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Behaviourist Recomendation Please
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06-04-2011 8:25am#1Morning Ladies and Gents I need some help please.
I have finally acknowleged reality and am ready to admit I need some help
My Springer, Boe came very very close to going for me today and it brought home the realisation that he still has the potential to cause damage and if he ever reacted like that to someone else we could be looking at a very serious situation.
The issue is around food. So far in the past 3 days this dog has stolen, 2 apples, a pear, 2 slices of bread and a bag of grapes. This morning on our walk before work he found a bin bag someone had left out for collection and ripped it to shreds before I could stop him. He grabbed a plastic bag from it and he was not letting go. Luckily we were near home and he understands the command to "go home" so off he trotted with the plastic bag in his mouth. It took me 20 minutes to get the bag off him and he really only let go when he was happy he had got everything he could from it.
So I need help to resolve this issue. I have done everything in my power to stop this stealing but don't know what to do next so I reckon some professional help is called for. Does anyone know of a good and patient behaviourist in the south Meath North county Dublin area who can work with me to sort this please?
Thanks in advance for your help
Edit: I should add that I have had this dog with 2 different trainers before (not behaviourists) both of whom beasically told me he was too old and stubborn to train, but I am not accepting that, so I need someone who does not give up easily
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http://www.pauladoohan.net/
Maybe this lady can be of some help. What age is your dog, do you have her long?
Thanks RubyGirl but this lady seems to only do Donegal, I reckon Meath is a bit far for her
My guy is 8 and I've had him about 18 months, he is a rescue and was very badly treated before we took him.0 -
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belongtojazz wrote: »Thanks RubyGirl but this lady seems to only do Donegal, I reckon Meath is a bit far for her
My guy is 8 and I've had him about 18 months, he is a rescue and was very badly treated before we took him.
Oh sorry your Meath. But you never know, she may have clients in your area and calls on certain days of the week.
Anyway poor doggie, he prob thinks everything is his last meal. I have a rescue and she is a little devil for food scavenging. Cant trust her at all around it.
Best of luck which ever route you take. Keep us posted always nice to see how things turn out.0 -
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Time to give an update
We had a visit last Friday from Maureen from Dogs behaving badly and it was great!
She spent two hours with us and then followed up with the most detailed report I have ever seen.
I have to arrange for Boe to get some blood tests done as even with his history his food obsession is extreme and because he also eats non food items, there is a possibilty of pica.
We have been working really hard on the "leave it" and "drop it" command and also in making him stay in his bed when he really wants to be out stealing
She was concerned that maybe he suffers from cocker rage due to his sudden turning and also the fact that when he loses it his eyes go very red, but this is just something we have to be aware of, we need to work on keeping his sensible brain working and not letting the emotional side dictate. Hopefully overtime he will learn better impulse control.
It is going to be a long slow progress but already I can see things improving and she has given me new tools and great hope that I can continue to help my wonderful crazy boy 0 -
The boy in question having destroyed one of Jazz's toys
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And looking like butter wouldn't melt
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We are also looking for someone to help us with our younger female pug.
Since I've been pregnant, all her little 'issues' have multiplied and now she is snarling and biting me
I am based in Balbriggan, do you think Maureen will travel here?
I don't want to ring her on a Sunday (will ring tomorrow) but just looking for alternatives just in case.0 -
This is an english springer spaniel not a cocker(even a red at that) so I don't think rage would be a problem here. More than likely has a high work drive and is not been satisfied in work terms.belongtojazz wrote: »The boy in question having destroyed one of Jazz's toys
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And looking like butter wouldn't melt
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northdubgal wrote: »We are also looking for someone to help us with our younger female pug.
Since I've been pregnant, all her little 'issues' have multiplied and now she is snarling and biting me
I am based in Balbriggan, do you think Maureen will travel here?
I don't want to ring her on a Sunday (will ring tomorrow) but just looking for alternatives just in case.
I'd say she will, she's really not far from you at all:D0 -
This is an english springer spaniel not a cocker(even a red at that) so I don't think rage would be a problem here. More than likely has a high work drive and is not been satisfied in work terms.
