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-   -   Thor(puppy) is driving me BONKERS! (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=76123)

Thor's Pet March 28th, 2011 02:48 PM

Thor(puppy) is driving me BONKERS!
 
Ok,
First I'm gonna say that in getting a Jack Russell Terrier/papillon I KNEW I was getting a HIGH energy dog. That part is NOT "bugging" me....I play with him by the hour when I'm home...he and I both LOVE that time together.
BUT what does have me going bonkers, is his ability to destroy everything in site when I am not home.
I'm at this moment looking at a good damage bill once we move out of this place, as Thor has chewed the carpet up good in 2 places. sigh.
I use to lock him in the bathroom when no one was home(which is for about 4 hrs a day, max)....but he'd FREAK and whine and howl for a LONG time....or so my neighbour said.
So to keep peace, my bf and I went and got gates....so we could confine him to half the apartment. aka the Living room and dining area.
He stopped the howling...he'd whine for about 10 or so min, then go quiet....neighbour is now happy.
But in leaving him "out"...he has access to WAY more to destroy.
In the bathroom he'd only chew on the vanity base....which I can "fix" with new stain.
But in the main area, he has taken to destroying the rug!
Literally.
He chewed on area...so I cover said area with a shelf....thinking that would stop him...nope, he just found another area, and chewed that up.sigh.
So I'm looking at a BIG bill when I move, as I can't "fix" the rug...
It's not because he has no toys....trust me, it's not that. He has so many toys that when you walk in here, there is no denying I have a dog...lol
He has chew toys, balls, rope toys, stuffed animals(the kind without actual stuffing for dogs), rubber bones, etc....so it's NOT because he doesn't have toys.
It's almost like he's a teenager and saying "You wanna leave me alone, well I'll get even!"...sigh.
He knows he's NOT allowed....cause when I'm home, and he does it, all I gotta say is "hey" and he stops dead, and comes running to me....so he KNOWS it's not allowed...but when I'm not home, it's free game.
I know he's high energy...and that he's bullheaded. But when home he's GREAT...high energy but I play with him by the hour...which he and I BOTH enjoy a lot.
But when I'm not home, that energy goes into destroying a home I am trying very hard to maintain the appearance of....I'm VERY proud of my home(dog toys and all...lol)...but when you come home, and find carpet fibers EVERYWHERE and a hole in the carpet, it's VERY hard to maintain the frustration!(I don't freak out, as I know that behavior would only confuse Thor)....but dang it, he's DESTROYING my home!
Also, doesn't help right now, I have a badly sprained ankle....doesn't stop me from playing with him, as I can sit on the floor while I do it...and just get him running after his toys and such....but it does make it harder to keep him under control and keep cleaning up his messes, which adds to my frustration.
Another thing that gets to me...his puppy pad training....if we're home, and he's happy, he does FANTASTIC...hits the pad EVERY time....but when home alone, or if he's unsupervised in his confined area(like me taking a shower, or what not)...he hits everywhere BUT the pad...cause he doesn't like feeling like he's separated from us(he'll whine at the gate constantly)....I don't get mad, I just tell him "no, not allowed" in a stern voice, place him on his pads and tell him "this is where you pee/poo" then calmly clean up his mess...then I praise the heck out of him when he DOES hit the pad...or when he does good.

But ya, I guess my question is simple.....how the heck do I stop him from destroying my house, without having to confine him to the bathroom again(which'll piss my neighbour off again)...but without having to be "negative" to him....as I want him to respect I'm boss out of respect, and not out of fear...
So ya...Any tips on raising a jack russell terrier/papillon in general?

I love him to death...but man, he's driving me bonkers!
And I wanna learn to "handle" him before I start to get to frustrated and start negatively correcting him. He doesn't deserve to have to deal with that kind of owner...and I'd rather NOT be that kind of owner either...sigh
Angie

P.S> Been looking into classes for him...next round in 90% of the places don't start until the beginning of may....which is when my surgery is(I'm having surgery on May 5th, for cyst removal behind my ear drums)....so I'm looking at not being able to do the classes until the end of may, when other classes start again. Or been thinking of private lessons to.

erykah1310 March 28th, 2011 02:54 PM

I would suggest a crate with plenty of "allowed to destroy/chew" toys in there to keep him occupied and use it even when you are home, making it a positive relaxing place.

