Puppy Pulling Washing Off The Line

[whiskedaway]

Has anyone else had the problem of their dog pulling washing off the line? Because it's been cold, the washing has been staying on the line longer and when by herself, Akira pulls the washing off the line. She doesn't destroy it, just leaves it on the floor, but I'm a bit worried that it'll get to that stage in the long run.

Does any one have any advice to stopping it?

[poodlefan]

Either fence off the line or don't leave it on the line when the pup can't be separated.

Its pretty difficult to deter unwanted behaviour when you aren't there.

[flux]

We put up some low hanging old towels and put some denco rub on the lowest parts (within puppy reach) and also some tobasco sauce. We were careful though not to use too much and hurt the puppie's nose or tongue while we were not around, but one playful bite of this (and no reaction from us) and the game stopped all on it's own. Good luck :D

[W Sibs]

Umm... I don't have the problem. Emmy and Charlie have each other to amuse and we always have toys scattered around the yard for them to play with.

But, my mum's old dog use to do that.. she use to scatter some treats around the grass when she has the washing out. The dogs will be rather searching for that, then pulling washing off the time.

In time, my mum (and dad) made other things around the yard more fun then washing on the line for the dogs.

It's common that dogs pull clothes off the lines because they are bored.

[labsrule]

Umm... I don't have the problem. Emmy and Charlie have each other to amuse and we always have toys scattered around the yard for them to play with.

But, my mum's old dog use to do that.. she use to scatter some treats around the grass when she has the washing out. The dogs will be rather searching for that, then pulling washing off the time.

In time, my mum (and dad) made other things around the yard more fun then washing on the line for the dogs.

It's common that dogs pull clothes off the lines because they are bored.

Not necessarily :rolleyes: My little bugger (my 9mth old Lab) loves to pull clothes off the line, even when I am home and sometimes in front of me when I have been playing with him outside or even when I am in the middle of hanging the clothes He also loves the clothesline handle and pulls this off constantly to chew on so I didn't bother reattaching it last time he did it and will only reattach when I need to put clothes on and or clothes off. Sometimes I forget to detach when I have finished and the little bugger is running around the yard doing zoomies with it in his mouth :D

I have to wind my clothesline to maximum height and double over any washing like towels that are a particular temptation to him. He doesn't pull washing off everytime I hang washing on the line, but it is still bloody annoying anytime he does it :D Since he started this behaviour, I won't leave clothes on the clothesline if I have to go out, although sometimes I have forgotten and lo behold he has behaved himself and hasn't removed anything from the line :D

[aussielover]

Umm... I don't have the problem. Emmy and Charlie have each other to amuse and we always have toys scattered around the yard for them to play with.

But, my mum's old dog use to do that.. she use to scatter some treats around the grass when she has the washing out. The dogs will be rather searching for that, then pulling washing off the time.

In time, my mum (and dad) made other things around the yard more fun then washing on the line for the dogs.

It's common that dogs pull clothes off the lines because they are bored.

Can emmy and charlie reach the clothes on the line ?

Don't leave your puppy unsupervised when clothes are out on the line. It is a bit unrealistic to expect her not to pull them off, I'm sure they look very fun and inviting...

[W Sibs]

Umm... I don't have the problem. Emmy and Charlie have each other to amuse and we always have toys scattered around the yard for them to play with.

But, my mum's old dog use to do that.. she use to scatter some treats around the grass when she has the washing out. The dogs will be rather searching for that, then pulling washing off the time.

In time, my mum (and dad) made other things around the yard more fun then washing on the line for the dogs.

It's common that dogs pull clothes off the lines because they are bored.

Can emmy and charlie reach the clothes on the line ?

Don't leave your puppy unsupervised when clothes are out on the line. It is a bit unrealistic to expect her not to pull them off, I'm sure they look very fun and inviting...

Em can. That girl can really jump... we think she is part cat!

[Snout Girl]

I also dont agree that dogs pull washing off the line cause they are bored. sally has bert, revolving toys, a dirt pit, a pool, a home alone tug, frozen kong, does training and is walked at least once a day. and she is the biggest washing stealer this side of anywhere. her favs were sheets!

we solved the problem by looping the clothes several times so she couldnt reach them.

nothing we tried with the sheets worked, so now we just dont hang them out. we dry them on a clothes horse. take away the temptation.

good luck, i feel your pain.

btw, kmart has some really cheap long clothes horses

[Alyosha]

I cured my boy by hanging water balloons inside the sheets - but it was summertime! He doesn't lik surprises.

