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At our wits end with Caleb

KarenEM
September 20th, 2007, 05:34 PM
UGH!!!!!

Mike and I can't take it anymore. Caleb is into EVERYTHING. He managed to get two spoons and a tupperware bowl out of the SINK. They were inside the sink!!!!!! He got into the garbage again and got coffee grinds all over the house. After us disciplining him several times when he would stick his nose in the garbage. He is STILL peeing inside the house...not from a lack of being let out thats for sure.

The play fighting with the two dogs is getting better (as long as they are not away from each other for very long). If we seperate them when we leave, they get all excited when we get home and fight with each other.

Mike is mentioning taking him back to the pound. I can't bear the thought of it. But if it doesn't get better I don't know what we are going to do. He is the cutest most cuddly dog ever. I'm torn!!!!!

I keep thinking that he IS STILL a puppy and maybe he will grow out of it.

want4rain
September 20th, 2007, 06:17 PM
holy cow! makes me thankful for my pooch!! thats for sure!

have you had a behaviorist come out to the house?? we had someone come out for Mister to teach us ways to get Mister to actually walk on a leash and how to greet people and it cost $60 for an hour and a half... it was worth every penny and more.

also, do you kennel him at all? perhaps thats an alternative?

i have no idea what to say other than a little encouragement! :grouphug: keep your chin up! we arent up the evolutionary scale cause dogs out smarted us!!

-ashley

KarenEM
September 20th, 2007, 06:30 PM
We tried kenneling him in our laundry room. He ended up jumping two baby gates (one on top of the other). He apparently can jump!!! We are going to go back to putting him in the laundry room at night again but closing the door. He will probably howl (he is part hound) and jump at the door but hopefully will settle down for the night shortly after.

We are going to work with him more on sit/lay down etc...to show him that we are the master and he is not the boss. Maybe this will help.

He walks great on a leash....we broke him of his jumping (Except when he is outside and wants to come in, he jumps on the screen door and when we leave, he jumps on the door going to the garage).

We have also considered obedience classes. Except, we are VERY busy and don't know if there are classes that fit into our schedules.

We will see....

Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the reply want4rain!!!!!!

~michelle~
September 20th, 2007, 06:52 PM
he probably doesnt know hes not supposed to be in the garbage... and sounds like he needs an increase in exercise.... dogs with pent up energy become very distructive, how old is he? he sounds like my logan when we got him

Toonces
September 20th, 2007, 07:50 PM
Lots of exercise for sure to play him out, you need to teach him NILF (nothing in life is free) make him work for everything, his treats, play time ect. Have you tried crating him when you can't watch him or are out?

Sounds like you did a great job with the jumping and that is a hard one so keep up the good work.

oceanbreeze
September 20th, 2007, 08:52 PM
I had to put my kitchen garbage in a container under the sink (with the doors closed) when my cat was a kitten. I even rinsed the dirty dishes and put them in the dishwasher, after we ate to prevent her from foraging for scraps that might be toxic to her. And I fed her her catfood at the same times each day, so she wouldn't feel like she had to scavenge. They tell me animals who have been left for any period without food, get an ingrained instinct to fend for themselves like that. My cat was rescued by the side of a road, half starved, a month or so after she was born. So, that seems to fit. Anyway, she's grown up now and out of the habit of diving into the trash - since I took those couple of extra steps each day when she was first with us to help her stay healthy (and out of trouble, without scolding). Even now, if I put meat or fish or something tempting in the trash, I put it in a closed baggie or wrap it in newspaper first, so she can't smell it at all. Hope that helps! There's a book called "The Other End of the Leash" that's full of simple ways to get the behaviors you do want with your dog. It's just a few bucks, and you won't believe the changes you can bring about in a really short time. Best wishes to you and Caleb!

mummummum
September 20th, 2007, 09:19 PM
Ditto on the exercise ~ a tired dog is a happy dog and a happy dog isn't interested in getting into trouble.