I know what breed he is:rolleyes:
Although the syndrome is called "cocker rage" it is not exclusive to that breed. It was first seen in them but has since been diagnosed in other breeds. My boy gets plenty of exercise and is the most relaxed guy you could hope for in the house. His exercise levels are not at fault here. If only it were that easy
I have now had 3 different trainers and 2 vets spread across 2 different countries tell me it is very likely that due to his history this guy has some from of brain damage, which is most likely manifesting itself in a rage syndrome. It is something we are working very hard on dealing with and we do know his triggers (getting a fright, grabbing his collar or trying to remove something he has become obsesed with) so I got someone in to help me.
In the 18 months I've had him there have been 2 instances where he has injured me and a handful of other times where I've had to a avoid injury. My daughter has no relationship with this dog as unless I am there I just wouldn't trust him (she's 13)
But apart from this issue, which we acknowledge and live with, what he gives us far out weighs any of the negative aspects
Maybe I'm mad for keeping him and being honest I have wondered that myself, but he's family.0 -
Time for another update, we are going 2 steps forward and 1 back constantly :rolleyes:
Today for example I was able to leave a plate in his reach and make him leave it, but in our way home from one of our walks someone had left a plastic bag out whichwas filled with mussels and prawn shells which he just couldn't resist.... Too be honest I can't really blame him for that though
He has taken up crying to get treats from us which is a bit irritating but distracting him seems to be resolving that one.
Thers have been a couple of really positive breakthroughs, he ADORES bed now and is soo happy to be sent there, the other one is the harness that Maureen suggested as try now means anyone can walk him .D
I am loving seeing the progress he is making and am so pleased I found a trainer finally who was willing to work with my old stubborn guy 0 -
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As a matter of interest, what kind of harness are you using?
It's a front lead harness... Can't remember the proper name but it is by halti. You clip the lead to the front of the harness, it works on the same principle as the gentle leader but as it's not on their head it's much much more comfortable for the dog. My Boe absolutely hated his gentle leader and spent most if his walk trying to take it off unless I pretty much ran with him. This harness also has some sort of comforting aspect to it (the trainer did explain this but I can't remember the details) but basically it seems to calm the bog az the way it's fitted is like a form of swaddling.
We leave it on him most of the time as it does seem to help keep him calm.
I recommended it to a lady I so agility with for her GSD rottie cross she couldn't walk and it works wonders for her too 0 -
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It can also be used as a conventional harness as it has the d ring on his back. I alternate between front and back rings and still practise heel using the lead clipped to his collar.
I just love it, my 13 yr old daughter took him for a walk last week which is something she has never been able to do as he would just pull her down the road.
I can't recommend it highly enough 0 -
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I got it equipet in Ashbourne, but I think they're fairly easily got, from what Maureen said they are becoming more popular.
It is great.
I walked him tonight in an unfamiliar area which used to be a nightmare, it wasn't half as difficult tonight 0 -
belongtojazz... delighted that you are seeking help and investing so much time in your dog... he is beautiful by the way...
so as my name suggest... i have a cocker... similar in siz eto your guy (he's a big cocker)... he's 6 now... but just wanted to mention a few things...
my cocker is food obsessed... im mean obsessed.... he will do anything for food.... beg , steal or borrow (with no intention of giving it back :P).... if we leave any food around "in reach" it will not be around when we get back... so we just dont....
like your guy ... or spaniel used to eat all sorts of stuff..... skirting boards... his bed.. shredded all of his toys up until 3 years ago... shredded his bed... he ate brillo pads... lining of the washing machine.... ate all of the bottom of my kitchen presses.....he even ate a light bulb... dont ask he ended up in A&E for 5 days :cool:
we got a trainer in when he was 2 and she was excellent... we implementated all of her suggestions and after 2 months we had a different dog... if you want me to post her suggestions just let me know...
Best of luck and dont give up .. he is lucky to have you and your family
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belongtojazz... delighted that you are seeking help and investing so much time in your dog... he is beautiful by the way...
so as my name suggest... i have a cocker... similar in siz eto your guy (he's a big cocker)... he's 6 now... but just wanted to mention a few things...
my cocker is food obsessed... im mean obsessed.... he will do anything for food.... beg , steal or borrow (with no intention of giving it back :P).... if we leave any food around "in reach" it will not be around when we get back... so we just dont....
like your guy ... or spaniel used to eat all sorts of stuff..... skirting boards... his bed.. shredded all of his toys up until 3 years ago... shredded his bed... he ate brillo pads... lining of the washing machine.... ate all of the bottom of my kitchen presses.....he even ate a light bulb... dont ask he ended up in A&E for 5 days :cool:
we got a trainer in when he was 2 and she was excellent... we implementated all of her suggestions and after 2 months we had a different dog... if you want me to post her suggestions just let me know...
