Question:

All dogs absolutely hate being tied to anything and tieing or chaining a dog up almost ALWAYS causes behavior problems.  Sometimes the behavior problems are mild like digging, excessive barking etc but often chaining a dog up causes serious behavior problems and even causes aggression.  (do a website search for dog behavior and chaining if you don’t believe me).  So the absolute first thing you must do is stop tying her up at all.  Instead, try keeping her in one dog proofed room of the house.  Most dogs do just fine in the kitchen and you can use 2 stacked babygates for doors if you don’t have doors.  Leave out plenty of chew toys and the TV on.  Dog proof the room by removing all rugs and upholstered furniture.  Start by leaving the dog in the room for short time periods (15 minutes) and build up time before leaving her there for a whole working day.   Most dogs do just great in dog proofed rooms, but occasionally you’ll get one that eats the drywall.  If that happens, then get a large dog crate and keep her in it when you are gone.  However, you will need to come home mid-day or get a friend or pet sitter to come to your house mid-day to let her out for some exercise as keeping her in a crate all day without a break is cruel  (but not as cruel as keeping her tied up all day). -Susan Pet Orphans Rescue – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hello, >    I have a young pup (6 mos) that seems to be preparing for some kind of >disaster.  She has made a rather large hole in the middle of my >backyard.  When I filled that in she apparently decided that maybe I was >right, it wasn’t such a good hole anyway. . . so she made two new ones. >When I filled them in she decided that the old was should be >re-excavated. She seems very proud of them, no matter how exasperated I >get, and seems to like to watch me fill them in. >    I think that she’s doing it because she is bored or lonely. >My girlfriend and I used to be home with her all of the time, but when >we both got new jobs we started working all day.  We used to be able to >leave her in the house, but she recently started chewing the couch. (She >really did a job on it too) She has plenty of chew toys, our floor is >practically covered with them. >    Now we put her on a tie-off stake in the yard, and now she digs.  I was >thinking that maybe if I built a fence around the back yard she could >run around more and might not get so frustrated, but I really don’t know >what else to do. >    If someone could tell me how to get her to stop chewing the couch or >digging bomb shelters in my yard I would appreciate it.  It’s to the >point now that we are thinking about trying to find a family to give her >too, but I would rather keep her. >            Any help would be greatly appreciated >                            Thanks

Response:

Hello,         I have a young pup (6 mos) that seems to be preparing for some kind of disaster.  She has made a rather large hole in the middle of my backyard.  When I filled that in she apparently decided that maybe I was right, it wasn’t such a good hole anyway. . . so she made two new ones. When I filled them in she decided that the old was should be re-excavated. She seems very proud of them, no matter how exasperated I get, and seems to like to watch me fill them in.         I think that she’s doing it because she is bored or lonely. My girlfriend and I used to be home with her all of the time, but when we both got new jobs we started working all day.  We used to be able to leave her in the house, but she recently started chewing the couch. (She really did a job on it too) She has plenty of chew toys, our floor is practically covered with them.         Now we put her on a tie-off stake in the yard, and now she digs.  I was thinking that maybe if I built a fence around the back yard she could run around more and might not get so frustrated, but I really don’t know what else to do.         If someone could tell me how to get her to stop chewing the couch or digging bomb shelters in my yard I would appreciate it.  It’s to the point now that we are thinking about trying to find a family to give her too, but I would rather keep her.                 Any help would be greatly appreciated                                 Thanks

Response:

>Leave out plenty of chew toys.

This is good, but be sure to rotate the toys on a daily basis, if at all possible.  By rotate, I mean every morning pick up the old set and put down the new set.  I advise my clients (I do obedience training) to develop 3 sets of toys containing 1 solid rubber, a chew toy, a bone (a big solid soup bone), raquet ball (if the dog is not too big), and a squeaker (if the dog doesn’t try to eat it).  Dogs, like young children, have short memories.  Except for constant things, like training, or powerful traumatic events, they tend to forget quickly.  So putting down a "new" set of toys every day will help prevent boredom.  In my experience, this has solved the vast majority of destructive chewing problems. >Dog proof the room

While this works, I have not found it to be usually nescessary.  As I mentioned above, most dogs tend to respond to "new" toys. Also, contact some local trainers for ideas.  Many will be happy to give you some pointers over the phone.

Response:

>Hello, >I have a young pup (6 mos) that seems to be preparing for some kind of >disaster.  

Well, yes.  But not quite in the way that you’re implying.  However, a disaster certainly is in the making. <Dog digs holes> >I think that she’s doing it because she is bored or lonely.

