A very bold dog!

Graceland

My dog is 18 months. He's a lab cross. I had him since he was 7 weeks and I'm afraid I did spoil him too much. I think I'm paying for it now, lol. The main problem I'm having with him now is everytime we go out and he is left in the house by himself, he has a habit of eating a mat I have on the landing, along with parts of the carpet underneath it. It does my head in because I've had to get a few replacements because he really destroys them. He doesn't do this all the time, in fact I really thought he was past this habit, as it has been a decent few weeks since he did this, but today when I came home from town, he had part of the mat chewed away and part of the carpet as well.
As soon as I seen it, I told him off and put him outside and just ignored him. But I just know he will do this again and I'm wondering if anyone can give me some tips on how I could get him to stop this behaviour, as it is really getting to be very annoying.

andreac

Just restrict his access to the whole house and dont let him upstairs.

Try filling a kong for him too when you go out to keep him occupied for a while.

Graceland

andreac wrote: »

Just restrict his access to the whole house and dont let him upstairs.

Try filling a kong for him too when you go out to keep him occupied for a while.

Thanks for the reply. He does have a kong but he loses interest in this after a while. I really don't know what to do with him at this stage. I wonder if he will eventually grow out of this behaviour.

Whispered

He sounds bored. What do you put into the kong?

If he get's the food out too quickly, I'd recommend freezing it when it's stuffed.

Make sure he's tired before you go out, and try tire him mentally too. When my dog was younger he was very high energy and could be destructive. We were advised to redirect that. So he has to get his walks, usually a swim too to tire him out.

Mental games are great too and he's so proud when he figures it out. One we use is we put him into a sit/stay, then go into the other room and hide a treat, then tell him to find it. He's like a little sniffer running around smelling . Then when he finds it, we do it again.

We were advised to give him his meals in a treat ball. It's great as it makes him work for his food and is more satisifying for him. And I'm ashamed to say, that sometimes, we scatter his dinner (dry food) al over the kitchen floor so he as to check and double check he has it all. (obviously not if the floor is washed with bleach!). If you do it before you leave he'll be too busy checking he got it all to be destructive.


We give raw bones. He spends hours trying to get the marrow out of them. A lot of people don't like giving them because they do have some risks, like splintering or a lot of cartilage can cause a compacted bowel. But if you make sure it's a beef bone and it's a large straight bone then the risk of splintering is not so big. So, I suppose I could be accused of controlling my boys destructive habits with food. Which is true enough, but it works!

morganafay

When you go out could you leave him outside? If it's safe to do that.

He might be a bit bored inside on his own, but might find outside more interesting. And it's healthy for him to be out for a while. And less things to destroy

Whispered

After a while he'd get just as bored outside and instead of annoying his owner, he'd likely be annoying his owners neighbours by barking. It would be better to tire him out and entertain him, rather than just put him out.

(Or better yet, put him out with things to entertain him !!)

CreedonsDogDayc

Have you considered crate training? My husky destroys anything she can get her teeth into when I leave her alone, but since I never leave her for more than about two hours, I now always crate her when she leave. she loves her crate, and goes in there when the door is left open.

Crate training should be the ideal solution if you dont leave the pup for too long.

morganafay

Whispered wrote: »

After a while he'd get just as bored outside and instead of annoying his owner, he'd likely be annoying his owners neighbours by barking. It would be better to tire him out and entertain him, rather than just put him out.

(Or better yet, put him out with things to entertain him !!)

Oh yeah I didn't mean to just put him outside! Trying to tire him out first would be better.

A long walk before you left and maybe he'd just sleep all day?

LucyBliss

A kong with peanut butter in it keeps my three occupied for hours, particulary when there's that last bit right at the end that they just can't get to! Freezing them before giving them to the dog will also keep them busy for longer.

Crates are a good option too. It's just a matter of finding something that will divert his attention from the mat.

Graceland

Thanks for all the replies. I'd try anything at this stage. I do take him for walks but usually after I come home from town etc. I'm going to change this and take him before I go out and hopefully this will tire him out. Also I'll put some treats on the floor around the place and this might keep him busy till I come back.
He just reminds me of that dog in one of the ads on tv, where the owners go out for the day and when they come back, the place is totally destroyed, lol. My dog is just that spoiled and used to constant attention, that he doesn't want to be left on his own.

morganafay

If you took away the mat, then do you think he'd still chew the carpets? It might just be a kind of habit by now, but maybe you could get him to chew something else?

Graceland

morganafay wrote: »

If you took away the mat, then do you think he'd still chew the carpets? It might just be a kind of habit by now, but maybe you could get him to chew something else?