It was pretty painstaking though, tying on the strings at just the right height that they were level with the bottom hem of the sheets etc. I have to admit I'm more likely to hang them inside to finish drying that try again - my girls are more stubborn and I don't think it would be such a deterrent for t hem - they'd probably just enjoy it!

And I tried vicks vaporub on the outside of the coat worn by the smoothcoat dog we had staying for a while - and they used to lick it off . Needless to say it didn't stop them pulling his coat off and playing with it...

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I used to watch my puppy and when she gave the washing that special look - I'd tell her "uh uh". If that wasn't working, I got out the pump up water pistol. She never really ever got to find out how much fun it is to pull things off the line. And now she's not interested.

I guess I was lucky.

I find the same kind of strategy works on the parrots that chew all the new buds off the roses. If you can get the first one, the first time it lands on the rose bush and give it a hard time, they don't come back till next season. But if the first one gets a taste of rose buds and enjoys, they all come back over and over no matter how hard you work at chasing them off.

[whiskedaway]

I tend to think it's not boredom. She has so many toys, and they all get rotated, but in the past two weeks she's decided washings more fun. And it's not sheets, it's normally trackies or t-shirts, so I think she does it to be close to us when we're not there.

I may just have to get a clothes horse. It won't be a problem in summer when everything dries in an hour, it just is at the moment because it's cold.

[Starkehre]

I do all my clothes drying in the house all year round. Kinder on the clothes and the dogs.

[Grace1979]

Grace started doing this about 2 mths ago but thank god ive noticed in the last two weeks she hasent gone near them. I only hang washing out if i know i will be home all day to watch her. Dyzney i use my dryer heaps as well, at least i dont have to worry about her getting at them.

[Starkehre]

Grace started doing this about 2 mths ago but thank god ive noticed in the last two weeks she hasent gone near them. I only hang washing out if i know i will be home all day to watch her. Dyzney i use my dryer heaps as well, at least i dont have to worry about her getting at them.

Sorry, should have explained better... I rarely use the dryer, unless I need to. I just use clothes horses.

But we do have ducted heating that is on enough in the Winter to assist with the drying of clothes, and the house in warm enough in the other months to dry itself.

Yeh, I just figure the dogs can have the yard to themselves to save us all the headaches. I am sure my young lad would love to drag it off the line if I put it up there. Just teaches bad habits, but that is just my opinion. Set yourself up for a win I say. Rather than having to put in more work to solve the issues when they happen.

[suezija]

Don't they jusy love the flapping clothes, towels etc., after all that is the way we play with them, isn't it?

Flapping things at them.

I also found that by putting water balloons into old stockings, hung at just the right level, along with some old dog towels certainly detered the pup. It didn't take more than a day or two.

But this was the same bitch who chewed the cabriole legs on the display cabinet and the new dining table, the drawer knobs, etc, etc, etc.

She's the only one I can recall ever having this problem with.

[labsrule]

Don't they jusy love the flapping clothes, towels etc., after all that is the way we play with them, isn't it?

Flapping things at them.

I also found that by putting water balloons into old stockings, hung at just the right level, along with some old dog towels certainly detered the pup. It didn't take more than a day or two.

But this was the same bitch who chewed the cabriole legs on the display cabinet and the new dining table, the drawer knobs, etc, etc, etc.

She's the only one I can recall ever having this problem with.

Yep, towels, sheets, trousers and dog blankets that I air on the clothesline are his favourites. Being a retriever, I think my boy thinks I put these "retrieval" items on the clothesline just for him He doesn't actually chew or destroy them, just drags them off the clothesline and sometimes around the yard thru the dirt of course other times he just drags them off and leaves them where they fell

He takes retrieving to the enth degree as he also loves to drag both the inside and outside dog beds (both metal frame type and plush mattress type) around, even when my other boys are lying on them and then to add insult to injury he drags the big fleecy blankets and snooza out from under them as well and sometimes will drag one of the blankets outside and around the yard He's a determined little bugger and I have sometimes hidden around the corner just watching him do this and the look of determination on his face is a sight to behold , particularly when my big boofa boy is lying on the bed he is dragging around and pulling the blanket and snooza out from under him ;) My big boy doesn't bother trying to get off the bed, he goes along for the ride My pup doesn't chew/destroy the beds/blankets/snooza, he just loves to drag them around all over the place.

Insofar as the water ballons go, there is no way I would try that with him as being a Labrador he would think he was in 7th heaven with not only washing being available on the clothesline but also water It would probably encourage him more than deter him ;)

[ridgiemum]

I do all my clothes drying in the house all year round. Kinder on the clothes and the dogs.

Same here, my ridgeback did not chew on the clothes, just loved pulling the long things off the line, water balloons did not help , my dog loves water.