Every day is Chewsday
Lana writes: We rescued Shyla, our 3-year-old Golden Retriever, about 1 1/2 years ago from a puppy mill. She had definitely been beaten, she was very timid but very lovable - and needy. We thought something was wrong with her because she would lie in her spot and not move - for hours! But when we put her outside while we were at work, she really got busy – she would chew up kid’s toys or any shoes left out. She never did this in the house.
Thinking she was bored or lonely we got her a friend from the Rescue – Harry, a one year-old ton of energy. The two absolutely loved each other, they played and cuddled up to sleep and cleaned each other.
However, when we put them outside and went to work/school they chewed up just about everything. They chewed the cover off the trampoline, planters of flowers, small trees, hoses, their water bowls, even tore their own blanket/bed into shreds.
I know you’re supposed to catch them in the act – they never did it while we were around so we couldn’t discipline them. We’d just come home to find the back yard destroyed and two innocent looking dogs! Please tell me how to get them to stop chewing up everything, please!
Kingdom of Pets replies:
Without actually catching the dogs in the act of chewing you cannot be completely sure of who is responsible for the chewing, it could be both dogs or it could be that Shyla’s previous behavior has escalated. Catching the action by spying or video tape will help you solve this mystery. If possible pretend to go out, then sneak back to see what is happening. Or aim a video camera at the back yard and record the truth.
Stopping the Chewing
Before:
- Give both dogs lots of really good exercise before you leave so they are more inclined to sleep than destroy things, while your out.
- Provide better options - give both dogs plenty of their own chew toys to keep them busy. Food balls, kongs, and eatable chews will also help keep your dogs occupied, just remember to cut down their meals accordingly so they don’t put on weight.
- If you are away for more than a few hours, consider hiring a dog walker or ask a friend to visit the dogs to help break up their normal routine and combat boredom.
- You can limit the damage by restricting the areas they can reach. A kennel and run is one option, or you could temporarily fence off an area.
- If one or two particular objects seems to be getting chewed time and time again, you can smear it with a substance that tastes revolting! Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper generally works.
- Where possible replace chewed items with those that are harder to chew or have an odd or metal texture that your dog won’t enjoy chewing as much.
After:
- If you come home to find they have chewed something forbidden, ignore both dogs. There’s nothing you can do except quickly and quietly tidy up the mess. Give them no attention while you do this.
Minimize the Separation Anxiety
Adult dogs that suffer from Separation Anxiety can become destructive to help them deal with the stress of being alone. It sounds quite possible that this was the cause of Shyla's initial chewing, and by the time Harry came along, it was already an established habit. If you have managed to decipher who is doing the chewing and have found that it is just Shyla then be sure to read through the Separation Anxiety section in your Secrets to Dog Training manual.
Even if this is not the case, there are a few things you can do with your dogs to help prevent separation anxiety developing.
Keep arrivals and departures very low key. Ignore your dogs for 10 minutes after arriving home. Once they have calmed down, show them some attention. This reinforces that quiet behavior + calm behavior = attention from owner! If your dogs act poorly, completely ignore them until they have quietened down. If you respond to their behavior, you reward them by paying them attention. To some dogs, any attention is positive attention. Only give attention when the dogs are lying down or are relaxed and not actively seeking attention (by barking for example). Call your dogs over and make them sit before petting, etc.
The above changes should soon put and end to the doggy destruction. Good luck.
All the best,
Daniel Stevens and the Secrets to Dog Training Team
"Secrets to Dog Training - STOP Dog Behavior Problems!"
http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/
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