Ditto on NILF and teaching your dog "Leave It". The sink you say? Hahahaha my dog says ~ try food off the TOP of the refridgerator. :eek:

As for obedience class, they are held in the evenings at different times and on the weekends at different times. You can make the time if you want to. All the time you spend cleaning up after his terrors and trying to find ways/ build things to outwit him you could be spending learning how to be his teacher and gain his respect ~ and it's much less likely to make you want to rip your hair out !

I also recommend tenderfoot's dvd http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=8252 and if you scroll through the podcasts here they have done a few of those as well.

Just remember ~ what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger ! :D And more importantly, we've all been through what you're going through:highfive:

the gang
September 20th, 2007, 09:23 PM
i know how you feal i have min pin rescues and my hands are full:frustrated:

KarenEM
September 20th, 2007, 09:29 PM
Top of the fridge?!?! OH MY!!!! I don't know how much more exercise we can give him. He is outside several times a day each time running around with Bella. We have a large fenced in back yard and they just run and run and run.

clm
September 20th, 2007, 10:06 PM
I think Frenchy's Nellie is pretty destructive if left to her own devices so she's crated during the day. You may have to do that when you're not home until he settles down a bit.
As for stuff in the sink and the garbage. I don't leave anything on the counters or in the sink and the garbage is under the counter behind cupboard doors with child closers on them. Been that way in my house for the last 25 years :laughing:. Dogs will be dogs and if you're not there they'll get into the garbage or anything they can reach regardless of how old they are in my experience. Anything up higher that the dogs can't reach, the cats will knock off for the dogs to play with. :laughing:

Cindy

SnowDancer
September 20th, 2007, 10:10 PM
My house has been same way as CLM's for same number of years. A very cooperative cat was ever so helpful to the dogs in opening cupboards and pitching things down - this was of course when the 10 lb. brilliant dogs didn't push a chair over to the counter and swing their bodies up to help themselves - never when we were home of course. Garbage was never left out - we had hound dogs and they are at the top of the food chain - now we have an Eskimo (Spitz) and he is right up there food wise as well.

growler~GateKeeper
September 21st, 2007, 02:05 AM
I don't know how much more exercise we can give him. He is outside several times a day each time running around with Bella. We have a large fenced in back yard and they just run and run and run.

But do they go for walks? Just running in the backyard may seem like enough but really they need to go out for a walk, it is also mentally stimulating different sights, smells, people etc. Considering their ages start slow & short (15 -20 min) work up in length over time. When they are adults you can look into longer walks (minimum one hour per day) esp with a hound cross - they were bred to run/walk for long distances when hunting foxes etc so they have staminia.

KarenEM
September 21st, 2007, 03:36 PM
Well, I took Caleb and Bella for a half hour walk today. We also played outside, fetch, running around, etc... and everytime he went in the house, he was tuckered out. Hopefully this is going to help. He is shut in the laundry room right now (while I am at work, until Mike comes home).

Lets see if this helps!!!!

Keep you all posted

So far, no pee accidents in the house today!!!! The day is not over though!

Jim Hall
September 21st, 2007, 04:20 PM
You got it!! wear he ltitle guy out plus the other dog and the human and the squirrells everyone will leep good

I did that first thing before work for my lab
someone, usually me would get up 60 minutes earlier feed stoner some chow take him outside rain or shine or blizzard and run him hard

belive me he slept good all day
then guess what after dinner we would do the sammmmmeee thing maybe even before dinner sometimes instead of dinner

i alsways said you want exercise, get a dog, you want strangness, get a cat.

rainbow
September 21st, 2007, 06:25 PM
As everyone says "a tired dog is a good dog". :D Good luck for continued success. :fingerscr :goodvibes:

growler~GateKeeper
September 22nd, 2007, 12:52 AM
Good job :thumbs up Keep it up & you'll have a pair of happy tired pups :)

sugarcatmom
September 22nd, 2007, 10:26 AM
Not sure if you have any Kong toys but if you stuff a couple of them with peanut butter (or some moistened kibble and put it in the freezer over night), that should provide a fair bit of food-based entertainment while you're gone.

kigndano
September 22nd, 2007, 03:37 PM
if i was you what i would do would be to simulate all the things he does when you arent home while you are there.

leave the trash open, and when he goes for it correct him....1000000000000000000000000000000000 times if you have to


just my .02