Best of luck and dont give up .. he is lucky to have you and your family
Thank you so much it's nice to know I don't have the only obsessed dog out there
I would be really grateful for her suggestions every bit helps and I am very keen to work with him to resolve his issues
He is currently sitting out in the hallway as he kept trying to get his head in my pocket to steal his treats and he went and pulled the shift key off my laptop keyboard
aaarrggghhh blinking dogs, just as well we love them eh? 0 -
belongtojazz wrote: »Morning Ladies and Gents I need some help please.
I have finally acknowleged reality and am ready to admit I need some help
My Springer, Boe came very very close to going for me today and it brought home the realisation that he still has the potential to cause damage and if he ever reacted like that to someone else we could be looking at a very serious situation.
All dogs no matter how big are small can inflict damage on a person, you said that the dog was "very very close" to maybe biting you? If this is so then there is something very very wrong. A dog should never bite.I know it must of been diffcult to write this but it maybe a good thing you did:D it shows you care enough for the dog to seek helpbelongtojazz wrote: »The issue is around food. So far in the past 3 days this dog has stolen, 2 apples, a pear, 2 slices of bread and a bag of grapes.
Dogs will always have an issue with food, springers will be more driven because of their breed. Can i ask do you have a crate in your home? I have a 9 month old springer and he has eaten everything from mobiles to leads and even an xmas tree. The point being with a crate the dog can be placed into it if he is "out of control" or "acting up", i dont mean locked up for hours i mean like child in a time out chair scenario. The dog realizes if he misbehaves he will be placed in the crate and then realizes quite quickly that its not the place to be;) so hes more inclined to be more calmer in the home.belongtojazz wrote: »This morning on our walk before work he found a bin bag someone had left out for collection and ripped it to shreds before I could stop him. He grabbed a plastic bag from it and he was not letting go. Luckily we were near home and he understands the command to "go home" so off he trotted with the plastic bag in his mouth. It took me 20 minutes to get the bag off him and he really only let go when he was happy he had got everything he could from it.
Was the dog off the lead when he demolished the bag? Also how often is the dog walked?
From reading this i suspect that the dog doesn't respect you, this is not a jib at you, this means the dog is under the illusion "he" is in control and can do what he likes when hes out. The dog wouldn't let go of the bag and by using the command "go home" you reinforced the dogs control over you by letting him go home, the dog should of been put on a lead even with the bag in its mouth. It shouldn't of took you 20 seconds to take the bag off the dog, it should of took you 2 seconds to say "No" in a loud dominant voice for the dog to stop what it is doing. If the dog continued to mess around a quick and Swift dug of the lead would of brought the dog out of his mind set with the bag. After this the dog should of been kept on the lead until returning home.belongtojazz wrote: »So I need help to resolve this issue. I have done everything in my power to stop this stealing but don't know what to do next so I reckon some professional help is called for. Does anyone know of a good and patient behaviourist in the south Meath North county Dublin area who can work with me to sort this please?
i have no info on this:( but please email me and when can chatbelongtojazz wrote: »I should add that I have had this dog with 2 different trainers before (not behaviorists) both of whom basically told me he was too old and stubborn to train, but I am not accepting that, so I need someone who does not give up easily
A dog isnt "basically too old and stubborn to train", in other words the trainers couldn't control the dog and where frustrated by the dogs refusal to behave for them, you will find this with "some" trainers and on another note the trainers could of made the dog worse! Each dog has its own way of doing something, as a trainer you have to get to know the dog and work with him not against him. How old is the dog at present? and how was the dog when it went to the trainers? if you dont mind me asking.0 -
belongtojazz...
Ok... so here sre the suggestions that our trainer gave to us and they did help us out greatly.... if im repeating anything already said earlier in the post apologies...
1. Our Cocker was a chewer.... so she recommended Crib Halt or vicks vapour rub... so we smeared it everywhere....it worked a treat we have had no issues since using this! I know your guy is older but just incase....
