill). So...no crate.
Finally we took him back to the vet and told him we'd tried everything to no avail and were at the end of our ropes - he gave us an anti-depressant that he's been on for a year now, that's supposed to calm seperation anxiety. We also moved to a house (from the apartment), where he had a yard of his own. These together seemed to do the trick and he's been wonderful...
Until a few days ago. We took him to the vet with an ear infection, and ever since, he's been back to his old ways. I came home last night to find the pantry ransacked, the garbage can knocked over and ALL of our window dressings (and I do mean, ALL of them) torn from the windows and shredded. I'm talking everything from curtains to wooden blinds.
We both work, which is not something that's going to change, so my question is...what the heck do I do? Why the sudden relapse?? I'm so discouraged and upset...just when I thought he was basically trustworthy, this happens. We cannot afford to have him, in one fell swoop, destroying everything we own when he has a bad day. Suggestions??? HELP!!
Just in response to the suggestion that we don't love him - obviously we do. Otherwise he would have been gone a long time ago. He gets nothing but attention and affection when we're home. We have no desire to get rid of him, we just want to help him through whatever it is that's making him do this.
Answer
If you leave a dog alone all day I am not surprised by what he does. You should take him for a long walk before you leave him and come home at lunchtime. You must then rush home from work and take him for another long walk, dog who are on there own all day need extra walks. As well as doing the above you should pay a dog walker to take him out in your absence, this is cheaper than replacing your furniture.
You could also use the following method to help with his Separation Anxiety. I know that several askers have tried this and it works because I have had private emails. Nevertheless he still needs lots of long walks.
Separation Anxiety.
If your dog suffers from separation anxiety donât give him free access to every room in your house when you leave him. . If you allow him free access you are doubling his burden. As well as having separation anxiety he will think that he has to guard every room in your house.
If he is restricted to one room he will not see you leave. You could also con him into thinking that you are always at home by carrying out the following procedure.
Try to do this when you are at home all day, or in the evening when you are there. After your dog has had a long walk, put him in a room with his comfortable bed, this should be a room where you will leave him if you need to go out and where your dog will sleep at night.
Walk out of the room and close the door. Open the door immediately and go back into his room, close the door behind you and try to ignore him. Pretend or actually do something which excludes your dog, for example if he is in the bathroom you could do a bit a cleaning for a couple of minutes. Then walk out of the room, go back again immediately and continue with the pretence. Keep doing this to ensure that your dog wonât feel isolated and eventually leave a small gap before you go into his room again. Eventually, increase the gap before going back into his room. When you know that your dog is asleep stop going into the room, however you MUST try to go onto the room before he wakes up and starts to cry. If you carry out this procedure for a couple of days, your dog will always think that you are at the other side of the door. I do this when I get a new puppy and this PREVENTS separation anxiety.
Donât neglect his long walks and playtime in the garden whilst you are re-training him, he needs his fun
When you are leaving your dog on his own please donât make a dramatic exit, or this will give the game away. Simply put him into his room and walk out. When you come home donât give him a big hello, just walk into his room and let him out for a pee. You can then play with him and give him cuddles.
Try to get a friend or a professional to take him out for pees and poos, if you need to leave him for any length of time and never leave a dog alone for more than three hours.
Until the Separation Anxiety is resolved, he should stay in his room at night, after you have done the door routine. .Although you may enjoy cuddling him in bed, this will add to his dependency.
If you leave a dog alone all day I am not surprised by what he does. You should take him for a long walk before you leave him and come home at lunchtime. You must then rush home from work and take him for another long walk, dog who are on there own all day need extra walks. As well as doing the above you should pay a dog walker to take him out in your absence, this is cheaper than replacing your furniture.
You could also use the following method to help with his Separation Anxiety. I know that several askers have tried this and it works because I have had private emails. Nevertheless he still needs lots of long walks.
Separation Anxiety.
If your dog suffers from separation anxiety donât give him free access to every room in your house when you leave him. . If you allow him free access you are doubling his burden. As well as having separation anxiety he will think that he has to guard every room in your house.
If he is restricted to one room he will not see you leave. You could also con him into thinking that you are always at home by carrying out the following procedure.
Try to do this when you are at home all day, or in the evening when you are there. After your dog has had a long walk, put him in a room with his comfortable bed, this should be a room where you will leave him if you need to go out and where your dog will sleep at night.
Walk out of the room and close the door. Open the door immediately and go back into his room, close the door behind you and try to ignore him. Pretend or actually do something which excludes your dog, for example if he is in the bathroom you could do a bit a cleaning for a couple of minutes. Then walk out of the room, go back again immediately and continue with the pretence. Keep doing this to ensure that your dog wonât feel isolated and eventually leave a small gap before you go into his room again. Eventually, increase the gap before going back into his room. When you know that your dog is asleep stop going into the room, however you MUST try to go onto the room before he wakes up and starts to cry. If you carry out this procedure for a couple of days, your dog will always think that you are at the other side of the door. I do this when I get a new puppy and this PREVENTS separation anxiety.
