Babesmum Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 hello, I was hoping you could help me. I have a 3 yo Australian Bulldog who I've had for nearly a year. Things were fine until I went away for 4 days, then when I returned I started a job, last November. Since then her destructive behaviour has worsened when she is left alone, despite trying numerous things. Firstly, the behaviour. Babe gets into the fridge and will pull whatever she can reach out. This then gets taken and eaten on my sons bed or in the other bedroom, which makes a huge mess. As she is on a special diet and can't eat all foods, she then tends to get ill later that day and suffers with skin allergy breakouts in the fololwing days....... She will get into the garbage bin if it's not put on the bench. Any food must be put out of her reach and all cupboards closed, otherwise she'll pull out whatever she can reach! I've tried a variety of things but she is still misbehaving.These include putting Child locks on the fridge x 2!! She breaks them off!....Blocking off the kitchen with an upturned table and 2 dining chairs. She knocks them over and jumps over or moves the table to get to the kitchen!..... 2 Kongs with homemade biscuits given everyday to keep her entertained. Manages to get her biscuits out, then proceeds to get into mischief..... I also leave the stereo on when I'm out......finally, homeopathic drops for seperation anxiety. As you can see this has really become a problem, and I now worry everytime I have to go out. I only work 2 hours a day but that is still enough time for her to get up to no good. Any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated, as I'm getting to my wits end. Thanks in advance. Cheers! Lis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigsaw Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I really think you need someone who can come into your home and see you and your dog. It could be opportunistic behaviour it could be boredom it could be separation related behavior to give you examples of possible behaviours that can cover what you described. It's difficult to tell on the internet exactly what is happening. Sorry i know thats not a lot of help to you at this moment. What happens if you leave her outside? Has someone always been at home with her prior to you going to work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Any chance you can lock her out of the kitchen with baby gates or something. And you need better locks on the fridge, ie metal ones, screwed in and padlocked. The sort our scuba club uses to stop other clubs from nicking our beer. And the dog probably needs more exercise ie if you took her for a walk for an hour before you went out, she might be (here's hoping) more interested in sleeping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dee lee Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Yep, more exercise usually helps. Can you leave her outside with a bone? I had a destructive dog, we eventually learned to allow her no access to the things we didn't want her to destroy. This meant she was locked in the yard with toys, kongs & bones when we weren't able to supervise her. Do you do any training with her? She sounds like she is running the house, not you. I'd pop into the training forum and have a look at the pinned threads: Triangle of Temptation (TOT) & Nothing In Life Is Free (NILF). Both give great advice to help with training your dog to be better behaved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whippetsmum Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I agree that a specialist needs to assess Babe. The earlier you can intervene in the behaviour the better the outcome. Seperation anxiety may be one explanation or boredom, there are so many possibiilities, but the solution is the hardest part and that's why you need a behavioural specialist. If you use the wrong ingtervention, you can worsen a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Hi What is babe's routine each day? How much walking? How much training? Does she enjoy the backyard? What toys are her favourite? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytmate Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 If I leave Coco in the house and go out, she will also help herself to any food she can obtain. She will open the pantry and jump up on the bench to reach high shelves. I think your dog's behaviour is normal. Dogs like food. Flimsy barricades around the house are not going to stop a breed like that. Why shouldn't the dog just barge your stuff out of the way and continue his snacking? He knows where the snacks are kept, and he obviously enjoys eating them. I wouldn't leave a dog like this alone in the house. You could expect the dog to carry on for a while, he is used to having easy access to his snacks and will keep trying until he realises that either his efforts will not be rewarding (might take a while), or until he realises that trying to get the snacks will bring an unpleasant consequence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babesmum Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 thank you all for thaking the time to reply, I really appreciate it. I agree with a lot of what you guys have suggested, and I am planning on starting more training with her her...starting today!!! I will have a look at those suggested links first. Not sure if my hubby would agree to padlocking the fridge, but I'll certainly suggest it to him I wish we could leave her outside but at this stage our property isn't fully fenced, though we are planning on getting it done in the near future. The only other thing we have thought of is chaining her up with our other dog who lives outside full-time, when we go out. Thanks again. Cheers! Lis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 (edited) Chaining her is not the best idea can you not build a run/enclosure ...? much safer and less inclined to frustrate a dog... Training may work well.. two or three