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So, I'm back to getting a dog...
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My older dog was like that, he was a rescue and for the first, probably six months, he was very destructive when left alone, separation anxiety I suppose, he chewed door frames, skirting boards, dog beds, anything I stupidly left on the coffee table (books, mags, tissues etc) tried to pull up a carpet, he got plenty of excercise but just couldn't bear it when he was home alone (which he wasn't ever for very long)....5 and a half years later he's just about a model dog really, loves his walk, his dinner and spends the rest of the day snoring on the sofa....the younger dog though, well she's another post....
Not sure if anyone asked this already but what food do you have him on?0 -
Once he's over the KC pack him off to daycare for the day - you'll think he was drugged he'll be that tired that evening and the next day lol!0
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He does seem to be relaxing a bit more and certainly the walks help but in the morning its back to Mad Mutt territory... I've only rescued him 6 days now so there is plenty of time and he's actually been very good to be fair, no barking, no poohing everywhere, but still... he's destructive in terms of cardboard and mats etc. Its not that I mind, its that I worry that he's ok...
Is there an element that there is an "excitement" routine in the morning that you come down, cuddle him, let him out for a toilet break, play games, etc so he is starting to associate it as "mad mutt" time?
I used have this with my dogs when I got in I'd cuddle them and make a fuss, I stopped, just came in took off my coat and got on with whatever and they too calmed down
Also when he is alone try leaving a radio on for company for him? I'd a dog who was scared of the dark when I first got her and destructive when alone, and the radio helped calm her0 -
looks rather like my guy.... This is his "Who? Moi??" look...
What I cant understand is how that lovely very chewable wicker basket in that pic has survivedOnce he's over the KC pack him off to daycare for the day - you'll think he was drugged he'll be that tired that evening and the next day lol!
or you could take him swimming- an afternoon trip to the pool had ours guys in a coma:pac:0 -
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No, from day 1 I've adopted the "you dont get pats and cuddles if you jump about like a loon" but he still does it (to be fair its only day 6 and he IS getting better). He sits for pats now (though it KILLS him) and I do the same routine of walking in and ignoring him until he chill the %*^& out.It seems to be working, because tonight nothing *new* was chewed and he wasnt too mental when I came in. That said, its night time when he's better behaved and tomorrow morning could be a different story entirely
He's really a good dog tbh, but its his master who is having difficulties adapting I think!0 -
No, from day 1 I've adopted the "you dont get pats and cuddles if you jump about like a loon" but he still does it (to be fair its only day 6 and he IS getting better). He sits for pats now (though it KILLS him) and I do the same routine of walking in and ignoring him until he chill the %*^& out.
It seems to be working, because tonight nothing *new* was chewed and he wasnt too mental when I came in. That said, its night time when he's better behaved and tomorrow morning could be a different story entirely
He's really a good dog tbh, but its his master who is having difficulties adapting I think!
You're going about it the right way, just give it time.0 -
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Well its tomorrow morning and its a different story. Mental Mutt is back and despite a walk I can hear him whinging and jumping about a bit downstairs. Scratch one bike pump repair kit and a program for an event that he found under the piano by the looks of it.
He's very "puppyish" in his mannerisms, its hard to describe but its a bit like Tigger the Tiger. He "pounces" on things and has the attention span of a gnat. Even when I'm scolding him, he's wagging his tail while cowering down...
Going to change routine to walk him early in the morning, immediately after I come down but the energy from him when I arrive in the morning combined with the lunacy of when he sees the lead might just cause some sort of thermonuclear meltdown. Oh and he ate a sort of Pepperami themed rope-based chew toy. That made for "interesting" toilet-time and one very confused dog as to why his poo was following him around. :rolleyes:
He's really a lovely dog and very well mannered but he just needs to chill out a bit lol...0 -
You'll get into a workable routine, D, it's still early days. I have an 8 month old bundle of energy here too, so I pretty much go straight out the door after a cup of coffee in the morning and it keeps him sane and allows me the morning to work in peace and quiet ( funnily enough, I have never been what could be described as a morning person, but I rather enjoy these just after dawn strolls now, weirdly uplifting and peaceful). Otherwise he'd be the very same, looking for something to do/chew/annoy. Deep breath! You're doing great.0
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fatmammycat wrote: »( funnily enough, I have never been what could be described as a morning person, but I rather enjoy these just after dawn strolls now, weirdly uplifting and peaceful). ... You're doing great.0
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Exactly this. I hated mornings, but I found myself once on the beach early one saturday morning walking herself around dawn - it was beautiful. I have to say, I don't like getting out of bed, but once I'm out it's great. ...and the weekend seems sooooo much longer.