Mirela March 28th, 2011 03:18 PM

I second the crate advice - great for both toilet training and keeping him and your house safe.
I don't remember how young he is; if you feel that he's too young to be crated for the 4 hours that you are away, take a look into setting up an exercise pen around his crate - in the kitchen or bathroom so there's no carpet to chew ;) and with the door left open so he won't feel trapped.
Here is a webpage with better explanations than mine and even pics :)

[url]http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/puppy-playroom-amp-doggy-den[/url]

Thor's Pet March 28th, 2011 03:18 PM

Tried that.
He started howling, and wouldn't stop. 4 hrs of howling. He howled so hard he ended up messing himself.
Sigh.
And I didn't just put him in there, and ignore him either...I put him in there, playing with him with the door open, until he settled down, then I put his 3 fav toys in there with him, and shut the door....omg...within 5 min he was howling down the place...so I ignored him for about 15 min, seeing if he'd settle once he knew I wouldn't come running...nope...so went in, sat in the front of the crate, and just calmly talked to him...he wouldn't settle...continued howling. I open the door, he ran out, into my lap, and settled down. So I played with him, to wear him out....them replaced him in the crate. He was good for about 10 min, and started howling again...tried ignoring him...30 min that time...he didn't settle...just howled and howled...went in, talked to him, petted him, tried calming him...etc...NOTHING worked. Only thing that did, letting him out.
I think he has a bit of separation anxiety...he HATES when he can't see you...and totally hates if he can see you, or knows your in the apartment and he can't be WITH you...he'll whine and howl at the gate.
Sometimes I wonder if satan was his dad...hahahaha.
No, seriously, tried crate training, even my vet offered suggestions I tried, and NOTHING works...he's either with you when you're home, or he's howling....if we're not home, then he's ok...which is weird in my opinion, but nice, cause don't need a complaint from the neighbour again, as she threatened to go to the landlord next time, and not me....and I don't want to be evicted or worse, told to give Thor up.
Sigh.
I feel like I'm failing as a dog owner, cause I can't figure out Thor's training way, as I know different things work for different dogs...but NOTHING works with Thor...sigh.
Angie

Melinda March 28th, 2011 03:22 PM

you have to slowly get him use to the crate so he doesn't think of it as a punishment place, but a "safe" place, leave it set up in the main room of your apartment, open the door, let him eat in there, toss his toys in for him to fetch, sit beside it and put a kong inside for the pup to work at, while he's working at it, close the door for a minute or two, then open it back up , to let him understand that you WILL open it again for him.....

Thor's Pet March 28th, 2011 03:46 PM

That's just it....if the door is open, he LOVES his crate...he'll spends hrs in there, with his toys, or sleeping....but if you so much as close the door a inch, he is awake and out of there....and won't go back until the door is open 100% and only if you're no where near it...as he knows if you're near it, you can and will shut that door.
I'll admit, his behavior is partly my own fault, the first few days he was here, I babied him something awful(cuddles, constantly holding him, taking him everywhere with me, etc)...and I accept that blame...and I realise I now have to "back track" it...but sometimes it seems like he is WAY smarter then me...cause he can sure outsmart any move I go to make. Which is kinda funny sometimes...but frustrating in others.
I think I'm gonna look into a dog pen(or making my own out of metel cube panels, which the gates are made out of now) and see about just penning him in the dining area....even if that means moving my table into the spare room for now, so he can have more room. The dining area is about 8ft by 8ft. The only thing in there he could chew is the baseboards...but I can "fix" those with a new coat of paint later.
I just hope he'll be ok in a pen, without howling down the place.
He seems to have caught onto the fact if he howls loud enough I'll eventually come and "rescue" him....as I can't afford to have complaints lodged.
So gonna talk to the bf about the pen, and go from there....if he agrees, then I'll go buy it friday(which is payday).
Cause I can only say this....something has to give, and I'm hoping to god it's not the apartment...we can't afford our house yet(we plan to buy a house in spring next yr, when our lease is up)...
Angie

erykah1310 March 28th, 2011 04:24 PM

[QUOTE=Thor's Pet;998189]
He seems to have caught onto the fact if he howls loud enough I'll eventually come and "rescue" him....as I can't afford to have complaints lodged.
[/QUOTE]

