Destructive Dog!

[juice]

I need advice of how to deal with a very destructive dog, last night i just sat and cried at what i came home too.

In all my years i have never had such a destructive dog and its taking its toll on me.

I work from home, so i can watch her, i have moved everything i can , but she finds ways of getting at stuff .

Yesterday is a typical day, went for shower, trashed the dogbed outside.

Jumped up in the garage and ripped down a leather lead and destroyed it in minutes.

Went out last night, came back to every pot on my windowsill on the floor smashed, wooden flowers and wood duck i love eaten beyond repair, shade blind cord ripped off wall and blind trashed.

She has ripped up all my seat cushions i had tied down , ripped up my vine along the side of the house which is 15 years old , and pulled the roots so hard they snapped.

This is all in the times i am in the garage working and can't see.

She is walked twice a day for an hour each time.

she is an ex kennel breeding dog, 3 years old.

she is also a nutter on walks when she sees a dog, lunges ,spins, barks 34kgs of pure muscle! Its all excitement , she wants to play with everyone, but yesteRday she tripped me up and i tore my tendon in my ankle again.

She is good inside the house and sleeps in her crate fine, i done want to keep crating her when i work during the day too, but i am at my wits end!

Any tips on keeping her entertained?

[Guest crazydoglady99]

Oh man. That sounds awful

I had a mega destructo - he pretty much ruined my entire house. His was anxiety - 'she's never coming back'.

If it were me I'd try a pheromone collar - in case its anxiety based. Other than that maybe crate her anytime you can't watch her? Teach her some games - food puzzles?

Sheesh. Good luck x

Edit - is it feasible to construct a dog run or similar? For your own sanity?

Edited April 14, 2016 by crazydoglady99

[Little Gifts]

I was just wondering about mental stimulation. My pei girl hates leaving the house so we've had to find other ways to wear her out. She now gets all her meals through puzzle solving aids. Some we bought and some we made. It took a while but she is disappointed now if she only gets her kibble in a bowl. It has really made a difference to her calmness. My other dog was a real destructo till she was about 3 and seemed to grow out of the desire to stick everything in her mouth. My house still doesn't gave anything on low surfaces. Her remaining weakness is anything soft and stuffed. I still lose a doona every now and then while I'm showering. She is always so proud of her efforts!

[Willem]

looks like that in the past 3 years no one spent the time to teach the dog what she is allowed to do and what not - and the dog just learned how to entertain herself. Now you are challenged with overprinting a 3 year long reinforced behaviour - that's a very tough job, especially if you have to deal with 34 kg of muscles.

One way to cope with it would be to copy her past environment: kennel / run where she has some toys she can play with - that's just maintaining the status quo. However, it buys you time for the training outside the kennel where you have to monitor her 100% all the time to correct / prevent unwanted behaviour immediately and to reinforce good manners. That's pretty tough especially if you physically struggle to control the dog: she will recognize this straight away and it will worsen the whole situation.

You might have to face that she is just too much 'wild' dog for you. Perhaps you could ask friends to share the load - maybe someone could walk her, so training her walk manners, someone else could stay with you at home monitoring and training her etc..

Eta: a muzzle might also help to minimize the destruction, however, it can't replace the required training.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Willem

[Kavik]

I'd go a 2 pronged approach.

Mental stimulation - teach some fun tricks and behaviours which will tire her out.

Management when you can't keep an eye on her - confine her to a crate or run. Then she can't destroy stuff.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Kavik

[*kirty*]

I had a destructo dog and he never grew out of it. We had 12 years of management.

I would crate her when you can't be with her and give her a big bone or stuffed kong etc to keep her occupied. Look at teaching her tricks, playing games, etc. And maybe look at getting her a weighted back pack for walks to tire her out more.

With walking, I think you need to teach the 'look at that' game and take a tonne of treats on walks. Shovel the treats in when you see another dog to try and keep her attention on you.