I know it's weird isn't it? The other morning I was traipsing across a completely frosted field, laughing at the other eegit who had just discovered ice for the first time and found it chewable. It was still mostly dark and freezing and I suddenly realised I was as happy as a clam. A well bundled up clam.0 -
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Joshua doesnt like the rain much. He sticks his nose out and then looks up at me like "are you up for this, cos I could give it a miss..."
I did find todays walk nice, even though I get tugged from tree to tree. Mind you, it was warm this morning.... not sure how it will be in the depths of winter...
What do you lot do when its February and its lashing rain and howling outside??0 -
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Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,688 Mod ✭✭✭✭Join Date:Posts: 49074
Well its tomorrow morning and its a different story. Mental Mutt is back and despite a walk I can hear him whinging and jumping about a bit downstairs. Scratch one bike pump repair kit and a program for an event that he found under the piano by the looks of it.
He's very "puppyish" in his mannerisms, its hard to describe but its a bit like Tigger the Tiger. He "pounces" on things and has the attention span of a gnat. Even when I'm scolding him, he's wagging his tail while cowering down...
Going to change routine to walk him early in the morning, immediately after I come down but the energy from him when I arrive in the morning combined with the lunacy of when he sees the lead might just cause some sort of thermonuclear meltdown. Oh and he ate a sort of Pepperami themed rope-based chew toy. That made for "interesting" toilet-time and one very confused dog as to why his poo was following him around. :rolleyes:
He's really a lovely dog and very well mannered but he just needs to chill out a bit lol...
Could be worse, I once spent hours seperating the tape from a cassette from a dogs rear end :eek:
Then there was the time he went to kennels and the staff described my missing new underwear which they extracted from his backside. :
You're only a week into it, you'll start noticing him settling bit by bit over the next couple of weeks, it does take time :0Joshua doesnt like the rain much. He sticks his nose out and then looks up at me like "are you up for this, cos I could give it a miss..."
I did find todays walk nice, even though I get tugged from tree to tree. Mind you, it was warm this morning.... not sure how it will be in the depths of winter...
What do you lot do when its February and its lashing rain and howling outside??0 -
What do you lot do when its February and its lashing rain and howling outside??
Invest in some raingear for you and him lol!! Are you near Blanch at all? Mountain warehouse have some great stuff and always have good offers on - or even take a look inside and wait for a 20% sale online which they have every other week. You can even bring Josh in lol0 -
Joshua doesnt like the rain much. He sticks his nose out and then looks up at me like "are you up for this, cos I could give it a miss..."
I did find todays walk nice, even though I get tugged from tree to tree. Mind you, it was warm this morning.... not sure how it will be in the depths of winter...
What do you lot do when its February and its lashing rain and howling outside??
A parka.
My pair don't like going out it in, but if we miss a day they're bouncing off the walls.0 -
What do you lot do when its February and its lashing rain and howling outside??
Thankfully my dog goes absolutely ballistic in the rain so I've never had to spend more than 60 seconds walking her in lashing rain. Though she doesn't care about light misty rain or snow, so I don't totally get off scott free.
When it's a really crappy day out, she knows all about it - sometimes she's content to laze in bed all day, other times she sighs every five minutes with the boredom.0 -
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So, I have determined that Josh's deafness is directly related to how much it looks like I have a treat in my hand. If he's certain I dont, then I can shout sit all I like. If I have a treat in plain view, I wont even have to say the word. He'll already be over in a flash and sitting quietly and patiently waiting. Its like a different dog...
Today he was exceptionally bold during the day. Jumped up on the table where he *knows* he's not allowed and when I made a grab for him, we did 10 laps of the table before he got booted outside, which he hates. Cue 30 minutes of slamming against the door and barking and whining. When that all stopped I gave it 5 minutes and let him in. No more than 15 seconds later, he was back up standing on the table in front of me, and he knew he was being bold, so he got booted out again for an hour this time and he persisted almost all that time in the door-slamming and barking. I left him out there to cool his heels and he eventually did and he's back in now and no reoccurences so far but give it time...