Thats exactly what he has figured out, and the longer and louder he does it the more probable it will be that you come and "save him".

chico2 March 28th, 2011 04:27 PM

Thor's pet,I know all about feisty JRT's,my son got one after his divorce.
Kita,chewed everything in my sons little condo,doors,table-legs,walls,door-frames,carpets etc...I crochet a nice blanket for her bed,it was in shreds in 30 min.:yell:
One comfort to you,it will stop once he gets older,Kita is now about 10yrs old and has been an angel since about 2yrs old.

Thor's Pet March 28th, 2011 05:17 PM

[QUOTE=chico2;998207]Thor's pet,I know all about feisty JRT's,my son got one after his divorce.
Kita,chewed everything in my sons little condo,doors,table-legs,walls,door-frames,carpets etc...I crochet a nice blanket for her bed,it was in shreds in 30 min.:yell:
One comfort to you,it will stop once he gets older,Kita is now about 10yrs old and has been an angel since about 2yrs old.[/QUOTE]

TWO years old!!!!
Thor is only 4.5 months....so another 1.5 yrs....oh god...:cry:
lol...what did I get myself into...good thing I love the little bugger...lol
Angie

hazelrunpack March 28th, 2011 05:43 PM

:grouphug: I always have that same feeling at one time or another with puppies. You know what they say: "There's a puppy in the house. You've let the devil in to play!" :laughing: We had two in the house at one time once...one was 24 wks, I think, and the other was 16 wks. :D Now [I]that[/I] was a trip and a half! :eek: :laughing: But I do [I]remember[/I] it fondly!

Seriously, though, just gird up your patience and search for a solution that'll get you through to that time when you find yourself thinking, "Wow, it's been a long time since he's done that!" :grouphug:

Masha March 28th, 2011 08:27 PM

as mentioned by other members, i HIGHLY recommend crate training. it may take quite a while but ur pup will get used to it. he is only 4.5 months old so now is sthe perfect time to teach him that howling does not mean that you will come and take him out and that a crate is a good place to be in.

did you try giving him his meals in the crate with the door closed? that may generate positive associations... but at 4.5 months dont give up, yes the pup may throw hissy fits, but you need to be patient and more stubborn that he is.

good luck!

dustybird March 28th, 2011 10:28 PM

I don't have much more to add but was wondering about puppy daycare. If there is such a place near you he could go there while you are at work. He'll get to socialize with other dogs, and get lot's of exercise, won't be bored or lonely and can't destroy your house. Should be tuckered out by the time you pick him up. Wouldn't have to be forever, just unitl he get's out of the little monster faze. When it's time to stop taking him slowly leave him at home for short periods of time or perhaps by then he'll be fine with being in a crate.

I don't know if there is a min age for such places, as I have never used one, just going by what I have heard.

chico2 March 29th, 2011 07:33 AM

Thor's Pet,I did not mean to scare you:laughing:through all this Kita is the most lovable,sweet dog.
Loves everyone,dogs,cats and any person visiting,her best pal is a little female cat.:lovestruck:

Melinda March 29th, 2011 08:00 AM

is it a possibility that you could take your pup out for a good run before you try him in the kennel? just put him in it for a few minutes at a time, its not an instant solution, it takes time and patience to get him calm and relaxed in the kennel.

Longblades March 29th, 2011 08:16 AM

I'm not a fan of crating for hours. My limit is one hour for the age of the pup in months plus one more hour and that's for the day and I will not crate for more than 4 hours. As you do.

What about putting the crate, door open, in a bigger pen? That's what we did. For current pup we gated in the kitchen and it worked fine for us, no damage, but it doesn't work for every pup.