short sharp sessions a day .. only 10 -15minutes a time lots of praise , and long on lead walks , where she has to behave.. not wander/sniff, run around the oval as you know.. when you work , you are keen to relax .. if you are playing/going out, you don't feel as tired ! same with dogs . maybe she'd like iceblocks? Freeze unsalted chicken stock, containing some of her food.treats /fruit , in an old icecream container leave for her to play with/eat during the day :D Edited March 5, 2011 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytmate Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Maybe you could fence off a smaller area in your yard as a priority? There is a danger that a dog like this could ingest something it shouldn't and then you will have a much more serious problem. If you padlock the fridge you can expect the dog to put a lot of effort into attempting to get the fridge open anyway. You have a very robust breed, in its prime, that might actually win the Dog V Fridge battle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I agree a dog run that she can be locked into with bones, Kongs toys etc. I think if you padlock the fridge you may discover just how strong those jaws are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirty Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Sounds normal to me, but I have four naughty dogs. I wouldn't trust any of mine indoors home alone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Rules Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 If you are only gone for two hours a day, make sure you have exercised well and fed your dog before you go out, and lock it in the laundry or bathroom for the two hours until you can get a dog run or fence your yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Fox Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 (edited) Chaining her is NOT a good idea. Make sure she's tired out (both mentally and physically) in the morning before you leave, then contain her in a dog run with toys/kongs/bones to keep her amused; http://dogmaster.com.au/shop/item/petsafe-...-kennel-run-329 http://www.barkcontrol.com.au/shop/dog-enc...CFQTSbgodv3oGAw Edited March 5, 2011 by SecretKei Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 You have a clever dog, that probably needs more exercise and mental stimulation. If you only go out for a few hours, leave your dog in the laundary or bathroom with an interactive toy such as a kong, treat ball or bob a lot or even a nice juicy bone. Before you leave her take her for a really really long walk and do some training with her. I would also recommend seeing a dog trainer or behaviourist for a private consultation, but if this is not possible, taking her to your local obedience club would be a good idea, and I am sure the two of you would enjoy it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Dog Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Oh dear. My dog has the potential to be destructive. She tends to get this way after we got back to work after holidays etc but she soon gets back into the swing of being by herself. We have found most of her bad behaviour happens when she is tired and overstimulated. Here's what works for us (may or may not work for you). In the morning she gets walked for about 30 mins. We also some clicker training for about 10-15 minutes. This leaves her pooped. She sleeps for about 2 1/2 hours then! She had her own dog run in the yard as well as access to under the deck and laundry if she likes. All her food for the day she has to work for- she doesn't get fed from a food bowl (which some people think is odd)- read about NILIF. Here's what keeps her entertained and fed- 3 (puppy sized) stuffed kongs a bone numerous busy buddy toys (www.busybuddytoys.com)- bouncy bone, tug a jug Bob-a-lot food dispenser The Jalna yoghurt containers are great for stuffing too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Fox Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 After seeing the damage a destructo Beagle cross wreaked on my mums laundry in just 20 mins (ripped everything out of the cupboards, pissed on it all then ate the door frame ) I'd be very reluctant to leave a dog alone in that environment. A dog run is a much safer option. Or for short periods a crate (if the dog is crate trained) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I would most certainly buy or build a secure enclosure for her and put her in it when you have to leave the house. She is not only creating havoc in your home but she is at risk of injury or illness with her behaviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dee lee Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 If you are only gone for two hours a day, make sure you have exercised well and fed your dog before you go out, and lock it in the laundry or bathroom for the two hours until you can get a dog run or fence your yard. Good idea. We used to do that for our dog during bad weather or if we went out in the evening. Bed and a kong & it's a safe & cozy place. Of course our bathroom door frame was never the same but hey, the damage was contained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 your dog is bored ... incredibly. In the house so much with comparably little quality stimulation must be driving the dog nuts, hence now she's tearing the place to pieces. Put yourself in the dogs shoes, but give yourself no books, TV, game stations and minimal human interaction ... you'd be doing the same thing. If you have no fence does that mean your other dog lives on a chain outside? Why dont you build a dog run for them so they can run and play together, and wear each other out. Otherwise get her walking, training, brain exercising a couple of hours a day. Bull breeds were never built to be mostly inside dogs that do nothing. This dog doesnt need crating it needs to be outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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