I'm worn out and its only been a week but hopefully thats the worst week over...0 -
A punishment of outside for 1 min is more effective than a half hour - that way if he does it again straight away he goes straight back out for another minute. Leaving him out longer doesn't punish him more, he's forgotten everything that happened after a minute or so anyway.0
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And so, when I said "give it time" above, that "time" turned out to be about 3 minutes after I wrote that piece. So he got booted out again for the third time and "daddy DeV" expressed his anger very vocally and in no uncertain terms which (amazingly) headed off any door barging or barking and he seemed a little "shocked" is the only word I can think to describe it.0 -
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A punishment of outside for 1 min is more effective than a half hour - that way if he does it again straight away he goes straight back out for another minute. Leaving him out longer doesn't punish him more, he's forgotten everything that happened after a minute or so anyway.
This last time I took the fight to him and he got a big shock and just shut up and behaved so it was more like a minute before he got back in.0 -
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Aye but with the barking and the barging I didnt want to reward that behaviour so I waited for that to die down before letting him in.
This last time I took the fight to him and he got a big shock and just shut up and behaved so it was more like a minute before he got back in.
I think you may be entering phase two of normalising a rescue dog into your routine.
Now this is just based on my own experience.
Phase one is where they settle in, figure out boundaries, demonstrate some good behaviour and generally ingratiate themselves.
Lasts 1-3 weeks.
Phase two is where the evil two year old child that constantly has tantrums takes over the body of your previously tolerable rescue, and they push all boundaries (if you watch closely, you'll be able to see his inner demonic child cackling at your frustration) During this time they will disobey all commands, disregard previously agreed limits, and generally be a royal pain in the ass, as they try to push their luck as much as possible.
Lasts 1-3 weeks.
The good news is that after phase two, comes phase three. This is a magical phase where your dog has exocrcised the two year old child from his body, and has taken on the attitude of a relatively mature and reasonable being.
A normal settled routine will be adhered to, the lunacy of phase two and phase one is gone, and you can look forward to many years of fun and companionship0 -
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From your lips to the Dog-God's ears....0 -
And so, when I said "give it time" above, that "time" turned out to be about 3 minutes after I wrote that piece. So he got booted out again for the third time and "daddy DeV" expressed his anger very vocally and in no uncertain terms which (amazingly) headed off any door barging or barking and he seemed a little "shocked" is the only word I can think to describe it.
Go easy on that though, I have a very fearful dog and believe me that is something you don't want. Positive reinforcement is much more effective, I really recommend it:)0 -
So, I have determined that Josh's deafness is directly related to how much it looks like I have a treat in my hand. If he's certain I dont, then I can shout sit all I like. If I have a treat in plain view, I wont even have to say the word. He'll already be over in a flash and sitting quietly and patiently waiting. Its like a different dog...
Nothing unusual about this, you might be glad to hear! Use food treats all the time at first, but don't wave them at him. Ask him to sit, without showing him the food. If he sits, then he gets a treat from behind your back. If he doesn't, no treat. He'll cop the pattern soon enough. But once he's getting good, then you need to start phasing the treats down a bit, so that they're very regularly random at first (eg two sits treated in a row, then no treat for a sit, then three treats in a row for each of 3 sits, then no treat for a sit, then 1 treat, then none, etc), and gradually you make the treats less regularly random.Jumped up on the table where he *knows* he's not allowed and when I made a grab for him, we did 10 laps of the table before he got booted outside, which he hates.
You might not like what I say next, but I am just being honest with you.
Let's look at what happened here from the dog's perspective: by the time you'd caught him, the dog had absolutely no idea why you were putting him out, so he hasn't learned what you think he *should* have learned from this incident.
Dogs learn according to whatever happened a moment ago: not after a chase, not after a minute, so you need to be really careful what you're potentially teaching, or not teaching, your dog at any given moment.
The lesson he learned from this incident was: when DeV chases me, he's going to throw me out in the garden when he catches me. Moral: don't get caught, and not: don't jump up on the counter.
I can also categorically tell you, he does not know he's not allowed to jump up on the counter. If he did, he wouldn't do it: at least, he wouldn't do it when you were about. He knows you get angry when he's up there, but he's not associating the link between jumping up there, and you being angry.
If you're wanting to stop him from jumping up there, you must catch him in the act of jumping up. It is the act that needs to be punished, not the result. Once it's done, it's too late to take action other than to quietly get him down again.