AND, it seems to me usual wisdom decrees that your dog will be quiet if he can't see out the window and get stimulated by goings on outside. However that was not true for any of my dogs and they all are/were much better when allowed access to a window or a least a view. Same thing in the yard too. My sister found the same thing and ended up taking a board off her solid fence so her dog could see who was going by on the street. Once she did that he quieted right down. Good luck.

Marty11 March 29th, 2011 08:34 AM

I did the playpen too with her crate inside with the door open, and newspaper in the beginning for peeing. Now my boston figured out how to get out of them, I had two of them. You have a jack so get the tallest one. I ended up in the end buying a top so make sure it is an added feature just in case. These little terriers are good :D How bout the peanut butter filled kongs etc... to keep him busy. Terriers are very active, I have two of them, however I must say the jack is the busiest.......:dog:

Thor's Pet March 29th, 2011 01:03 PM

Bf and I talked....
We've decided to leave things as is for now, with slight modifications.
One, we're gonna buy bitter apple and spray all along the baseboards and carpet endings....to try discouraging the chewing....I'm gonna go buy handfuls of rubber bones(instead of the 2 he keeps losing somewhere)....and just block off the hallway part where he chews the carpet the most.
We agreed to this because he just has WAY to much energy to be confined to even a 8 by 8 room...
As it is, he'll zoom around the couch(I have a sectional away from the wall) down the hall way(The runs along the kitchen back wall) thru the kitchen, hops over the chairs under the kitchen table, and repeats it again and again with Tiki the cat....it's either him chasing Tiki, or Tiki chasing him...lol...they just have SO much fun together! And I can't just stop that. He'd be SO bored. And when he's bored, he finds things to chew...and destroy.
I'm not saying our idea will work...but I'm willing to try it, and if it doesn't, we'll re-evaluate the situation in a week or 2.
As to the missing the pad when he's pissed(cause that is the ONLY time he does!)...well bf and I agreed to go buy a steam cleaner....so every couple of days I'll just steam clean the carpet in the areas he's messed in....so no more stains to get me aggitated.
But ya....fingers crossed!!
Doesn't help lately walks have been shortened to like 10min...due to my sprained ankle. I can only hobble for so long before the pain hurts to bad....I've asked the bf to bring him, but ya....lets not go there....as I just keep getting reminded Thor is MY dog...not his.sigh.
But my ankle is getting better....so maybe once I can do our hr walks again he'll go back to being a good puppy. As he's gotten worse since the walks stopped.
I knew puppies could be bad...but man, a jack takes the cake!!!lol
Just another question tho....is there any way, without him howling, that I could get him to be ok with being in another room, away from me, and being ok with it?
Cause if I so much as leave the penned in area, to even go to the bathroom, he howls, craps right at the gate, and just stands there lookin over it(he can't jump that high, yet!lol) howling and whining....til I come back, then he's all kisses and tail wags while I clean up his mess....again...and I was only gone, 2 minutes, max. It's frustrating! I never get to be ALONE. I ALWAYS have puppy attached to me.
Which bluntly, is effecting my love life....cause we'll go to the bedroom, and ya, within 1 min, Thor is howling at the gate, which kinda kills the mood...ya know?
But if we bring him in the bedroom, he's right on the bed with us....which kills the mood to...(It's a mattress on a platform, so he can get on it)
I just want my life back, but with puppy in it, where BOTH sides can be happy and content....ya know what I mean?
Angie

As to puppy daycare...been looking into it...and just might...just have to find one within my price budget...as I work Retail, so budget can be tight at times(I don't want to empty my savings...those are for emergencies)...also one I can get to easily, as I take bus.

Melinda March 29th, 2011 01:11 PM

you do know how to properly use bitter apple spray, right? you don't just spray it on the baseboards etc and the pup won't touch?? you have to spray your finger and wipe it on her/his tongue, yes it will foam while she spits and sputters....but it gives her the taste which in turn the smell...means bad bad......yuck, usually after an hour or two the spray has worn off the baseboards etc and its back to free chew. been there done that.