[Diva]

Wow how hard for you. I think build a run for when you can't watch her. It will reduce your stress for a bit at least and that is important. Build training and work into the walks - you probably already are- and make the exercise intense and tiring. While you work on the walking issues I wonder if she is a candidate for a treadmill. She might be used to constant canine company so I assume you have considered it might have a basis of underlying anxiety, see a vet behaviourist if so. It might be frustration, she has had such a change of lifestyle. Some of those indestructible toys they use for zoo animals and everything else is off limits, redirect every time. You might need to use calming medication short term while you retrain and find the routine that works. Or she might be one that needs management for life. Have you spoken to those you got her from?

Edited April 15, 2016 by Diva

[Salukifan]

What breed is the dog?

[persephone]

Oh ????That sounds just terrible.

[juice]

Bull Terrier.

She has never run with any other dogs, they are kept kenneled seperately, she was bred from twice and even then didn't meet her mate ( artificail). when i picked her up i asked what she was like with dogs and he said no idea and just pulled another dog out to see what she did.

Whilst i was just working for half an hour she pulled the hose off the wall! That was after getting back from an hours walk.

I think it might be anxious, i close the garage whilst i am working, i just opened it up and she jumped on the couch and is sleeping, she wants to be with me, in the house she is fine.

I have a prong, and put it on last night and it made a big difference.

i am going to look at kongs etc today, i tried a bone this week, she licked it for 5 mins and left it.

A run is not feasible , tiny suburban block, hence the long walks.

when i first got her 2 months ago it was hot, so i let her in during the day in the aircon whilst i worked and put her in her crate and she was fine, now the cooler weather is here she is out during the day, but she can see me from every room and i am inside out allday, she can hear me in the garage working.she has another dog for company, but i think she is a bit needy.

For me to ask for help is a big deal, but im just so tired right now.

I am also doing NILF

Edited April 15, 2016 by juice

[Willem]

Bull Terrier.

She has never run with any other dogs, they are kept kenneled seperately, she was bred from twice and even then didn't meet her mate ( artificail). when i picked her up i asked what she was like with dogs and he said no idea and just pulled another dog out to see what she did.

Whilst i was just working for half an hour she pulled the hose off the wall! That was after getting back from an hours walk.

I think it might be anxious, i close the garage whilst i am working, i just opened it up and she jumped on the couch and is sleeping, she wants to be with me, in the house she is fine.

I have a prong, and put it on last night and it made a big difference.

i am going to look at kongs etc today, i tried a bone this week, she licked it for 5 mins and left it.

A run is not feasible , tiny suburban block, hence the long walks.

when i first got her 2 months ago it was hot, so i let her in during the day in the aircon whilst i worked and put her in her crate and she was fine, now the cooler weather is here she is out during the day, but she can see me from every room and i am inside out allday, she can hear me in the garage working.she has another dog for company, but i think she is a bit needy.

For me to ask for help is a big deal, but im just so tired right now.

I am also doing NILF

...I think it is not likely, she learned to be by herself for 3 years - why should she be anxious?...that doesn't mean that she doesn't love company. In a way, her capability to entertain her self and to explore her environment is also a positive thing as it indicates that she is not braindead - that (that she is interested in a lot of things) is something that you can use in your favour: it shouldn't be to difficult to train her the right things - just very very time consuming ...her mindset regarding exploring the environment is like a puppy - unfortunately (for you) her mindset comes with an already matured and very strong body.

[Scottsmum]

I'd go a 2 pronged approach.Mental stimulation - teach some fun tricks and behaviours which will tire her out.Management when you can't keep an eye on her - confine her to a crate or run. Then she can't destroy stuff.

This???

God it's times like this I'm so glad my choice of dog is small.

Scottie trashes the joint when left unsupervised - but it's never higher than knee height

It's also the reason he's crated when we're not home.

Maybe you need a pen/run for her and then work on transitioning her to "normal" life.

[RuralPug]

She doesn't know what are allowable toys and what are not. She sounds like a bright, busy girl who needs to keep herself occupied.

Three-way approach:

(1) Lots of brain stimulation to tucker her out - treats in plastic bottles, puzzle games, treats and toys buried in sandpit, lots of trick training during walks (if there are walks with your torn tendon)

(2) Management - when you can't watch her, crate her (in the garage with you, or in the house if you are out)

(3) Identification - find a scent that she does not like (peppermint oil often works) and put a few drops on the things that you don't want her touching.

