This is a west highland white terrier, about 11 weeks old, stays in the bathroom 10 hours at a time when I'm at work. I come home to her pad all tangled up with waste all over the bathroom tile because she likes to chew up her pad. How do I put a stop to this?
2006-08-31 14:40:20 · 14 answers · asked by Jay 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Terriers were bred to hunt/chew/eat.. your puppy is behaving like any terrier puppy...(puppies also teethe ALOT anyhow and need ALOT of chew toys)
give her more chew toys...
hard - nyla bone type
medium - kong rubber type
soft - stuffed animal type
pee pads are useless and confuse house training.. why is it ok for me to pee and poop inside sometimes but not always?? and why can I pee on this pad.. but not the sweater on the floor???
10 hours is TOO LONG for a puppy to be left, you need to get a neighbour to pop in half way through the day or a professional pet sitter, you shouldnt have got a puppy unless you were able to be home more than that.. especially not an intelligent terrier breed..
intelligent breeds need MORE people time or they become bored and destructive (like your puppy is leaning to become)
2006-08-31 15:25:27 · answer #1 · answered by CF_ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, stop having any kind of rug or pad on the floor. Terriers are diggers. You know the dog will just make a mess of it and not use it for what it is intended. So why not stop. What you need in your bathroom is a small kennel where the dog can sleep. If possible put some blocks (about 4 inches tall) under it to raise it off the floor. This will be the dog's private place. Don't put a pad in it. Dogs doesn't need a pad.
Another important thing you can do is walk your dog. If possible walk it just before you lock your dog in the bathroom. The longer the walk, the more energy your dog will burn, making it a quieter dog. Also the dog will empty its bladder, etc.
2006-08-31 15:34:52 · answer #2 · answered by James S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is a very long time to leave a puppy alone. She is bored and has nothing else to do, so she is making up her own fun. Put the pad at the far end of the bathroom, then give her a bed to sleep in and lots of good safe toys to play with. Hopefully she will like them better than the pad. It would be better to crate her without a pad and get someone to let her out every 3-4 hours while your gone. Or hire a pet sitter to come in and let her out. If she is allowed to mess in the house, she is learning that it is OK to potty in the house and this could lead to some real housebreaking nightmares later on.
2006-08-31 14:56:37 · answer #3 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stop putting the pad down. It may encourage her to hold it a bit longer, but even if it doesn't, at least when she goes, she won't then spread it all over the room.
You should also get someone to come let her out during the day, 10 hours is a very long time for any dog to be alone, especially a puppy. It willbe very hard to train her to potty outside if this is your usual schedule.
2006-08-31 15:12:27 · answer #4 · answered by Ro-bot 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to the store(baby department) and get her some toys! She bored. West highland's are smart, and you should have not gotten a dog if you're putting it in the bathroom for 10 hours!!!! How are you going to train her(Paper or House brake),if you're gone all those hours? Do yourself and that puppy a favor and give her to a good home.
2006-08-31 15:13:24 · answer #5 · answered by whataboutme 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your puppy is bord.I had the same problem with our mini dachie. Your answer is to give her as many chewies as you can. I would give our little Simon all the toys I could find from garage sales in the area, along with a lot of chew hides. That ought to do the trick for ten hours or so. Also give her some excersise, before you leave for the day.
2006-08-31 15:37:52 · answer #6 · answered by VIXKIX7 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Westies are high strung. She may be going through separation anxiety as well as issues with lack of stimulation and exercise. Although it is not a solution overall, you should get her a kennel and train her to feel the kennel is her "safe haven". Toys, as other posters have said, are necessary to make the time go by. Also, it is true that 10 hours is far too long for this young pup to be locked up, kennel or not! A neighbor might be of help in taking her out to relieve herself and in breaking up the monotony.
2006-08-31 15:14:55 · answer #7 · answered by Maisy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
10 hours is a long time to keep your dog locked in a small area. buy your dog some chew toys. maybe you could potty train your dog and let in run around your home/apartment while you are at work.
2006-08-31 14:56:06 · answer #8 · answered by crackalac 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get her toys...puppies love to rip things up 10 hours is a long time for a puppy to be alone.. .you should consider a pet sitter... its not good for the puppy to be chewing on strange things buy her a nice chew toy
2006-08-31 14:55:43 · answer #9 · answered by Moe Moe 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
your puppy is being bratty.... shes not liking staying alone for so long... maybe you should think about getting him or her a friend? i dont have anything against people having pets that work but these are the problems i so commonly hear... and usually another pet helps alot.
2006-08-31 15:21:14 · answer #10 · answered by maureen a 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