Thor's Pet March 29th, 2011 01:38 PM

awwww...that sounds mean!! lol
But as bad as this sounds, I'll do what it takes to save my house....and if that means making him spit and sputter for a bit to get the idea that it's bad, I'll do it. Or rather make my bf do it...lol..he's my "bad cop".
Or maybe I'll just duck tape the seams in the whole house(so he can't access the edges of the carpet)...lmao! Trust me, it's tempting.
I don't want to stop his playfullness/puppyness but dang, I want my apartment to survive it....and without a HUGE damage bill at the end that I gotta pay.

haha, right now he's at my feet pawing them, cause i'm "ignoring" him....it's to cute!
Gonna go play....ciao for now.
Angie

SamIam March 29th, 2011 01:40 PM

I'm definitely agreeing with others on increasing his exercise, I hope you are thoroughly prepared for the needs of a full-grown Jack, which can be as high as that of border collies and other larger athletic dogs. Think flyball, agility, jack trials, jogging, biking. I've met a couple Jacks happy with a couple daily walks and a yard, but in my experience they are more the exception to what is typical, and as you never had the opportunity to meet his parents or talk to the breeder you have little to go on as to where they stood as representations of their breeds.

For now, maybe check with friends and neighbours if you can hire a dog-walker until your injury has healed? Get in some visits with a friend who has a yard and a doggie playmate?

If you use PB in a kong, use a very very small amount. Peanut butter is very high in calories (=more energy) and can cause diarrhea, especially in stressed dogs. All you want is a tiny droplet in the hardest-to reach corners. Iams puppy biscuits are also a perfect fit to pop in the small-size kong.

BenMax March 29th, 2011 01:55 PM

[QUOTE=Thor's Pet;998482]haha, right now he's at my feet pawing them, cause i'm "ignoring" him....it's to cute!
Gonna go play....ciao for now.
Angie[/QUOTE]

This is something else that should be corrected. Easier to do it at this age then later.
The best course of action is routine. Time for play, time for walks (which should be structered and a perfect time for obediance training as well). There should be a 'down time' and ensure that he is crated to take advantage of this time of solitude.
Though this breed is a high energy one, it does not mean that the expectation is that the dog will be like this forever...
I highly recommend perhaps agility or fly ball. Great exercise for him and great social aspect for you.

Thor's Pet March 29th, 2011 02:19 PM

I don't give in directly to his pawing....I basically stop what I'm doing, make him go to his bed(A blanket beside the couch on the floor) make him stay for a couple minutes, then I'll grab his toy and tell him "Ok, let's play"...
As to classes and such I plan to join those...there is a "school" not far from my place that does obidience classes, sport classes and such...once my ankle is healed I'll be going there to see how it is...as to exercise....well we have a dog park right across the street from us...so I'm going to be buying one of those extendable leashes(the ones that can do 10-20 feet) and take him there. It's an off leash park, but I don't trust him enough yet to even think of taking him off leash...he has a one track mind...he'll listen only when he wants to...which is usually when I have to be right over him pointing to get him to go in the direction I want him to....
But once he and I graduate obedience classes and I know I can effectively handle him, we'll be going to that park, and I'll let him off leash.
I knew the energy of a jack when I chose him. It fits my life style. I'm always on the go. Weither walking, joggings, sports, etc...my average walk/jog is about 2-3 hrs a night.
I just didn't count on spraining the ankle...and I'll admit, Thor is paying the price as well...he and I both don't do well sitting idle.
Right now he's sleeping....thankfully...lol...but I wore him out today...I had him chasing his toys everywhere....he's caught on pretty quick to fetch...then I make him run circles trying to catch the toys as I sit there, flingin it around me....and that's about all I can do right now, and I feel quilty...he's not use to me being so still...
I truly wish my bf was more active...so he'd take him out...but the bf is, I'll admit it, a couch potato...hense why I got a dog....company on my walks/jobs and outings...someone that can actually keep up...and Thor does pretty good...altho I find at his stage now, he only last about half way thru my energy levels and I generally have to cut walks/jobs short...but that's ok, he'll catch up as he grows...which I'm HIGHLY looking forward to.
His energy level isn't my issue...it's his chewing...and I understand puppies chew...but dang...lol
I know a lot of it is cause I sprained my ankle and he went from getting lots of exercise to just what I can do in the house kind of thing...I also understand he gets bored when no one is home to stimulate him, but dang it, does he have to take it out on the poor rugs!?lol
But ya...I know jacks have high energy, it's why I was ok with getting this breed....I just wish, for both his and I's sake that I hadn't sprained my ankle...cause he's paying the price for it...no dog should be bored.
Angie