2. Change in dog food.... we ued to feed him dried royal canin with some wet food mised in (as he refused to eat just dried food and i gave in).... it was making him hyper and unresponsive... so we switched to Burns dried food with NO wet food what so ever... so he starved himself for 3 days then gave in.... after that he adored his burns food... I mix sardines (in oil) up once a week... its great for his coat and joints etc.... changing his food made a huge impact on his hyperness...
also n the food thing... as i mentioned our cocker is OBSESSED with food.... so she suggested feeding him twice a day... just so he wasnt soo hungry in the evening and that he maybe able to contain himself....
she alos told us to make him wait for his food (teaches him patience)... so we would put his bowl down... make him sit ... stay... paw... then say "go" ie allowing him to go to his food.... try this over weeks / months and extend the time when you tell him "go" ie make him sit for 10 secs....20 secs etc.... its does help our guy to control "some" of his food urgency issues
also for his treats... we give him mangetout, carrots, broccolli.... so this helped calm him down also...
3. Excercise... ok so my guy was just slightly loopy... like the devils dog when he was a pup.... full of energy and life.... we used to walk him each evening for 45 mins.. but it was just never enough.... our trainer explained that spaniels are gun dogs ... they NEED to work, use their brains and run... a normal walk isnt always enough.... so she advised us to cycle him... so we got all the equipment.. harness... special attachment for the bike ... visi vest for him etc... and thats excatly what we did... 30 mins each evening... now not too fast or anything... he loved it... he would drag me up the road .... so after a month we dropped this to twice per week along with his normal walking etc... our dog totally changed.... all his pent up and (bratty) energy was nearly gone.... although he was still a feisty cocker... he was wrecking things etc... plus as he was getting lots of excercise he slept most of the next day.... thus min damage to my plants etc
4. Routine.... its the keys with dogs.... fed him same time each day... walk . run him at a simliar time each day...
5. Mental stimulation.... make him work for his treats.... get him good toys.... i can recommned some if your interested...
after a few months you will have a totally different dog... all the goodness left and the boldness hopefully gone... you need to be consistent... follow through the same way each time... and after a few days your dog will learn and will change his behaviour...
on him ripping up his bed / toys etc.. get him Vetbed.. its virtually indestructiable.... my cocker to this day if he is left alone with take the stuffing out of his bed.... or de-stuff one of his teddies.... so i got him Vet bed and its excellent....
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_beds_baskets/dog_blankets/vetbed/129392
if he's a little hyper when he's in the house ..,. try and get him a stuffed kong (stuf with pate or low fat spreadable cheese)... send him to his bed with his treat and he will be happy.... licking brings out realxed happy hormones in a dog...
on the crying for treats... i wouldnt give him anything until he's stopped for atleast 5 mins.... otherwise by giving him a treat the whigying will get wosre... my guy is a whinger too... not for treats... but other things like if i go to the toilet.. he want to come too.. and when i leave him in the kitchen he whinges... spaniels are funny dogs with great personalities.... quirkly little things
Not sure if any of this helps but im sure with time effort and consistency... you will see your efforts pay off and you will have a happy dog too 0 -
First off to both Spunk and cocker5 thank you so much for such detailed responses, I am so grateful you took the time to write everything you did and I will do my best to respond fully.All dogs no matter how big are small can inflict damage on a person, you said that the dog was "very very close" to maybe biting you? If this is so then there is something very very wrong. A dog should never bite.I know it must of been diffcult to write this but it maybe a good thing you did:D it shows you care enough for the dog to seek help
I adore this guy but sometimes I want to kill him. unfortunately I know that he does have it in him to bite me under extreme duress as it has happened before. I thought we were making great progress but realised that it wasn't happening fast enough and that it was time for professional assistance
Dogs will always have an issue with food, springers will be more driven because of their breed. Can i ask do you have a crate in your home? I have a 9 month old springer and he has eaten everything from mobiles to leads and even an xmas tree. The point being with a crate the dog can be placed into it if he is "out of control" or "acting up", i dont mean locked up for hours i mean like child in a time out chair scenario. The dog realizes if he misbehaves he will be placed in the crate and then realizes quite quickly that its not the place to be;) so hes more inclined to be more calmer in the home.
He has a crate which he adores, we call it his house and he will happily sit in there while we are preparing food and he does get put in there and the door locked for time out time (such as when he emptied the compost bin all over the floor to get to the tea leaves :rolleyes:)
Thankfully with him it is mainly food, although he does adore tissues and the filters from my dads cigs.