He actually started on the carpet first. I had to buy a mat to cover it, lol.

mollymascara

It may be a case of boredom or it could be a mild case of separation anxiety, that being, the dog gets destructive when the owner leaves. Probably best to restrict access within the home.

There is a plug in you can buy, DAP, I believe its called, it can be purchases from the Vets (no need to bring the dog along). Basically it is gives off a hormone that the mother would have released when the litter was born. It has acalming effect on dogs, given them a sense of security. It can be plugged in up or down stairs and will cover an entire level, so where ever the dog sleeps or is kept during the day, plug it in on that level. It has been known to do wonders for some dogs, and even helps during the dredded halloween season.

seamus

Chewing on furniture and more usually clothing (shoes, etc) is usually a manifestation of separation anxiety. As the dog chews on the piece of clothing, it releases the flavour and smell of the dog's owner, which brings comfort to the dog, do they continue to do it.

I imagine a mat on the landing would equally be full of "aromas". If, as you say, you got the dog very young and babied him a bit, then seperation anxiety would seem to fit into this.

Obviously you want to limit the damage caused - which will require you to lock him in the kitchen or wherever - but wouldn't it be nicer to tackle the cause of the anxiety?

I've no specific advice for that, but I do know that it's a relatively easy thing to train out of a dog. Maybe sign yourself up to dog training classes, and let the trainer know that seperation anxiety is something that you specifically want to work on with the dog.

All of the above said, he's a dog in his teenage years, so will occassionally decide to kill something, but it's normally a toy, not usually furniture, and everything else you say seems to indicate that it's a mild seperation anxiety.

Irishcrx

My dog does things like this. I had no choice but to restrict his access to the house to only the kitchen and enforce it with everybody else becausen he simly cannot be trusted on his own. He gets plenty of exercise and games etc but one day he might just decide to start tearing up the house when were out. One day he annilated my €450 couch that wasn't even a year old and I mean pulled in apart all over the sitting room. Since then he only comes as far as the kitchen.

Advise above is your best bet, exercise, take his energy down, try correct him but at the end of the day...dogs will be dogs at times.

Graceland

It is definetly a separation thing. He hates being left on his own, even for a little while. I'll have a look for that plug in thing - I never heard of this before, but I'll ask my vet about it.
For the last few weeks I didn't have a problem with him. I really thought he had grown out of it, but I'm afraid I was wrong, lol.

ghost_ie

Graceland wrote: »

My dog is 18 months. He's a lab cross. I had him since he was 7 weeks and I'm afraid I did spoil him too much. I think I'm paying for it now, lol. The main problem I'm having with him now is everytime we go out and he is left in the house by himself, he has a habit of eating a mat I have on the landing, along with parts of the carpet underneath it. It does my head in because I've had to get a few replacements because he really destroys them. He doesn't do this all the time, in fact I really thought he was past this habit, as it has been a decent few weeks since he did this, but today when I came home from town, he had part of the mat chewed away and part of the carpet as well.
As soon as I seen it, I told him off and put him outside and just ignored him. But I just know he will do this again and I'm wondering if anyone can give me some tips on how I could get him to stop this behaviour, as it is really getting to be very annoying.

Does he chew the mat on the days when you haven't had a chance to take him for a long walk? My lab cross has always been destructive - we had to replace two chairs and a settee - if left alone without a walk to the park, a game of chasing balls and an opportunity to investigate (and eat) the weed patch there. Even now, aged 11, she finds something to destroy on the one day a fortnight I have to leave her without walking her first. The only thing we can do on that day is to restrict her to one room with nothing in it that she could possibly chew.

ash_18x

are all labs like this?

we have a lab cross husky, she eats lots of things!
she is about 3 years old now and is outside during the day with another dog- a terrier. she started eating the timber lats on the side gate last week! she is actually unreal. i have given her lots of toys since and now she is just eating them instead thank god! she also ate the timber dog house she had!!!!
i dont leave her alone in the house during the day because of this.

is it just a lab thing or will she grow out of it any bit?

andreac

ash_18x wrote: »

are all labs like this?

we have a lab cross husky, she eats lots of things!
she is about 3 years old now and is outside during the day with another dog- a terrier. she started eating the timber lats on the side gate last week! she is actually unreal. i have given her lots of toys since and now she is just eating them instead thank god! she also ate the timber dog house she had!!!!
i dont leave her alone in the house during the day because of this.

is it just a lab thing or will she grow out of it any bit?