rainbow March 29th, 2011 02:26 PM

I don't have anything to add about the training ....you've been given lots of great advice already. :thumbs up

I just wanted to mention that instead of using the Iams treats in his Kong to buy the Actrium Holistic brand from Walmart instead as the ingredients are much better imo. :thumbs up

Hope your ankle is better soon. :fingerscr :grouphug:

Mirela March 29th, 2011 03:19 PM

Try to work with him on learning fun tricks to do - it will tire him mentally, which is good and you can do a lot of them without moving too much yourself.
Good that he learned to fetch you can build on that - teach him for example to drop toys in a box...

Useful for rainy days as well ;)

SamIam March 29th, 2011 03:54 PM

[QUOTE=Thor's Pet;998504]I don't give in directly to his pawing....I basically stop what I'm doing, make him go to his bed(A blanket beside the couch on the floor) make him stay for a couple minutes, then I'll grab his toy and tell him "Ok, let's play"...[/QUOTE]

To him, though, that is a reward from the very beginning. He draws your attention away from whatever you are doing, gets to play "go-to-your-bed, stay" and after a couple minutes an even more fun new game.

Shaykeija March 29th, 2011 08:57 PM

This will sound mean, but I did it with Akeija, after she ate a Mercedes (YES she did 25k damage to the inside of the car) ate a fur coat, remodeled 2 walls, destroyed carpets, wall, furniture and shoes were just a snack. But I muzzled her when I left. Did it every time l went to work. She was able to drink and bark. After a year of this, I told her that the muzzle would stay off but if I can home and found another thing destroyed, the muzzle would never come off. Came home to a clean house, no destruction. Found the buckle for the muzzle, she ate the rest. Never chewed another thing after that. She lived to be 16 and was trained to protect me when I transported diamonds.

millitntanimist March 30th, 2011 03:14 PM

While your ankle is mending ...
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccw1uwvbx00[/url]
Fetch is a great skill for active dogs, especially if you can't do much moving yourself. :thumbs up

About the crating
Successful crate training takes hours of work and It sounds like your pup has formed a fairly negative association with his crate. If you want to pursue it I would suggest is trying to start fresh. Check Kijiji or Craigslist for a new used crate that you can trade for or pick up cheap. Dogs form powerful associations, but they rarely generalize - a new crate will be a whole new ballgame.
Once you have the crate, follow these steps
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Gb-TF9c9U[/url]

If you do not want to use a crate, but want to be able to put Thor in a puppy-proof room to be left alone for a while, this method will work just fine. The key is to break everything down in to small steps. That includes you leaving. Practice putting him where you want him to spend his day and go out of sight for 3 SECONDS. Come back and reward (as long as he has not reacted). Then 6 seconds. Then 9, etc. Work up to minutes. Work until you can stay in the next room for 10 minutes with no reaction. When you come back don't make a fuss, you also want to reward him for being calm when you come in. Ask for a sit, give him a great reward and let him out for a few minutes. You need to alter his emotional response to you leaving from "ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh" to "well, I'm alone, but there are bones!" It's just going to take a little time.

In terms of things to leave him with, I am a fan of freezing food in kongs or other stuffed toys (you can mix it with a little wet food to make it smellier and wetter) and raw marrow bones (easily found in the meat isle of your grocery store). Make sure the good stuff only comes out when you are leaving him (including your training sessions while you are working on increasing the time and distance - i.e. "the good stuff comes out when I leave you, even if it's only for 5 minutes").