As far as he's concerned now, every so often, his owner gets angry and shouts at him, and throws him out. But he is not making the connection why this happens, because he's not getting the message consistently and/or at the right moments. This may explain why he's getting so upset with being put out: non-understood punishment is deeply unpleasant for any species. But it also explains what I'm taking to be a "guilty" look, a look that makes you think he *knows* he's done wrong.
But this is not guilt. Dogs cannot do guilt. What you're looking at is calming signals, given off by all dogs to stop their owner (or other dogs) being angry with them. Often misinterpreted as guilt, but it is important to distinguish, because if you think your dog is deliberately being bold, it's easier to get angry about it.
He's not being deliberate. He's doing it because for him it's more fun than not doing it is: the fact that you, to him, get randomly annoyed about something he hasn't made a connection with, will mean that he'll continue to cower or *look guilty* when you get randomly angry with him. And worse still, the bold behaviour won't stop, because he's not being taught to stop in a way he understands. Anger and dog training are poor bedfellows.
He has managed to destroy a fair bit of stuff on you, but most of it is stuff he shouldn't have had access to at all. Re the stuffed beds, don't give them to him any more. But re the jumping-on-counters, you need to (a) stop him in the act when you're there. Leaving a trailing lead on him can really help, as you can stop him in the act, and you don't have to get into this game of chasing, which has got to stop (never leave the lead on him when he's unsupervised). And (b) you need to stop him from being able to jump up on the counters when you're not there to intervene.
How to do this? Crates have been recommended here: personally, I prefer playpens... a lot more space, more adjustable to different shapes of rooms, fold-flat when you're home... and critically, you know when he's in his crate/playpen that he can't find stuff to chew unless you give it to him, and you know that he can't counter-surf when you're not there: the less he rehearses this unwanted behaviour, the quicker it will fade. But this often means managing the environment for a while so that the dog physically can't carry out the behaviour: hence the trailing lead, and the playpen.
Pic of an example of playpen set-up: http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/puppy-playroom-doggy-den
When you're there, you can bait the counter with something he might like to investigate. When he looks like he's about to jump up, quietly stand on the lead, and tell him "No": don't shout, just a firm "No". He may try to jump, but if you're standing on the lead, he won't be able to jump. He may try, but he'll get no impetus into it. Then, when he doesn't succeed at jumping up, go to town on praise, then distract him with a toy or a game.
Now, this will not work first time: it's rare for a dog to cop a pattern after only one or two tries. But, if you set yourself up that he cannot access your counter unless you're there to carry out the above, then he'll start to become far more responsive to the "No", so that eventually, when you say "No", he'll stop in his tracks without you having to stand on the lead at all.. eventually, the lead can be dispensed with in the training. But you must practise, practise, practise, and you must set up training sessions so that you're not only trying to stop him in "real life" settings when you might be under pressure. This will not happen overnight... that's why you need to have management tools in place for when you can't supervise.
Without these easy management tools (lead/crate or playpen), from what you've described I think you're going to find it hard to make progress. The most experienced dog owners use these things routinely, for a reason!0 -
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But re the jumping-on-counters, you need to (a) stop him in the act when you're there. Leaving a trailing lead on him can really help, as you can stop him in the act, and you don't have to get into this game of chasing, which has got to stop (never leave the lead on him when he's unsupervised). And (b) you need to stop him from being able to jump up on the counters when you're not there to intervene.
How to do this? Crates have been recommended here: personally, I prefer playpens... a lot more space, more adjustable to different shapes of rooms, fold-flat when you're home... and critically, you know when he's in his crate/playpen that he can't find stuff to chew unless you give it to him, and you know that he can't counter-surf when you're not there: the less he rehearses this unwanted behaviour, the quicker it will fade. But this often means managing the environment for a while so that the dog physically can't carry out the behaviour: hence the trailing lead, and the playpen.
Pic of an example of playpen set-up: http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/puppy-playroom-doggy-den
When you're there, you can bait the counter with something he might like to investigate. When he looks like he's about to jump up, quietly stand on the lead, and tell him "No": don't shout, just a firm "No". He may try to jump, but if you're standing on the lead, he won't be able to jump. He may try, but he'll get no impetus into it. Then, when he doesn't succeed at jumping up, go to town on praise, then distract him with a toy or a game.
