Help! Puppy Destroying Backyard And Am Worried For His Health

[Border Lover]

This is something that no one has mentioned, but I find it a real factor in destruction.

DIET

If you are feeding a food that has low retention (ie: ceral based products etc.) Then dogs tend to be hungry about an hour after they have eaten. It is a natural instint for dogs to go "hunting and gathering" for more food, and become destructive and will destroy things, dig, get restless so they might bark etc etc.

If you feed a good quality diet, then the dog will be more settled and tend to sleep more, just as we do when we have had a good meal. Check the protein % in the food you are feeding. Its just something worth thinking about. Maybe it has nothing to do with this, maybe your dog just isnt used to your routine yet.

I also agree with the other who have said confinement! Get yourself a dog run that is puppy proof and provide mental stimulation.

Good luck!!!

[Guest sharynriding]

I think Miranda has come up with a great idea in containing him while you are not there. My flatcoat and golden go into their run when I am not at home, have toys, bedding and a drink in there. We actually bought a very large aviary and put it onto a decked area. It is movable so is coming with us when we move in a couple of weeks. I don't leave my boys in the yard unsupervised either, can't run the risk I'm afraid and your baby could come to all sorts of harm I'm afraid. Have you contacted your breeder, he/she may be able to come up with some helpful suggestions too. Flatcoats don't mature for a very long time, if at all, but I can certainly speak from experience with regards to containing them when they are unsupervised. Give it some thought it could be the answer you are looking for. Best of luck and keep us posted.

[Poodle wrangler]

Since pup came to live with us, the dogs amuse each other a lot of the time. Then they sleep for hours. Palm fronds make excellent tug toys, they've found. Poodle pruning .

Someone might suggest a friend for your dog. He might be less bored, but it could be double trouble, double destruction .

I think a dog run will be less expensive overall- just add up all the destruction thus far and expect it to continue for at least another year or so.

[dallmatt1]

I don't know what to do about my puppy - he is obviously bored during the day, but I have tried to give him lots of distractions like Kongs and bones and toys, but while he loves them it hasn't seemed to help much.

He is destroying our backyard. He is digging holes the size of canyons, and faeces in the holes don't seem to help. He has also ripped down brush screening in our backyard and chewed that up, destroyed pot plants by digging the plants out of the pots (luckily the plants were nearly dead anyway so i didn't mind so much) and chewed and ripped his blanket to bits and pieces. A tennis ball also seems to have disappeared with bits and pieces left of it, so I think he has eaten it.

But today my bf gets home and finds two bags of potting mix which were sitting on a high table in our back completely and uttlerly ripped to shreds and potting mix strewn everywhere all over the table and chairs.

I am at my wits end now, I don't know what else to do to keep him occupied during the day while we aren't home, I've never had a puppy as naughty as this one!!! Not only that I am worried for his health particularly because it's dangerous to inhale potting mix and I'm assuming dangerous to be eating plastic and toys.

To make it worse we are moving to Sydney soon, and I don't see how we are going to be able to rent a house with a naughty puppy like this unless we get a completely concreted yard with no ability to dig at all!!!???

Any suggestions??? HELP!!! If I knew how to upload the pic of the mess onto here then I would!

[dallmatt1]

Hi

I have bred many litters & the best way i have found is to walk him morning&night if possible & a must put an old coat on him dabe the front &sides with a little chilli or mustard

you can also tire a 1 chain at the front&side, with his digging i would put pepper in the holes

& fill them up he should be right after a few digs

[Tangwyn]

Hi there,

I have a 6 month old Flatcoat boy so I can sympathise! Firstly, I don't know how anyone can have a dog on its own. They need a friend - especially if you're out at work all day. Secondly, intelligent dogs need mental stimulation as well as physical stimulation so training, training, training is the key.

I take my guy out training at 6am every morning and the yard stays fairly clean. If I miss a day like I did this morning he repays me by trashing the yard. Today I went out the back to find pot plants emptied, the plastic rake completely chewed in half, blankets ripped up, clothes pulled off the line and the lilies pulled out of my water feature. All I could do is sigh and think "fair enough, should have gotten my rear end out of bed and done something with him."

Containment is certainly the answer to keeping your yard and possessions relatively unscathed. However, it does not address the issues of boredom and loneliness which will have a long term negative impact on your dog's psychological well-being. Training your dog will allow you to form a better bond with him and also will mean you get the most out of your time with him.

There are so many things you can try with your dog - agility, retrieving, flyball, obedience, trick training etc etc. Give one or all a go, its great fun!

Cheers

Tangwyn

[slinkyjill]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Yeah I think training might actually be the go, he is quite erratic at the moment. In the first week we had him we taught him to sit at every road that we crossed when walking, it was amazing how quickly he learnt that.

My bf has just rung me to inform me that he has learnt how to jump a one meter high gate that we have down one side of our house and found him in the area between the little gate and our big gate (that he can't jump, nor the fence - too high). Either that or he commando crawled the whole way under the house in the space of one minute...so I'm getting really stressed now.

I thought that a dog run might be the go, but I am concerned that it's still just going to bore him and have damage later on. We aren't in a position to afford another dog, and we are moving to Sydney in a few weeks anyway so I'm not about to put two dogs through that stress anyway - it's hard enough on one.

