Help - my dog is destroying my house!!

Neeek · 03-11-2005, 10:03 AM

Need a little help with my 7-month old puppy, a Rotty x Staffy. Maggie (pictured below) is destroying everything.

In recent days (days, not weeks…) she has destroyed the following:

1 pair of motorcycle gloves
1 box of matches (resulting in a red mouth and nose which was funny as hell, but…)
2 remote controls (TV and hi-fi)
1 Lonely Planet travel book
1 pair of cheap thongs (thank God they were the cheap ones)
1 Gregory’s manual (good job it’s *hit anyway)

There’s more, but that’ll be last week’s list. We have bought her various toys and chewing things to try and keep her from destroying the contents of our home, but they either don’t interest her (such as a 10” rubber tyre with rope on it) or they get buried (her Kong toy and anything else bigger than my hand). Thus, they do not solve the problem.

Now, I realise that with my wife and I working, she gets bored during the day, and we’ve got a whole heap of things to keep her occupied during the time we are away such as marrow bones and aforementioned rubber tyres and so on. These things she destroys are all things that she grabs from around the house in the morning, usually after I’ve gone and my wife is in the shower or something… my wife’s lost about 5 bras in the past month, but that’s because she’s always leaving the bedroom door open (easy to fix that one).

What the hell can we do? We’re spending a small fortune on toys and even more on replacing clothes, gloves, books and remote controls. Any advice greatly appreciated!

4.9 EF Futura · 03-11-2005, 10:10 AM

Neeek that has to be the cutest mutt i think i've ever seen! Lol... how can something so evil look so innocent?!?

Id recommend 2 words... outside dog.

SunDrifter · 03-11-2005, 10:10 AM

What the hell is a dog doing inside the house anyway?

rodderz · 03-11-2005, 10:11 AM

Ring Harry for a housecall!

I would be trying to teach it asap before it gets too old. Try to catch it in the act and when you do make sure you use a demeaning voice and a good tactic it to put it in an area where it knows it's in strife, like a laundry (make sure nothing can be trashed) for 10mins. It worked on telly!

FordFan86 · 03-11-2005, 10:12 AM

That is terrible. What were the bra's like?

Seriously tho, that dog is so cute.. Like the other 2 have said, outside dog...

Neeek · 03-11-2005, 10:13 AM

She's a bit bigger than that now, but yes - still cute. And she is an outside dog for the most part - the only time she's inside is when we're there in the evenings. Perhaps we should lock her outside in the mornings before we go to work...

GreenMachine · 03-11-2005, 10:20 AM

Easy fixed... Either shoot her or NEVER, EVER let her inside the house. Through a program of sound beatings from an early age, you couldn't bribe my dog inside a house with a wheelbarrow full of pork chops.

Dr Nick.

Neeek · 03-11-2005, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordFan86

That is terrible. What were the bra's like?

Expensive ones. Fortunately there's a factory seconds place down the road from us that sells Kylie bras for $10, which is good, apparently.

Doesn't turn my wife into Kylie, though... :(

FordFan86 · 03-11-2005, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neeek

Doesn't turn my wife into Kylie, though... :(

That must be truly devastating. :P

GreenMachine · 03-11-2005, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neeek

Expensive ones. Fortunately there's a factory seconds place down the road from us that sells Kylie bras for $10, which is good, apparently.

Doesn't turn my wife into Kylie, though... :(

She's not Kylie, she doesn't like your car or me, and she lets the dog in the house. I think we all know what the real solution is... :P

MYVYSS · 03-11-2005, 10:30 AM

Buy another dog, to keep this one amused.....

deesun · 03-11-2005, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neeek

Doesn't turn my wife into Kylie, though... :(

But can she do the Loco-motion :hihi:

max^power · 03-11-2005, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4.9 EF Futura

Id recommend 2 words... outside dog.

Me too, only ever had one dog, that distroyed everything OUTSIDE, i can't imagine what the thing would be like inside.

just make sure there's no gaps in the fence first, if they go missing they cost a bit to pickup from the pound.

03-11-2005, 11:08 AM

Look at the list in the first post. What is the similarity with all of them. Thats right there all things you tend to have abit of contact with. If you were a dog teething and had the choice between chewing on a plastic/rubber smelling toy or something that smelt like the sweat of your masters, youd choose the sweeter smelling one.

Solution? Riddle a worn sock with a sealed sandwich bag of tabaso. When he goes to bite the sock(coz it smells like you) all the tabaso comes out. Repeat until message is heard. Also smacking a dog with a rolled up newspaper will not hurt the dog in any way, but will make a bit of a noise enouch to scare them.

03-11-2005, 11:08 AM

mate that dog is too cute to discipline!

KEV EB XR8 · 03-11-2005, 12:13 PM

The dog is bored , needs more attention.

So do i , thats why i rip the house apart.

Dave_au · 03-11-2005, 12:35 PM

Leave out old household objects for the dog to go for - except cover them with Chilli.

We had the same problem with our cattle dog, but he learned pretty quickly after he started trying to rip up old shoes and clothes that we over-liberally covered in chilli.

Neeek · 03-11-2005, 12:37 PM

Might try the chilli thing with a sock or something... nice tip! Knowing my luck, Maggie will love chilli, though...