Now, this will not work first time: it's rare for a dog to cop a pattern after only one or two tries. But, if you set yourself up that he cannot access your counter unless you're there to carry out the above, then he'll start to become far more responsive to the "No", so that eventually, when you say "No", he'll stop in his tracks without you having to stand on the lead at all.. eventually, the lead can be dispensed with in the training. But you must practise, practise, practise, and you must set up training sessions so that you're not only trying to stop him in "real life" settings when you might be under pressure. This will not happen overnight... that's why you need to have management tools in place for when you can't supervise.
Without these easy management tools (lead/crate or playpen), from what you've described I think you're going to find it hard to make progress. The most experienced dog owners use these things routinely, for a reason!
If you don't mind me asking a question about training leads? I have always struggled to use them as a training aid, as more often than not, having the grace of the Michelin Man, they end up causing me to trip, slip, or nearly dislocate my arms trying to get hold of them.
Have you any recommendations as to what to use as a trailing lead?
Crates I've used and found to be an invaluable aid, not just to stop destruction, but to teach a dog when it's "quiet time"0 -
they end up causing me to trip, slip, or nearly dislocate my arms trying to get hold of them.
Have you any recommendations as to what to use as a trailing lead?
Don't grab the lead.. stand on it!
You can get big long house-lines, 7-8 ft long, or you can use a normal lead either. Some dogs chew their leads, in which case I'd use a chain lead or washing-line rope. Chain leads can make a lot of noise on a wooden floor!
Another calming exercise is to sit down, with dog beside you, and stand on the lead so that he can stand comfortably, but not jump, fidget or walk away. Most dogs will try all of these, and more, maybe for quite a while, but the point is, once he's on the lead, you can effectively control the dog without having to interact with him whilst he's acting the gobsh1te.
The dog eventually, inevitably stops, sighs, and sits or lies down. Bingo! NOW you start to gently pet him and talk quietly to him. If he stands up again, back to the start, ignoring the messing. But when he sits/lies down again, Bingo again! And so on, until eventually, the dog learns that calm behaviour is what makes you interact with him.
To attempt this whilst a loopy dog is off-lead is a nightmare, as he can amuse himself getting up to all sorts of mischief, which makes the owner have to interact with him in a non-constructive way, grabbing at the dog, shouting, and getting frustrated. The lead speeds the whole process up and prevents the dog from rehearsing the unwanted behaviours.0 -
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Many years later, the mystery is solved
Thank you!
Tie some knots in it too so it doesn't slip thru your hands/under your foot - I learnt this at my peril!!!.. Xmas eve 2 years ago..Bratface Magillacuddy is on crate rest again having gone lame 6 weeks post op (he'd been finished round 1 of the crate rest for 2 weeks).. It's snowing and he's out for some air on a loo break but wants me to let him off his lead - not going to happen as he leg has been cut in 2 and held together with pins and a plate(!).. trying to jump and snatch the lead I stand on it - "how do you like them apples dog" :cool: - the bloody lead slid under my foot in the snow and he ran around the garden like a maniac with the lead behind him - my mum ran in crying and I caught him eventually - no damage done to the leg thank god lol!! :pac:0 -
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Nothing unusual about this, you might be glad to hear! Use food treats all the time at first, but don't wave them at him. Ask him to sit, without showing him the food. If he sits, then he gets a treat from behind your back. If he doesn't, no treat. He'll cop the pattern soon enough. But once he's getting good, then you need to start phasing the treats down a bit, so that they're very regularly random at first (eg two sits treated in a row, then no treat for a sit, then three treats in a row for each of 3 sits, then no treat for a sit, then 1 treat, then none, etc), and gradually you make the treats less regularly random.
You might not like what I say next, but I am just being honest with you.
Let's look at what happened here from the dog's perspective: by the time you'd caught him, the dog had absolutely no idea why you were putting him out, so he hasn't learned what you think he *should* have learned from this incident.
Dogs learn according to whatever happened a moment ago: not after a chase, not after a minute, so you need to be really careful what you're potentially teaching, or not teaching, your dog at any given moment.
The lesson he learned from this incident was: when DeV chases me, he's going to throw me out in the garden when he catches me. Moral: don't get caught, and not: don't jump up on the counter.