Yes, that would be a good answer.   >My girlfriend and I used to be home with her all of the time, but when >we both got new jobs we started working all day.  We used to be able to >leave her in the house, but she recently started chewing the couch. (She >really did a job on it too) She has plenty of chew toys, our floor is >practically covered with them. >    Now we put her on a tie-off stake in the yard, and now she digs.  I was >thinking that maybe if I built a fence around the back yard she could >run around more and might not get so frustrated, but I really don’t know >what else to do.

Just as she dug holes when she was tied out, the odds are that she will dig holes when she is not tied.  And that is of course not mentioning the possible barking displays if digging isn’t enough to entertain herself.  Plus of course as she grows older, there is the distinct possibility that she will engage in fence fighting and other territorial aggressive displays.  In addition, there is also the factor that she will become more independent from you and less apt to automatically look to you for leadership and obey your commands.  And then of course there is the possibility that someone will let her out of the fenced in yard – ‘accidentally’ or not. >    If someone could tell me how to get her to stop chewing the couch or >digging bomb shelters in my yard I would appreciate it.  It’s to the >point now that we are thinking about trying to find a family to give her >too, but I would rather keep her.

At six months of age, her needs are not as great as those of a young puppy, however, she still has needs that need to be attended towards. You have to realize that this requires a commitment of time, effort and quite possibly some money on your part.  You have to be honest with yourself if you can do that.  In a year, her needs will be less than they are now, but there is still a minimum required, and it will always be that way.   The first thing to do is to move her back into the house and set up either a ‘dog room’ where there is nothing for her to destroy or use a crate.  Putting the crate in your bedroom is usually the best bet.  It gives a sense of security to the dog to be in house (den) instead of being isolated outside.  The crate or dog room is to keep things from being destroyed and having her accidently hurt herself. This requires that you or someone – pet sitter, neighborhood kid – come over during the middle of the day and walk the dog.  This takes care of the bathroom needs and gives her something interesting to do and to look forward to during the day. It is also essential that you give her lots of exercise.  At six months of age, running is not recommended yet, but a good game of fetch for twenty or thirty minutes can really help.   The FAQs are at the address in my signature.  I suggest you check them out. Ludwig Smith Dog FAQS http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/ rec.pets.dogs.info

Response:

Hi Kallisti, I’m gonna be real unhelpful here and give you no advice at all. Instead, here’s a little story: Once upon a time there was a little girl – she was kidnapped by martians. They took her to this strange place where she wasn’t allowed to play with dolls – instead they gave her rocks. – the rocks couldn’t cry, wet themselves or dress up in wonderful colourful clothes. She wasn’t allowed to cry when she was sad and she wasn’t allowed to talk. Instead she was told she had to silently play with her rocks, in a little room, on her own. She had no friends anymore and felt really lonely, but no-one understood because they were all different to her. When she was at home, she loved to go down the park and play on the swings and slide, but they were no more. When she was at home, she loved ice cream, but they didn’t have any. When she was at home, she loved her Mum and Dad, Brothers and Sisters, but they were gone. When she was at home she would wrestle with her sister – it was fun – but she wasn’t allowed to do this with anyone here. When she was at home she could go in the kitchen and play at cooking and her Mum would laugh at the mess – Here they smacked her and told her she was bad. When she was at home she used to dig in the sandpit for hours, but when she tried to make a sandcastle here, they tied her up and scolded her. When she was at home she was loved and felt secure.  Here she feels alone and lost, and no-one here understands. M.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hello, > I have a young pup (6 mos) that seems to be preparing for some kind of > disaster.  She has made a rather large hole in the middle of my > backyard.  When I filled that in she apparently decided that maybe I was > right, it wasn’t such a good hole anyway. . . so she made two new ones. > When I filled them in she decided that the old was should be > re-excavated. She seems very proud of them, no matter how exasperated I > get, and seems to like to watch me fill them in. > I think that she’s doing it because she is bored or lonely. > My girlfriend and I used to be home with her all of the time, but when > we both got new jobs we started working all day.  We used to be able to > leave her in the house, but she recently started chewing the couch. (She > really did a job on it too) She has plenty of chew toys, our floor is > practically covered with them. > Now we put her on a tie-off stake in the yard, and now she digs.  I was > thinking that maybe if I built a fence around the back yard she could > run around more and might not get so frustrated, but I really don’t know > what else to do. > If someone could tell me how to get her to stop chewing the couch or > digging bomb shelters in my yard I would appreciate it.  It’s to the > point now that we are thinking about trying to find a family to give her > too, but I would rather keep her. > Any help would be greatly appreciated > Thanks

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