Donât neglect his long walks and playtime in the garden whilst you are re-training him, he needs his fun
When you are leaving your dog on his own please donât make a dramatic exit, or this will give the game away. Simply put him into his room and walk out. When you come home donât give him a big hello, just walk into his room and let him out for a pee. You can then play with him and give him cuddles.
Try to get a friend or a professional to take him out for pees and poos, if you need to leave him for any length of time and never leave a dog alone for more than three hours.
Until the Separation Anxiety is resolved, he should stay in his room at night, after you have done the door routine. .Although you may enjoy cuddling him in bed, this will add to his dependency.
Designer Dog Crate --- Quick 10 Points !!!!?
bonner
I have searched everywhere and can not find a dog crate that isn't just ugly black or silver criss-cross wire.
I saw one once at the Pets Pajamas store in Arkron Ohio that was white wires that formed little flowers -- sooo charming! So I know they have to be out there.
Can anyone tell me where to look to find something more stylish for my puppy (and apartment) ??
THANKS!!!! :)-
Answer
I don't use crates, but I have to laugh at some of the responses you're getting. It needs to be attractive because the HUMANS are going to see it. And some humans care how attractive their furnishings are.
Just take a look around Youtube and see the filth and poverty some dog owners think is just fine to live in. (The dogs are cute enough, but look behind them and see the garbage and debris, and weeds in the yard, and ratty furniture and filthy dog dishes strewn about. ...Sad.) Some of us have nice homes, and wouldn't want the decor ruined with anything like an ugly dog crate, ugly dog dishes, bags of dog food lying about, blankets on our sofas, and on and on.
I have a custom cabinet in solid oak and walnut exclusively built for the dog food and accessories. It's lovely, and most people think it's just a lovely piece of furniture. They have no idea I had it made just to keep dog-related clutter out of sight.
I'm very proud that people visiting my home typically exclaim how beautiful and clean it is, and how good it smells. I have multiple pets. I don't live in squalour or with K-Mart furnishings. No one has to. There are lots of terrific products on the market. And with a little imagination, anything can be made.
If I were to use a crate, and had a small dog, it might be one like this:
http://www.pamperedpuppy.com/features/200407_bowhaus.php
I've seen other custom designs for end tables made into dog crates (again, for small enough dogs). I also had a custom piece of furniture built to look like a small chest of drawers, but it's really my cat's litterbox. With a hidden entrance on one end, it eliminates the whole of issue of where to put the litterbox. It's right there in the hall. I clean it every day, so there's no odour. The top drawer even provides extra storage. (The bottom two are false drawers that swing open to allow access for cleaning.)
As I said, I've never used crates. And I also have Great Danes, so any crate would have to be huge. (I guess that would mean converting an armoire, rather than end tables, huh?) ;-) In any event, good luck. No, you're not wrong to want a crate that won't be an eyesore in your home.
I don't use crates, but I have to laugh at some of the responses you're getting. It needs to be attractive because the HUMANS are going to see it. And some humans care how attractive their furnishings are.
Just take a look around Youtube and see the filth and poverty some dog owners think is just fine to live in. (The dogs are cute enough, but look behind them and see the garbage and debris, and weeds in the yard, and ratty furniture and filthy dog dishes strewn about. ...Sad.) Some of us have nice homes, and wouldn't want the decor ruined with anything like an ugly dog crate, ugly dog dishes, bags of dog food lying about, blankets on our sofas, and on and on.
I have a custom cabinet in solid oak and walnut exclusively built for the dog food and accessories. It's lovely, and most people think it's just a lovely piece of furniture. They have no idea I had it made just to keep dog-related clutter out of sight.
I'm very proud that people visiting my home typically exclaim how beautiful and clean it is, and how good it smells. I have multiple pets. I don't live in squalour or with K-Mart furnishings. No one has to. There are lots of terrific products on the market. And with a little imagination, anything can be made.
If I were to use a crate, and had a small dog, it might be one like this:
http://www.pamperedpuppy.com/features/200407_bowhaus.php
I've seen other custom designs for end tables made into dog crates (again, for small enough dogs). I also had a custom piece of furniture built to look like a small chest of drawers, but it's really my cat's litterbox. With a hidden entrance on one end, it eliminates the whole of issue of where to put the litterbox. It's right there in the hall. I clean it every day, so there's no odour. The top drawer even provides extra storage. (The bottom two are false drawers that swing open to allow access for cleaning.)
As I said, I've never used crates. And I also have Great Danes, so any crate would have to be huge. (I guess that would mean converting an armoire, rather than end tables, huh?) ;-) In any event, good luck. No, you're not wrong to want a crate that won't be an eyesore in your home.
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Title Post: Help with dog destroying house?
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Rating: 100% based on 9998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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