Was the dog off the lead when he demolished the bag? Also how often is the dog walked? Yes he was off lead (a not to be repeated mistake) he gets at least 3/4 walks a day varying from 20 minutes to an hour, plus playtime and training time.
From reading this i suspect that the dog doesn't respect you, this is not a jib at you, this means the dog is under the illusion "he" is in control and can do what he likes when hes out.
I kind of agree with this but only in the context of food and stealing. I have complete control over who he approaches and he has the best recall of all my dogs, the issue is when he steals it like a switch trips in his head and he loses all control over himself. I can see in him that he knows what he is doing is not acceptable.
The dog wouldn't let go of the bag and by using the command "go home" you reinforced the dogs control over you by letting him go home, the dog should of been put on a lead even with the bag in its mouth. It shouldn't of took you 20 seconds to take the bag off the dog, it should of took you 2 seconds to say "No" in a loud dominant voice for the dog to stop what it is doing. If the dog continued to mess around a quick and Swift dug of the lead would of brought the dog out of his mind set with the bag. After this the dog should of been kept on the lead until returning home.
If only that would work. This is what I a working with him now. We have got to the stage where I can drop anything in the house and tell him to leave it and he will, we can also do this in a controlled/contrived situation when we are out (thanks to the wonderful advice I received from Maureen) it is going to take a long time and a lot of work to ever be able to get him to leave or drop something he has stolen
i have no info on this:( but please email me and when can chat
thanks to advice I received right at the begining of this thread I have had Maureen from dogs behaving badly over and we are working with him using her advice, I believe we are making slooooow progress (at least I hope we are)
A dog isnt "basically too old and stubborn to train", in other words the trainers couldn't control the dog and where frustrated by the dogs refusal to behave for them, you will find this with "some" trainers and on another note the trainers could of made the dog worse! I agree completely with this. He is an older stubborn guy but underneath is a dog who is so keen to behave and get rewarded and that is why I haven't given up on him. He is not an easy dog to train but he does learn plus he's part of my family now and I love him to pieces.
Each dog has its own way of doing something, as a trainer you have to get to know the dog and work with him not against him. How old is the dog at present? he is 8 and a half now. I have had him about 18 months.
and how was the dog when it went to the trainers? if you dont mind me asking. I don't mind at all I can talk about my dogs all day not 100% what you're asking though? were you asking how old he was (7) or how how he reacted (completely overwhelmed, he does not cope well outside of his own environment and is not comfortable when surrounded by noise and dogs and people)
I may be making him out to be a bit of a devil dog which he really isn't. My vet had a right go at me the other for complaing about him as she reckons he is one of the easiest patients she has. He got his paws on rat poison last summer and she had to spend 2 hours trying to make him sick and she says most other dogs would have got very pee'd off with her but he just let her do what she wanted.
When he isn't stealing anything he is an absolute joy to have around. He is the dopiest softest most loving dog going, he thinks he is a lapdog (which at 27kg he really isn't:D) we have a great time together and I really wouldn't be without him I just need to get this stealing situation under some sort of control:o0 -
Now to respond to your wonderful reply cocker5belongtojazz...
Ok... so here sre the suggestions that our trainer gave to us and they did help us out greatly.... if im repeating anything already said earlier in the post apologies...
1. Our Cocker was a chewer.... so she recommended Crib Halt or vicks vapour rub... so we smeared it everywhere....it worked a treat we have had no issues since using this! I know your guy is older but just incase....
Thankfully it really is only food type stuff he eats, I dread to think the damage he could do if he was a real chewer:D
2. Change in dog food.... we ued to feed him dried royal canin with some wet food mised in (as he refused to eat just dried food and i gave in).... it was making him hyper and unresponsive... so we switched to Burns dried food with NO wet food what so ever... so he starved himself for 3 days then gave in.... after that he adored his burns food... I mix sardines (in oil) up once a week... its great for his coat and joints etc.... changing his food made a huge impact on his hyperness...
