Jodi Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 (edited) Ollie, who was surrendered for "eating everything", is a pain in the butt. I am having issues rehoming him because he is a complete and utter brat. Just over one year old, his original owners weren't kidding when they said he eats everything. But it has taken several months for this behaviour to really show. I mean he chewed all his toys and just about everything in the backyard. With the inclusion of the cubby house, the dog kennel, the decking, trees, plants and anything else that may have been out there. What he has done so far, I can cope with. He's a puppy. What I came home to on Monday was bad. Thursday made me want to cry! The dogs have their own area of the house, a room off the kitchen, all tiled with their own door out to the decking and yard. When I go to work, I leave the door closed because we live on a very busy road with an easily accessible side gate and I freak at the thought of someone letting them out. So Monday I come home (I worked for 3 hours only) to my thongs chewed, a plastic bottle, a plastic plate and he had eaten a whole packet of english muffins off the bench including most of the plastic. He is a shocker for climbing on the bench. Plastic stuff not a biggy and the thongs were my fault, I didn't put them away. But the muffins? ARGH! Thursday was worse.Took my son swimming and came home after an hour and a half and Ollie had a massive pile of stuff on his bed all chewed up. Dishes from off the sink, rubbish from the bin (my fault forgot to take it out with me) a loaf of bread from the bench, a tub of margarine (forgot to put away!), one of the kids special stuffed teddies from a higher shelf in the kitchen, a newspaper, my work shoe (still no idea how he got that, it was in another room) my son's paints off the easel, a bucket of chalk off the easel (which all sits in the kitchen) and plenty more stuff. Ok,so obviously, he's bored. But short of taking him to swimming with me, I don't know what I can do. Locking him is not an option when I'm not home. He is walked an hour an a half a day as well as a 25 minute run in the doggy park. We also do basic obedience training for 10- 15 minutes a day. I wondered if rescue remedy might be an idea. The last two times that I had to go out and no one was home I crated him. He seems quite ok with that (I thought he would scream-he's a sook). What can I do to help him stop being naughty? I worry that if I rehome him like this, even though his new owners would have to be aware of his issues that they wouldn't be patient with him. Edited February 25, 2007 by Jodi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlibud Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 It certainly makes you wonder where they get the stuff they chew up, from dosn't it My Carli 5mths also loves to find things that half the time I did"t even know I had Sorry I cant help with any idea"s as I'm still trying to work out my little darlings escapades. I have to admit that I let them play with icecream containers or old drink bottles as all they seem to do is put holes in them but they make a noise and thats half the fun for them and they are easy enough to pick up when they have destroyed them ,just an idea that may work You could always suggest a small pen or crate as you have tried, if that works I'm sure people dont mind, cause if he gets adopted, people want him and as long as you explain that he needs to be watched they would do what needs to be done before they get cranky :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benji's Mum Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Maybe his teeth are bothering him. Has a vet checked his teeth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 (edited) . Edited June 7, 2009 by cavNrott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonymc Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Jodi,do not let him in the House unless he is supervised.Put a Collar and long lead on him.Sounds like he is in the habit of getting onto the Bench.Is there anywhere you can watch him without him seeing you?I would if you can remain unseen let him go to climb on the Bench,and then with the long lead administer a correction.Administering the correction out of sight will have him forming a negative link to the Bench.Giving the correction while out of sight will avoid him forming any negative connotation to you. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benji's Mum Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 ...and don't leave him alone near power cords... They make a big bang and a fireball when chewed - not good at all - luckily she survived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodi Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 Jodi though I sympathise with you with all this chewing going on, if you didn't leave these things around in the kitchen then he couldn't get at them to chew/eat them.I would be more worried about the plastic things he is chewing than the muffins etc., He could do himself a lot of damage eating the inedible stuff such as paint's chalk and plastic and he might log up some expensive vet fees if he gets a blockage from eating this stuff. How is he climbing onto the bench? Kitchen benches are quite high and would more than likely be far too high for him to jump up on. Are there chairs near the benches? I suggest that just before you leave the house to have a good look around to make sure you haven't left anything lying around for him to get into. Can you not modify your gate and padlock it so it can't be left open? Uh,no, he puts his front paws up and climbs on the bench. He's a staffy afterall. I admit when I am in the wrong with leaving stuff laying about such as my thongs etc. Ollie has been here for a few months and I have always kept my bread etc on the bench with no worries. If I have left stuff on the bench (say a plate from dinner and go and chuck some washing on,) he will eat that which I can understand. But a loaf of bread? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodi Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 Jodi,do not let him in the House unless he is supervised.Put a Collar and long lead on him.Sounds like he is in the habit of getting onto the Bench.Is there anywhere you can watch him without him seeing you?I would if you can remain unseen let him go to climb on the Bench,and then with the long lead administer a correction.Administering the correction out of sight will have him forming a negative link to the Bench.Giving the correction while out of sight will avoid him forming any negative connotation to you. Tony He doesn't do it when I am home. he is punishing me for going out. :D He is rarely left unsupervised. 9 hours scattered a week is the most no one is home. I have to leave him in the house, the yard isn't an option at this stage. Not when no one is home, it would stress me out! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevyopal Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 I have to agree with the others. When we got our boy we quickly figured out why the fosters called him Chewy! But it was a matter of training ourselves to put things out of his reach and as he got older he got better. This went hand in hand with training him. I also made a point of buying toys that were suitable for heavy duty chewers - my pet shop owner carried a good range of toys for us and used us as a tester for other dogs! The black kong and tyre biters were fabulous - he loved those. He still loves chewing pillows and pinching tea towels from the kitchen when he wants attention - if he manages to get one and ruin it - it is all my fault for leaving them in his reach when I should know better! :D Good luck Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodi Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 Maybe his teeth are bothering him. Has a vet checked his teeth? Yes excellent suggestion. I have had them checked about 2 months ago. Might be worth another check. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodi Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 I have to agree with the others.When we got our boy we quickly figured out why the fosters called him Chewy! But it was a matter of training ourselves to put things out of his reach and as he got older he got better. This went hand in hand with training him. I also made a point of buying toys that were suitable for heavy duty chewers - my pet shop owner carried a good range of toys for us and used us as a tester for other dogs! The black kong and tyre biters were fabulous - he loved those. He still loves chewing pillows and pinching tea towels from the kitchen when he wants attention - if he manages to get one and ruin it - it is all my fault for leaving them in his reach when I should know better! :D Good luck Ann i do generally put things away or high in the kitchen. As I said, some of those things were my fault for leaving them out. But stealing my stuff off the kitchen bench is mad! Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevyopal Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 i do generally put things away or high in the kitchen. As I said, some of those things were my fault for leaving them out. But stealing my stuff off the kitchen bench is mad! Thank you. Oh agree absolutely - mad and so frustrating! I have to put tea towels out of sight or they are gone and torn up and this ratbag is 3 years old! :D When we come home after being out and the dogs are inside the first thing Chevy does is grab a pillow and show us what he can do - luckily nowadays its just for show! I do feel your pain - just letting you know you aren't alone. Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonymc Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Jodi,simulate that your not Home and then correct him about the Bench. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 I agree with Tonymc. You need to set the dog up in any way, shape or form and then administer a correction. Pt a juicy steak on the edge of the bench and then bring him in on lead. A dog like him is pretty likely to try and at least put his paws up on the bench with that kind of temptation. Its hard to explain online but i set clients dog ups regularly and teach them that whatever is on the bench is completely unatainable. You need to put everything away when your not there to train or supervise so that he doesn't keep constantly winning. Alternately, you could try a zone from innotek www.innotek.com.au Won't solve the problem but might manage it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAX Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Why don't you put him in a crate for the three hours your not home? I would never leave my dogs (partners in crime) alone in the house unsupervised. I could only imagine the destruction. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodi Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 Why don't you put him in a crate for the three hours your not home?I would never leave my dogs (partners in crime) alone in the house unsupervised. I could only imagine the destruction. :D yep!This is what I have done the last 2 times I went out. He seems to be fine. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Crate is the way to go! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAX Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Forgot to say, one of my dogs can spring from a stand onto my kitchen benches :rolleyes: , I hope she will have the same spring for agility and she is only 15 kilos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 :rolleyes: no advice, wish i had room for him, sounds like he would fit in here - if anything is dog height, that means At gets to eat it hope you work it out!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 They can be pains in the butt sometimes, our little foster (failure) is only 5kg and smaller than my mini poodles and she will climb on the bookshelf and pull down everything on it, jump in the bath and steal plugs, facewashers. toys even the bottles of dog shampoo. I was going to kill her a few days ago we slept in a bit late so she ate one of my good shoes, chewed the laces in my runners and chewed the power cord off our wall heater. I have never had a small dog be so destructive hopefully one day she grows out of it, my dogs are also only left alone for very short periods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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