In addition to the bitter apple (rubbing it in his mouth is unnecessary - all that will do will be to associate you with things in the house tasting bad, and the goal here is for things in the house to taste bad irrespective of you) I would suggest picking up an enzymatic cleaner - this will de-nature the scent particles from the urine/feces and help to prevent your dog from marking over the spot he has already peed on.

Given his destructive habits and soiling issues my suggestion would be to confine him to an area that has a hard floor. Was he in the bathroom with the door closed? Gating him in there might make him more comfortable. What about the kitchen? Your pee-pad problem may be a differentiation issue (pee-pad vs. tile floor = easy, pee-pad vs. carpet, not so much). As you have already seen, punishing the behavior (or just showing that you're upset) will only make him avoid performing the behavior in front of you, it will do nothing to the behavior when you are not around. Dogs have no moral agenda, all they learn when they do something that makes you unhappy is that they shouldn't perform that behavior in front of you - not that what they did was somehow wrong. When he is caught soiling or chewing, just clap your hands lightly or say "oops" and redirect. This is close to what you were already doing, I'm just trying to suggest something as a-emotional as possible (I find it hard to sound upset when I say oops ;))
It sounds like both of these (chewing inappropriate things and messing) are due to anxiety. My suspicion is that when you make him more comfortable with you leaving they will extinguish themselves.

Good luck! :thumbs up

Melinda March 30th, 2011 03:19 PM

if you read the directions on the bitter apple spray it will tell you to do that, if not , like what happened to me, once it dried and it was just the smell left on the wires, my dog happily chewed through them, once I read the directions I realized what I had did wrong, I had to make her associate the smell with the taste, worked like a charm the next day, I agree about freezing the kong, I also freeze the marrow bones, but I'd never leave one with my dog if I'm not around to supervise, I'd be too scared she'd get a piece of the bone broken off and swallow it, while Brina is gnawing on the bone, I'll go over about every 10 minutes, pick it up and check it, it allows me to make sure she hasn't gotten it to the point where she could bite a piece off and it also allows me to show her that I can take from her and I will give it back.

Thor's Pet March 30th, 2011 11:42 PM

As of yesterday and today, he's only had ONE mistake, and that would be when I was in the shower, and "ignoring" him...lol...and that was just a small pee(that was last night)...so that I can handle...so YA Thor!!!(I give him treats(his puppy bones) when I leave the room, and he's good for about 5 min...so it's an improvement!
I'm also guessin he's happy with the 3 kongs(the round one, the teethin one, and a rope and bone one), 5 chew bones, rope toy and another no stuffing stuffed animal toy for dogs that I bought him today...that goes with his other no stuffing toy, lrg raccoon toy(with 13 squeaker points on it), 3 rope toys, 2 chew bones, and one rubber web ball thingy he already had...lol
He's been playing NON-STOP today...and not ONCE has even TRIED to chew my rugs! w00t!!!
As well as I was able to have a FULL shower, changing, AND cigerette(I smoke in our guest bathroom, with fan on) and returned without even ONE whine!!!!
I gave him his new toys right before tho...haha.
He LOVES LOVES LOVES his new round kong...he's played with that by the hr today...and I'll admit, I fill it occasionally with his food(he was to busy playing that he forgot to eat during supper time...lol)...
But ya...so far so good...
As well, the bf and I gated off the one area he was bad for chewing...so eliminating that area seems to have worked!(It was also a bad area for his "mistakes"....as well as threw out the rug he was bad for going on as well)...
So ya...so far so good...and what else helped I think, we got to go for a 30 min walk today, as my ankle is about 60% better now...
But ya...I'm gonna keep trying that treat when I leave the room idea...just so he can be comfy and not freak whenever I leave him alone....
Angie

SamIam March 31st, 2011 12:38 AM

Glad to hear things are turning around!

One thing you can do with toys, once you've built up a good-sized collection of them, is put them on rotation. If he likes new toys better than old ones, the ones you hide away for a few days will be new all over again.


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