He is on RC mature light and I've just bought another bag, I will look into changing that once this bag is finished, it's definitely worth a try. Don't suppose you know a good food or supplement to increase his phosphate level? when he had a blood test at the vets they said his levels of that were quite low and he is taking tablets currently usually given to lactating bitches but I don't think they are doing anything apart from winding him up
also n the food thing... as i mentioned our cocker is OBSESSED with food.... so she suggested feeding him twice a day... just so he wasnt soo hungry in the evening and that he maybe able to contain himself....
she alos told us to make him wait for his food (teaches him patience)... so we would put his bowl down... make him sit ... stay... paw... then say "go" ie allowing him to go to his food.... try this over weeks / months and extend the time when you tell him "go" ie make him sit for 10 secs....20 secs etc.... its does help our guy to control "some" of his food urgency issues
He is actually brilliant when it comes to his dinner. He is fed twice a day about 6/6.30 in the morning (7 days a week...need a sleepy smiley here) and about 6 in the eve. He will not touch his food until given the okay command. That was one of the first things he learnt, he will also not touch the girls (we have 3 JRT) food while they are eating he will wait until they tell him it's ok
also for his treats... we give him mangetout, carrots, broccolli.... so this helped calm him down also...Good idea he adores fruit and veg
3. Excercise... ok so my guy was just slightly loopy... like the devils dog when he was a pup.... full of energy and life.... we used to walk him each evening for 45 mins.. but it was just never enough.... our trainer explained that spaniels are gun dogs ... they NEED to work, use their brains and run... a normal walk isnt always enough.... so she advised us to cycle him... so we got all the equipment.. harness... special attachment for the bike ... visi vest for him etc... and thats excatly what we did... 30 mins each evening... now not too fast or anything... he loved it... he would drag me up the road .... so after a month we dropped this to twice per week along with his normal walking etc... our dog totally changed.... all his pent up and (bratty) energy was nearly gone.... although he was still a feisty cocker... he was wrecking things etc... plus as he was getting lots of excercise he slept most of the next day.... thus min damage to my plants etc
He does a good bit of exercise but it would do neither of us any harm for me to go out on the bike for a bit after his walk...very good suggestion
4. Routine.... its the keys with dogs.... fed him same time each day... walk . run him at a simliar time each day...
As I work, have 4 dogs and a teenage daughter our lives are pretty ruled by routine, it is very important to him that his routine is maintained he gets quite uptight if things don't happpen when they should.
5. Mental stimulation.... make him work for his treats.... get him good toys.... i can recommned some if your interested...
He has one toy he plays with, it is kind of a cone shaped thing with a weighted bottom that he knocks around to get treats out of, he can spend hours playining with that, have thought of getting him other ones but jsut worried he would just take it to his bed and destroy it to get to whatever treats are in there...if you have suggestions though I'd love to hear them.
after a few months you will have a totally different dog... all the goodness left and the boldness hopefully gone... you need to be consistent... follow through the same way each time... and after a few days your dog will learn and will change his behaviour...
I think we are making slow progress, but it is very difficult and i get guilty about the attention all being on him to the detriment of my other dogs and my daughter...typical mammy guilt I think
on him ripping up his bed / toys etc.. get him Vetbed.. its virtually indestructiable.... my cocker to this day if he is left alone with take the stuffing out of his bed.... or de-stuff one of his teddies.... so i got him Vet bed and its excellent....
Thankfully he only destroys teddies, he has vetbed in his cage and he doesn't touch his bed in the sitting room, apart from trying to dig himself under it :rolleyes:
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_beds_baskets/dog_blankets/vetbed/129392
if he's a little hyper when he's in the house ..,. try and get him a stuffed kong (stuf with pate or low fat spreadable cheese)... send him to his bed with his treat and he will be happy.... licking brings out realxed happy hormones in a dog...
that would work great if it was just him, but the girls would never leave him in peace for that. Something else for me to work on, get all 4 to bed and settled at the same time
on the crying for treats... i wouldnt give him anything until he's stopped for atleast 5 mins.... otherwise by giving him a treat the whigying will get wosre... my guy is a whinger too... not for treats... but other things like if i go to the toilet.. he want to come too.. and when i leave him in the kitchen he whinges... spaniels are funny dogs with great personalities.... quirkly little things
I ignored him on friday eve whinging at me for 2 hours, nearly drove me demented, even when he fell asleep he continued :eek: he does the same as your dog and whinges if left on his own or if I leave the room even when there is other people in there, he is very much a one person dog. As much as he loves my daughter and my dad there is only 1 mammy for him lol.
Not sure if any of this helps but im sure with time effort and consistency... you will see your efforts pay off and you will have a happy dog too
Thank you so much, i will definitely take on board a number of your suggestions especially about the bike, they say a tired dog is a happy dog... is a tired mammy a happy one also, we'll soom find out eh 0
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