I can also categorically tell you, he does not know he's not allowed to jump up on the counter. If he did, he wouldn't do it: at least, he wouldn't do it when you were about. He knows you get angry when he's up there, but he's not associating the link between jumping up there, and you being angry.
If you're wanting to stop him from jumping up there, you must catch him in the act of jumping up. It is the act that needs to be punished, not the result. Once it's done, it's too late to take action other than to quietly get him down again.
As far as he's concerned now, every so often, his owner gets angry and shouts at him, and throws him out. But he is not making the connection why this happens, because he's not getting the message consistently and/or at the right moments. This may explain why he's getting so upset with being put out: non-understood punishment is deeply unpleasant for any species. But it also explains what I'm taking to be a "guilty" look, a look that makes you think he *knows* he's done wrong.
But this is not guilt. Dogs cannot do guilt. What you're looking at is calming signals, given off by all dogs to stop their owner (or other dogs) being angry with them. Often misinterpreted as guilt, but it is important to distinguish, because if you think your dog is deliberately being bold, it's easier to get angry about it.
He's not being deliberate. He's doing it because for him it's more fun than not doing it is: the fact that you, to him, get randomly annoyed about something he hasn't made a connection with, will mean that he'll continue to cower or *look guilty* when you get randomly angry with him. And worse still, the bold behaviour won't stop, because he's not being taught to stop in a way he understands. Anger and dog training are poor bedfellows.
He has managed to destroy a fair bit of stuff on you, but most of it is stuff he shouldn't have had access to at all. Re the stuffed beds, don't give them to him any more. But re the jumping-on-counters, you need to (a) stop him in the act when you're there. Leaving a trailing lead on him can really help, as you can stop him in the act, and you don't have to get into this game of chasing, which has got to stop (never leave the lead on him when he's unsupervised). And (b) you need to stop him from being able to jump up on the counters when you're not there to intervene.
How to do this? Crates have been recommended here: personally, I prefer playpens... a lot more space, more adjustable to different shapes of rooms, fold-flat when you're home... and critically, you know when he's in his crate/playpen that he can't find stuff to chew unless you give it to him, and you know that he can't counter-surf when you're not there: the less he rehearses this unwanted behaviour, the quicker it will fade. But this often means managing the environment for a while so that the dog physically can't carry out the behaviour: hence the trailing lead, and the playpen.
Pic of an example of playpen set-up: http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/puppy-playroom-doggy-den
When you're there, you can bait the counter with something he might like to investigate. When he looks like he's about to jump up, quietly stand on the lead, and tell him "No": don't shout, just a firm "No". He may try to jump, but if you're standing on the lead, he won't be able to jump. He may try, but he'll get no impetus into it. Then, when he doesn't succeed at jumping up, go to town on praise, then distract him with a toy or a game.
Now, this will not work first time: it's rare for a dog to cop a pattern after only one or two tries. But, if you set yourself up that he cannot access your counter unless you're there to carry out the above, then he'll start to become far more responsive to the "No", so that eventually, when you say "No", he'll stop in his tracks without you having to stand on the lead at all.. eventually, the lead can be dispensed with in the training. But you must practise, practise, practise, and you must set up training sessions so that you're not only trying to stop him in "real life" settings when you might be under pressure. This will not happen overnight... that's why you need to have management tools in place for when you can't supervise.
Without these easy management tools (lead/crate or playpen), from what you've described I think you're going to find it hard to make progress. The most experienced dog owners use these things routinely, for a reason!
The second thing is that the moment he sees me seeing him on the table, he rockets off it and under it. Its not that I initiate the chase, he knows whats coming and he's pretty clearly know why (at any other time he rockets towards me and looks for rubs) so I have a suspicion he knows full well he's not to be up there.
I have a someone who is in the trade as a vet-nurse and behavourist who is going to give me a "once over" on saturday and some tips etc. He's getting his own hut in the backyard for when I'm out during the day and he can sleep in the house in the evenings when he's more sane
Ah to be fair, I have to consider myself very very lucky, he's a dote really and he's just a bit youthfully exuberant. He could be barking the house down and pooing everywhere and biting. As you say, a lot of the things he has chewed are really my fault for leaving them lying around and now I'm beginning to strip the kitchen down to the minimum. Thankfully he hasnt chewed the legs of the chairs or anything else of value, its all mostly just magazines and cardboard.
Thanks for the advice, I'll try to put it into practise.0
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