Sounds like boredom. Most dogs that are bored will become destructive. how much exercise is it getting? Huskies are a working breed so need a huge amount of stimulation and exercise daily.

ash_18x

andreac wrote: »

Sounds like boredom. Most dogs that are bored will become destructive. how much exercise is it getting? Huskies are a working breed so need a huge amount of stimulation and exercise daily.

we bring her for a walk everyday, obviously its not long enough though. i will have to bring her out for longer!

andreac

ash_18x wrote: »

we bring her for a walk everyday, obviously its not long enough though. i will have to bring her out for longer!

She prob needs more than a walk, or a much longer one or have you ever tried cycling with her?
These dogs take a lot to tire them out so i would try something different with her and go on a longer walk too. Or try swimming as well, great work out for them and good for their fitness too.

Graceland

I left him outside for a little while today and when I went out he had a plant all over the place - sometimes I just don't think I can win at all with him, lol

merengueca

I think it's a Lab thing. I got my boy from the ISPCA when he was about 3 yrs old. He was quite a damaged wee soul, extremely timid and permantley scared. He had to be carried out of the kennels into my car, wouldn't get out of the car when we got home and once we got him into the house he lay down in the middle of the hall and wouldn't move - even for food. This went on for two days.... Baby steps improvement, expensive dog therapy and more than recommended amount of absolute spoiling I've got the canine version of a teenage rebel.
Despite use of DAP, Kong, companion pet cat, long walks etc.. I lost one sofa, stairs carpet, bean bag, purse, cash, shoes (plural), coats (many), DVD's, Photo's, etc.. Everything could be tracked to seperation anxiety, or put more bluntly - the sulks!

As I started a job that demanded extra hours my beautiful boy now lives with my parents as they're retired and already have acres of time, space, another dog, cat and 3 ducks... Paddy (my hound) rules the roost and LOVES routine - if my Dad isn't up to take him and his brother from a different mother out by 9am there is a fair chance Paddy will find something belonging to Dad to chew on... He really lets people know when he's unimpressed.


Even though he is a very naughty dog - he is the best man ever!!

paulacork

Graceland wrote: »

He actually started on the carpet first. I had to buy a mat to cover it, lol.

Hi Graceland,
He's bored. Puppies chew so he's doing what puppies do naturally and he's bored because he's being left in the house all day on his own. Browse online and I'd recommend buying some of the Kong toys out there that keep him stimulated while you're not there and also, no way should he have full run of the house when you're not there. This will only result in him thinking he's higher up in the pack then perhaps he should be? If he has full run of the house for approx. 8 hours everyday when you're not there, he's going to think he still has full run of it when you are there. He should be outside with perhaps access to one room (utility room if you're willing to put in a dog flap) or have an outdoor enclosure of if you have a secure yard, you can get him an Igloo kennel. Also a short walk before you leave in the morning will tire him out more and he should know through training what he's allowed and now allowed touch in the house, so you'll need to work on that with him. It takes patience, but patience costs nothing - rugs do! Best of luck with him!

Graceland

Thanks for all the advice everyone. He isn't even left on his own all day, it would be more a matter of a couple of hours twice a week, but he obviously doesn't like this. I'll try to have more patience with him. Even bringing him for a walk early in the morning doesn't tire him out. He is just so full of life - a bit too much, lol.

LucyBliss

As a matter of interest, if you think it is seperation anxiety, what do you do as you leave the house? I'm just asking because I find I have to leave the TV on for my three dogs and tell them it's bedtime. When they hear bedtime, they go to their dog beds or, as is more likely, the armchairs and sit on them. Then I have to tell them to stay and be good and I switch off the main light but leave the small lamp on and I come back and all is well.
I do this because when this is the routine I established when I used to have to crate them during the day. The one time I didn't do the routine with them, I came home to find newspapers torn with gusto and someone had nibbled on the skirting board. I certainly learnt my lesson.

Graceland

LucyBliss wrote: »

As a matter of interest, if you think it is seperation anxiety, what do you do as you leave the house? I'm just asking because I find I have to leave the TV on for my three dogs and tell them it's bedtime. When they hear bedtime, they go to their dog beds or, as is more likely, the armchairs and sit on them. Then I have to tell them to stay and be good and I switch off the main light but leave the small lamp on and I come back and all is well.
I do this because when this is the routine I established when I used to have to crate them during the day. The one time I didn't do the routine with them, I came home to find newspapers torn with gusto and someone had nibbled on the skirting board. I certainly learnt my lesson.

Just as I'm leaving I will tell him that he is a good boy and that I'll be back soon. I also tell him not to touch anything (he does understand these words). A lot of the time he is ok, but now and again he seems to go through certain phases.