It won't happen overnight, but it will happen.

To overcome her misbehaving on walks, you need to get her to focus on YOU. Look up the LAT game (Look At That) and use it to reward her for NOt reacting.

[corvus]

I think you should get her assessed by a behaviourist. I think it's likely there are some underlying issues that might be hard to pin down without sitting down for a couple of hours and asking a zillion questions. I'd be picking a VB if I were you. Busybusy dogs are not necessarily dogs that just need to be trained better. Sometimes they are dogs with deep emotional problems and training won't be very effective until those emotional problems are addressed. I speak from experience! My busy dog was not terribly destructive, but I really did get tired of people telling me I just needed to train him to settle. He couldn't settle. He was too busy keeping an ear out for potential danger. I could not train him to stop being vigilant. He couldn't even sleep properly during the day. Seeing a VB was the best thing I ever did for him, and I only wish I'd done it sooner.

[karen15]

I wouldn't bother with treats in a plastic bottle. My 20kg staffy loved to shred anything plastic. With their jaws plastic doesn't stand a chance.

Kongs, the super heavy duty ones, were able to last. I've got some good ones for small dogs now. Haven't checked out the large dog variety. With their strength you need something heavy duty. My staffy could demolish uncut marrow bones, the cow leg variety. It would take him a while but he could do it.

I would persevere with bones. Possibly put her in the crate with one until she gets the idea. Allowable toys is a good idea. Whenever she picks up something not hers, take it off her and give her something she can play with.

[Simply Grand]

I'm wonderig if maybe as a temporary means of containing her when she's not with you without crating her you could make a run of whatever size suits your yard out of star pickets (the long ones rammed deep into the ground) with galvanized mesh panels attached?

That's what I did in my last place and what I will be doing here when I finally get my stuff (including the fence stuff) out of storage. It's not super secure like a proper run but might be enough to keep her out of trouble while you are working. Then do all the other suggestions - tough food toys, persevere with bones, put in things she can destroy etc and work with a behaviorist.

[JulesP]

You have had her 2 months? If you haven't got attached can you send her back?

It you want to keep her get professional help in to work out what the issue is.

Is she wrecking stuff when you are out or just when you are in the garage?

[persephone]

it's time to call in the professionals!

could be a number of things - but I lean toward an anxiety / lack of 'social' skills ..perhaps even separation anxiety at this stage - she appears to have had a very deprived and insular upbringing ..and may never have learned simple things - like how to cope with new things

if you are committed - then you have my respect .She would not be a dog I would take on , unfortunately .

[JulesP]

Yeah and it really makes me feel quite cross for Juice and all the other people that have ended up with dogs like this because someone else has done the wrong thing with them. It just isn't fair.

If you feel like taking on a project and do so knowing what you are getting into then that is different.

[juice]

she destroys stuff wether i am home or out, the huge devastation that occurred the other night was because after our evening walk they come inside, but as i was taking my son out for a few hours and no one was home i decided to leave them out rather than bring her in and crate her, mistake! she clearly was not impressed with the change in routine.

When i got back that night i confess i was so angry ( before i cried), and shouted at her, she was doing the wiggly bum in my face whilst i was trying to clear it all up and i just lost it with her, shoved her hard away, she went and sat in the corner of the garden with her head down. I then didn't let her inside for another hour and she just sat at the back door looking sad.

Yesterday i decided i ha been too soft with her, i pushed her away when i was trying to get my walking boots on and she was trying to "help" she got it straight away and just waited.

This morning so far i have given her a witchs hat with peanut butter around the top whilst i get stuff done before work,which worked for a while, she just tried to trash the other bed by the back door and straight away i told her off and she stopped and took herself off.

I bought a kong yesterday and its packed ready for when i have to start work today.

I think she just has no clue about what she can and can't do, she has never had anything.

I confess i spent yesterday thinking about giving up and sending her back, but i am going to try a bit longer, be a bit tougher and get a trainer to help out too.My rescue head is guilting me into keep trying.