Dave_au · 03-11-2005, 12:38 PM

Knock it up a notch to thai chilli powder!

Neeek · 03-11-2005, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_au

Knock it up a notch to thai chilli powder!

I only want her to get the message, not put her in animal casualty!!!

hamo · 03-11-2005, 12:45 PM

try a few obedience classes. i have a 10wk old rottie, and he's starting to get pretty bad. I already have him booked in.

Neeek · 03-11-2005, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamo

try a few obedience classes. i have a 10wk old rottie, and he's starting to get pretty bad. I already have him booked in.

Erm... we just finished our 10 week course... she was good in it (and passed), but they don't teach you how to stop her eating expensive remote controls... just got a quote for the hi-fi one which was "taken" this morning... only $125..!

And to add insult to injury, I've got a flat tyre on Wags - bloody nail or something metal poking into it. Just what I need. At least I've got a spare...

FOR SALE - One cute little dog. Comes with free XC station wagon... ;)

03-11-2005, 12:58 PM

Just replace the remote with one of them $20 all in one remote dealies. Fair enough you won't have all the buttons, but you are only really changing the volume most of the time.

Neeek · 03-11-2005, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArgonEF

Just replace the remote with one of them $20 all in one remote dealies. Fair enough you won't have all the buttons, but you are only really changing the volume most of the time.

It's got flashing lights too...

I think I might buy an All-in-one jobbie and cover it in fresh chillis... :the_finge

Bucknaked · 03-11-2005, 01:14 PM

out: That'll solve the problem.

Valknutr · 03-11-2005, 01:24 PM

go reverse psychology, you chew up everything in the house and get the dog to buy the replacements!!!!

Sourbastard · 03-11-2005, 01:42 PM

Ahem....

Dog is bored. Dog is bored. Dog is bored. Dog is bored.

Needs more attention, more play time with you, more excercise = sleep more & destroy less

If the dog chews up something while you are not there, do not punish it. Its pointless as they dont know why they are copping a hiding. You HAVE to catch them in the act to curb the behaviour.

If you had a 2 year old, you would child proof the house. You have a similar situation. Start dog proofing the house if it has to be inside all the time.

parawolf · 03-11-2005, 01:44 PM

Hmmm definately looking like an outside dog while you guys aren't home.

We got our dogs teddy bears. They are allowed to chew this. Anything else and they might get potentially whacked with it (eg a remote) but i've never had to resort to that. Charlie (the brindle one in the photo) used to take socks out of the bedroom from about an age of 14 weeks and run out to the back yard with them. Taking them off him, a firm and bold "NO" and a swipe over the nose with the sock has stopped him doing this.

Just don't expect massive changes immediately. But your dog is probably also wanting more exercise.... I hope you are walking a dog of that size and energy level twice a day! You need to tell your dog that inside is for relaxing, and outside is for play.

Reward good behaviour and ignore bad behaviour (also use of the word "NO" works - just don't over use it). Remember, if the dog does something bad, punish it, but ignore then ignore the dog for about 30 seconds and then do something good and positive like "sit" or "drop" and reward that behaviour with a treat.

When your dog is being good inside the house, eg: lying on it's mat, walk up to it occasionally, give it a treat and in a soothing voice say "good puppy" and give it a rub on it's belly.

Training a dog to be a well behaved dog takes time, but it pays off big time down the track.

xceler8shun · 03-11-2005, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourbastard

Ahem....

Dog is bored. Dog is bored. Dog is bored. Dog is bored.

Needs more attention, more play time with you, more excercise = sleep more & destroy less

If the dog chews up something while you are not there, do not punish it. Its pointless as they dont know why they are copping a hiding. You HAVE to catch them in the act to curb the behaviour.

If you had a 2 year old, you would child proof the house. You have a similar situation. Start dog proofing the house if it has to be inside all the time.

Best solution given so far!

I agree that the dog definately needs more attention and is chewing on things as a result of boredom. Place anything it can grab up higher.

Have a command word of No! or Stop! or porkchops! it doesn't matter what thew word is, and use that as a command when it does something wrong to get them to stop. If they stop, reward them with a treat straight away.

Also, if you do discipling your pup, never hit it on the head, just like a baby their skulls are soft and the gap may not be fully closed. Always give it a tap on the rump.

I would also continue with obedience. You pup needs the reinforcement of what it has already learnt as well as the socialisation with other dogs.

ETA: just read your reply as well Parawolf, Spot on!

Leah · 03-11-2005, 02:09 PM

Neeek.... that is one gorgeous puppy! Parawolf... very cute pic!

Neeek.... I would go with what Parawolf said. We have a ridgeback x and a shepard x kelpie. Both started to chew things as puppies. We ended up buying them both soft toys insted of hard chewy rubber toys.

It wouldnt take them long before their arms and legs were ripped off and the stuffing was being pulled out, leaving a white fluffy mess everywhere. But if i had to choose picking up white fluffy stuff or picking up chewed clothing, shoes etc... id choose the stuffing any day! Plus, you can get crappy stuffed toys cheap as! For some reason, once they had their soft toys, they never chewed the clothes again. Although, they did have some hard toys. General rule was while they were inside, soft toys. Hard toys or tug of war toys outside.

See how you go with soft toys maybe? Good Luck!