We have a park down the road from our house, but other dogs visit in the morning and night, so I'm not sure how I can train him with other dogs around? And I'm not really sure where to start with training? I've never had to do this before (other than the usual tricks like chasing retrieving and dropping the ball). Is there a website that details how to do all those things you mentioned Tangwyn??

[slinkyjill]

oh der, silly me, I'll read the training forum!!!

[Tangwyn]

Hi again,

1m isn't very high so he probably jumped it I'd say.

Where are you moving to in Sydney? The best idea is to get out and join an obedience and an agility club. Most of them have classes in the evening to suit people who work. Going to classes will get you started in understanding how to go about teaching appropriate exercises, will introduce you to lots more puppy owners who are all having the same "fun" you are, and will allow you to have a look at older, experienced dogs which should provide you with enough inspiration to carry on!

Confining your boy to a pen with lots of toys and treat-filled kongs during the day, coupled with heaps of training and exercise should be the answer to your problems. There are several companies who manufacture 6ft high portable pens for dogs at a reasonable price, especially if you add up how much damage a dog can do to your backyard in the space of 12 months!

I'm also in the Sydney area so if you'd like to catch up sometime for a Flatcoat puppy frenzy I'm sure "Pepper" would be up for it!

BTW, its raining today so my boy has finished the job he started on the straw broom. Ah, the joys of puppies. ;)

[flatchat]

Have you talked to your pup's breeder about the problems you are having? Most flatcoat breeders would want to know if you are having any hassles.

I have six flatcoats and one golden retriever. All puppies can be destructive and I agree with the previous posts about having a space for your pup to go when you are not there. All our dogs go into locked runs when we are out, for their safety as much as protecting the garden. I know if they are in their run, that they cannot get out, the lock stops them being let out and they are safe until we get home.

If you aren't able to have a run to put him in then you must puppy proof the garden as lots of stuff that we might think harmless can be deadly to puppies like some bulbs and some plant leaves.

All our dogs get basic obedience training as puppies for socialization as well as learning good manners. You do not want a full grown flatcoat jumping up at people because he hasn't learnt not to. We enrol all our dogs into obedience classes as puppies. Flatcoats need mental stimulation so I would definitely be looking at some obedience and/or retrieving work.

Flatcoats are very people oriented dogs so one puppy home alone will possibly be an anxious puppy. Our dogs all have another dog for company in their run except for our very elderly golden who mainly spends his days sleeping.

Please let us know how you get on.

[slinkyjill]

Well it's pretty much decided - we're going to have to buy a dog run. He got out today. So stressed out!!!

Apparently my neighbour over the road (co-incidentally we have been having major problems with her children so not the best person to feel indebted to but anyway I am grateful...) was going out at 10am and Darcy was in her front yard. She didn't talk to him or anythign at the time because she had to rush off to an appointment, but when she came home at about 1 he was in her driveway. So she took him in and rang the National Pet Register on Darcy's collar (am I grateful for that!!!) and she contacted me at work to come and pick him up. I'm so glad he didn't go far!!

We found where he got out, which was literally the tiniest of gaps between our very large and tall strong gate and the bricks of the path. He is so big I can't understand how he got out through this gap, but anyway he definitely did get out there because we have found lots of evidence that say it was there!!!

But now I'm stressing out big time. We are moving to Sydney in a few weeks and I don't know Sydney very well and I just don't know what I would do if he got out while I wasn't at home. He is obviously missing us during the day, but there's just no way we can afford not to work to babysit him!!!

I'm a bit concerned about the dog run idea, just that I'm worried he might cry all day and make a nuisance, and I'm anxious to be a good tenant in Sydney when we move there.

The only other option I can think of is doggy day care - does anyone know of any in the Hills District in Sydney and how much it costs per day?? I'm guessing a dog run would be cheaper in teh long run, but worried about the psychological effects, ifthere are any???

Please help...I'm stressed out enough about the move as it is without having to worry abut whether my puppy is going to be hit by a car!!!

[Tangwyn]

Hi Jill,

Glad to hear you got him home safe and sound. Wonder what was so attractive about your neighbour's house that he hung around there for so long? Weird...

Anyway, great idea about the run. Just get him lots of things to keep him occupied in the day. Kongs stuffed with bikkies and peanut butter are good and marrow bones cut in half will last most of the day. You could get one of those kiddy pools and fill it with sand and bury dog treats in it for him to dig up. Someone also makes a tug toy that hangs from the roof - they're meant to be good. Nylabone chews are also good although make sure you get the sturdy big ones as my Lab dispenses with the smaller version fairly quickly. Big blocks of ice with treats frozen inside are great for summer but not so good at the moment as its a bit cold!

The possibilities for keeping him entertained are as limitless as your imagination. Don't stress too much, I'm sure it will be fine.

[slinkyjill]

The neighbour over the road has two cats who tend to cross through our yard at times, so I'm guessing the cats are what kept him there!!

The neighbour said that he was very good inside, and just sat there with the cat inside looking at each other, but when the cat ran, he would run too!!!!

*sigh*

Do you know where I might be able to purchase a dog run? I've had a look online, and there doesn't seem to be too many options around, and I'm having difficulty finding out the approximate cost as well...

ETA: Have had a look on Ebay, and there seem to be some options there. so that's a bit of a relief!!

Edited May 18, 2007 by slinkyjill