Question:

Regarding destructive behavior as described – two things occurred to me as I am having the same problem with a 13 month Afghan. They can be very obstinant! I know why she is doing it – I spent a lot of time with her while not working and now I’m gone during the day and she’s pissed. It has been effective in the past to tie her outside with her open crate nearby all day to relay the message "if you can’t be trusted you lose your freedom". She is very friendly when I get home. I had a roommate letting her off the rope during the day and that negated the lesson. The second thought is that the dog is messaging about something and maybe the child is it. Dogs can be as jealous as first children with the appearance of a new one. They don’t like competing for attention if they are accustomed to undivided attention. Good luck – Ron Zapple

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Greetings, > We have a 2 year old mutt, part Corgi, part Australian shepard (odd yes I > know).  He’s also been neutered. > Anyway he’s developed the habit of destroying our things while we are away > from the house.  Its obvious this is not simply a chewing habit,  he has > plenty of chew toys, and his destruction is directed at my wife and our > things (shoes, books and so on).  Also he doesn’t chew up the easiest and > things.  He’s pretty careful about what he chooses. > Our normal means of punishment is to firmly bring him to the object put > his nose in it an say NO and BAD DOG in a sharp tone.  We then banish him > to the backyard for about a half hour. > He know what he’s done is wrong. He cowers when we find out what he’s done. > He even voluntarily banishes himself.   > Our problem is that this line of discipline is not working.  We’d prefer > not to hit him, but nothing we’ve tried seems to work. > This is getting quiet expensive.  He’s probably destroyed over $300 worth of > stuff this is 5 times more than we paid for him from the pound. > The other factor is that our 1 year old son has recently started walking and > is obviously the center of our attention.  We have been trying to compensate > by playing with our dog more, but to no avail.   > Any help would be appreciated. > Thanks, > Doug Durham

Doug – the reason your dog cowers is because of your body language, he senses your angry and he becomes intimidated.  He doesn’t have a clue what you are angry about and I’m speaking from over 20 years experience as an obedience instructor and dog owner. Have you ever thought about putting him in a crate (cage) while you are away?  That is the simplest answer.  He would be in a safe environment and your possessions would not be chewed.   One of the reasons dogs choose personal stuff is that it smells of you and he wants things around that smell of you…he’s obviously anxious when you leave and he therefore takes things and chews on them.  It is not directed at you, trust me dog’s don’t have the awful tendencies that humans do – it is just not in their make-up to get even with you……I’m right on this ….go to the library and get books on dog behavior. Lastly, it does no good, absolutely no good to to bring him to the object and put his nose in it and then banish him – he has no idea why he is being banished, he’s just confused.  Dog’s memory of their behaviors is very short, dogs don’t consider chewing anything bad.  If you catch him chewing you can say "NO" sharply….please don’t put his nose in it or banish him, you are being awfully unfair to the dog.  Put him in a spare room or a crate while you are gone until he forgets (and he will) about chewing.  He might be getting a little neurotic from being disciplined harshly.  Also, what is the problem about the baby and th edog – I don’t understand what it is that’s wrong.  For starters though, how about putting the baby in the stroller, you, the baby and the dog go for nice long walks – as a "family."   Hope this helps, don’t mean to be harsh but your dog is getting the short end of the stick – enrolling in obedience school could help as well.  Dogs require a time commitment….they don’t just conform to our way of living by accident….give him time and love and he’ll come around or maybe someone else could give him that time.

Response:

>Anyway he’s developed the habit of destroying our things while we are away >from the house.  Its obvious this is not simply a chewing habit,  he has >plenty of chew toys, and his destruction is directed at my wife and our >things (shoes, books and so on).  Also he doesn’t chew up the easiest and

I had the same problem when Arson.  He would chew my favorite items (but he was an equal opportunity chewer — he got my wife as often).  We had resisted crate training thinking it as inhumane, but finally when he got into the family photo albums, he was crated.   In the crate, he gets his nylabone (which he doesn’t touch, but at $10, it might as well stay with him), beef bones (boiled, make sure no blood), and assorted toys.  Now when we come home,  there is no shock because things have been chewed, and we are happy to see him (since nothing is damaged) and spend our evenings on him. >things.  He’s pretty careful about what he chooses.

Yeah, dogs are funny that way.  At least he has good taste. >Our normal means of punishment is to firmly bring him to the object put >his nose in it an say NO and BAD DOG in a sharp tone.

If you don’t catch him in the act, don’t waste your time — he does not associate what he did earlier during the day to the item with being called bad dog when you get home.  I made an experiment a while back in which for a period of a week my sneakers gradually got chewed to nothing while every evening I screamed and ranted at Arson.  He never got the association. >We then banish him to the backyard for about a half hour.

For some dogs it’s not banishment to go outside for half an hour >He know what he’s done is wrong. He cowers when we find out what he’s done.

They all cower.  Don’t mean nothing, since when you see what he did, your facial expression changes, your shoulders crunch up, you breath in, etc, and of course he knows that when that happens, it is best to placate Mother and Father. >He even voluntarily banishes himself.  

Pretty smart dog — "Well, I guess I have been a bad dog, I’ll go outside as a punishment" Seriously, Crating worked for me.  Make sure to get a crate in which he can stand up and stretch. Good luck, #include "opinions.h"    & Arson the Firestarter GSD pup    & Kissa the cat

Response:

Greetings, We have a 2 year old mutt, part Corgi, part Australian shepard (odd yes I know).  He’s also been neutered. Anyway he’s developed the habit of destroying our things while we are away from the house.  Its obvious this is not simply a chewing habit,  he has plenty of chew toys, and his destruction is directed at my wife and our things (shoes, books and so on).  Also he doesn’t chew up the easiest and things.  He’s pretty careful about what he chooses. Our normal means of punishment is to firmly bring him to the object put his nose in it an say NO and BAD DOG in a sharp tone.  We then banish him to the backyard for about a half hour. He know what he’s done is wrong. He cowers when we find out what he’s done. He even voluntarily banishes himself.   Our problem is that this line of discipline is not working.  We’d prefer not to hit him, but nothing we’ve tried seems to work. This is getting quiet expensive.  He’s probably destroyed over $300 worth of stuff this is 5 times more than we paid for him from the pound. The other factor is that our 1 year old son has recently started walking and is obviously the center of our attention.  We have been trying to compensate by playing with our dog more, but to no avail.   Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Doug Durham

Response: