I got my dog from the SPCA in august and she was already 6 years old...It's very obvious that she came from a home where she was abused because she's very nervous around my husband, even when he tries to play with her...and, when she does something bad, all you have to do it yell at her and she pees...last night, she chewed up some presents under the tree while we were out...she only does bad things when we're out...my husband wanted to lock her in the laundry room in the dark all night by herself, but i couldn't do it...I feel that because she came from a shelter and she was abused, that you have to punish her in a different way...i just don't know how...please help me...it's really causing problems with my husband and i because he doesn't understand...
2006-12-22 01:34:01 · 21 answers · asked by Brittni 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
she has to be punished...she keeps doing the same things over and over...this is the 3rd time she has chewed up a present...today she is going in our bathroom when we go to work...you can't just say 'bad dog' when it's obviously not working...
2006-12-22 01:40:13 · update #1
she has to be punished...she keeps doing the same things over and over...this is the 3rd time she has chewed up a present...today she is going in our bathroom when we go to work...you can't just say 'bad dog' when it's obviously not working...she does get rewarded when she does something good...we had to potty train her at 6 years old when we got her...
2006-12-22 01:44:29 · update #2
if she does something wrong, and you show her what she did, shouldn't she know why she is in trouble? when she sees my picking up her messes, she gets scared and know what she did wrong...she's not that stupid...you show her and then punish her for it...
2006-12-22 01:49:13 · update #3
how dare anyone suggest that i abuse my dog...you don't know me, or my husband...thank god...because we definatly don't want to know you...my dog is very loved and is treated much better by us than by the people who kept her for 6 years and then dumped her in a shelter...this is my first dog as an adult that haven't had since i was 3 years old...most of the comments were very helpful...thank you...
2006-12-22 11:52:42 · update #4
If she came from the SPCA she is ok with a cage. Get her own crate and teach her to stay in it when you are gone. It will help you and her in the long run. I rescue pits and they are all crated when I am gone or at night. I have taught them its a safe place. I feed them in it 2x a day and never put them in there to be punished. If they do something wrong I scold them firmly and send them outside for a few minutes like a time out. Eventually she will go in her crate on her own as a safe place to stay if you do scold her. I hope this helps. Good luck!
2006-12-23 07:18:01 · answer #1 · answered by Theresa P 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On your last edit, showing the dog what they did and then punishing it, actually no, they supposedly not that smart to put two and two together. They don't make the connection like human beings do -- they think differently than people. The reason she seems scared or aware she might have done something wrong is your tone of voice or body language/grabbing her collar. She is reacting to that, not the torn up presents.
I think she has separation anxiety or gets bored when you are out. Have you heard of crate training? Her create is her 'den' and that's where she goes when you are out. Give her some toys to chew while she's in there. I would Google more information or get a book on crate training.
As she gets more used to the routine/rules of your house, you can experiment by putting up baby gates and confining her to a small room (where her crate is also located). Generally people use the kitchen. But if she doesn't behave in the kitchen, you'll have to start crating her again. She learns she has to 'earn' being out while you are away. Right now you are giving her a freedom she has not earned.
Also, I wouldn't put things that are a temptation to your dog out. Keep the presents from under the tree until xmas morning.
2006-12-22 04:22:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You really can't punish her for chewing the presents if you didn't see her do it. After it has happened, she's forgotten all about it. Especially since she seems to be doing it out of fear and lonliness. She seems to have some seperation anxiety, since she has these behaviors when you both leave. Instead of punishing her, try this - Don't leave her alone. One of you should be with her all the time. You can take short trips to the store, but no more than 15-20 minutes or so. Be sure to leave her a chewy or toy to keep her occupied, and when you get home praise her lavishly. If she eats something, then you were gone too long. Slowly increase the length of time you are both away. If you can't spend that much time with her, she should have a crate. Remember that a crate is NOT a punishment, or a prison. It's her own special house. She should be put in the crate before you leave, with toys and water, and the door should be left opened when you are home so she still has access to it. Most dogs love their crates, they are like dens. Put a blanket in there to make it homey. I think that she needs your understanding. You can't get her to stop the behavior by yelling or threatening - all you will have is a neurotic dog and a carpet that smells like pee. Furthermore, she is going to fear you if you come in the door and start hollering at her. It just takes time which I presume you have, since you adopted her in the first place. Good luck, and thanks for giving her a second chance at life. I hope she brings you joy.
2006-12-22 01:51:05 · answer #3 · answered by Medusa 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
This poor dog definitely deserved a better home than she's getting with you!! Don't shelters check out prospective buyers to see if they have enough common sense to look after a dog?
You do not punish a dog for doing something if EVER if you don't catch them in the act. How exactly is the dog supposed to know what she's done wrong?
You do not punish this dog, you TEACH her. Isn't it obvious by now that you can't leave her loose in the house? Get a crate and put her in it when you're gone. That way you won't be mad at the poor dog every time you come home. She is never going to adjust to living with you the way you're treating her! Do not ever use her crate as a punishment - you put a few toys in it, some treats and leave the door open when you are home so she can go in it. It needs to be her safe place to go (and by the sounds of it, she desperately needs one).
Get some books about dog care, get some help from someone who knows something about dogs - for this poor dog's sake!
2006-12-22 02:26:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Crate her when you leave the house. If she acts up around you when you can see it, ignore her till she stops. 10 min of no attention to a dog feels like a lifetime to them. Because she was abused never shake your finger/hand at her or hit her, it will frieghten her and she may try to run away.
You can also not let her on the furniture after she has made an "accident" or something similar, firmly tell her no, but don't yell. She will get the idea.
As far as punishing for things done while you are out though, a crate is really the only answer. My dogs were never abused but they have been known to tear stuff up all the same, and the crate works wonderfully. But, never use the crate for punishment they should like their crate, give treats in it and that way when you get ready to leave the house a simple 'where do i go to get treats!' will send her running to it so you don't end up chaseing her around the house..
2006-12-22 01:41:55 · answer #5 · answered by dcVixen 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Unless you actually see the dog doing it - there is no point in punishing her. Dogs do not have memories like ours. It would be like someone you've known for years coming up and smacking you in the face for something you did years ago - while telling you in french what it was you did. (Dogs do not speak english - they speak dog.)
Since we are (supposedly) the smarter species, keep her away from the gifts. It's natural for a dog to smell something and try to dig her way to find out what it is. Totally natural dog behavior.
You should crate train your dog. It's not cruel or mean. It's smart and safe. Think about it - you wouldn't be in this situation if your dog had been crated when you weren't home.
If your husband wants to make an effort with the dog, he's going to have to lighten up. He could hand feed her treats and maybe try some settling excercises (just lightly petting the dog with the growth of the hair as she's laying down.) If he wants to do things like lock her in a room to punish her - maybe he just doesn't want to bond with her - ever.
Another great idea is to take her to a clicker class. It's very effective for fearful dogs. Maybe your husband could even take her.
Good luck.
2006-12-22 02:18:10 · answer #6 · answered by Daisy 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
you have to actually catch them in the act to punish them. other wise they dont associate you getting mad with their action. they see the ripped paper and you yelling and think the paper is bad.
if she's like this, then you have to keep things out of her reach until you can be assuered she's trainned. anytime she goes NEAR something she's not allowed to have you have to say "NO" sternly, but not yelling, and phyiscally move her away from it.
you also might want to try a crate. keeping her locked in a bathroom isnt a good idea. when we first got our first puppy (18 years ago- she's since passed) she was a brat, and spiteful and we left her in the downstairs bathroom while we went out one day because she had been chewing on everything. when we got back we walked in and she's sitting in the middle of the basement (half was finished, half wasnt). turned out she chewed a whole thru the bathroom wall and went over to the basement.
you need to forget she was abused. thats over now. she has a good home and you arent going to abuse her. that means no yelling, hitting, smacking, ya know, the mean stuff. but disapline is completely different. a stern NO is really all you need. it just takes a little while for her to catch on, she's older and this is all new to her. and if you ARE going to disapline her, you HAVE to catch her in the act. if you dont catch her in the act, you can do what we do with our older dog, sometimes we come home and she's peed all over the floor. so we just ask her calmly, "what did you do". she understands that SOMETHING is wrong, we're not mad at her, but we're mad about something, and she usually sorry in her own way and it doesnt happen anymore for a while.
just be consistant and first thing, put things out of her reach if you cant trust her. we all know its nice to have the gifts out under the tree, but if you cant train her RIGHT NOW (which is not possible realisitcally) then put them where she cant get them until you CAN train her
2006-12-22 02:02:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
You are treating your dog in a completely ineffective manner, and you are making her afraid of you.
When you go out, you are not supervising her. She does bad things. You come home, hours after she does the bad deed, and yell at her and throw her in the laundry room. She's learning that sometimes for no reason, her "parents", the people that she's devoted to, come in for no reason and scream at her. If she was lying down before you came in, she may even be associating your punishment with her lying down, or behaving. You're confusing her.
So roll up a newspaper and hit yourself over the end of the nose. Whenever you are out, she has got to be in an area where she can't be bad, because you cannot enforce good and bad behavior when you are not there. Consider getting her her own crate, or gating her in a kitchen or bedroom where she can't get into trouble.
2006-12-22 01:44:49 · answer #8 · answered by Lotus Effect 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Stop hurting your dog! Punishment is not needed what is needed is training and guidance. I am sure your poor little dog can tell you are not happy when you clean up a little pee, that is enough. How about putting in a little work and actually train your dog and show her that outside is the best choice. Teach her to let you know when she has to go outside instead of abusing her even more.
2016-05-23 15:30:00 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did the SPCA actually check who they were sending this poor dog home with? It sounds like i'd be afraid of your husband, let alone the dog.
Dogs want to please. They are not spiteful. They do not have the capacity to think how they can be bad while you're out. Put the presents where the dog can't get them. It's common sense. I wouldn't leave them where any dog could get to them, let alone a neurotic one.
She probably has separation anxiety. Either be sympathetic to her situation and train her, or return her. Right now you're not doing her any favours at all.
2006-12-22 02:40:37 · answer #10 · answered by Cara B 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