How do I get my dog from taring/ripping things up?

Question

Literally,she's three yrs old and She will rip and tare things apart, specially blankets and comforters and pillows. How do I stop this behavour. I would love to leave her to the house while my wife and I are out, but to affraid she will tare the couch apart or something. Right now she stays in her cage/pen.

...I also got her when she was six mths old and it's never been an issue till recently.

Also, she is an Argintine Dogo, if that helps?

Answer 1

The biggest thing missing here is EXERSISE! She needs a lot by the sounds of it! You didn't mention the breed, so I'm guessing by the behavior she is probably some sort of sporting dog or herding dog.. maybe a non-sporting, but for sure a larger dog.

She needs exersise.. and a job. I have two herding dogs and the 8 month old will shred things to little bits and peices if I don't keep her mind active, her body content and her teeth satisfied. My 4 year old herding dog is much more mature and will relax most of the day as long as he gets one good exersise a day with love and attention. Not to mention he is an athlete (he is a competitive agility dog with many titles), so he gets a lot of training to exersise his mind.

#1 - she needs at least 30 mins of outdoor exersise.. 30 mins of forward moving walking, or 15 to 20 mins of jogging. And two exersise periods are better than one! If you can do 15 and 15, you are good to go! One in the morning and one at night.

#2 - She needs an active toy.. like the "Kong" toys. You can fill them up with treats and goodies and she can spend up to a couple hours working her teeth and mind!

#3 - Teeth.. she needs to chew, lots and lots more.. On something good for her to chew on. Like bones. Not just rawhide (and if you do rawhide, please use Compressed rawhide because it wont get logged in their stomach), but other bones like meaty bones with bone marrow inside. Things that seem the next best thing to eating real bone! Dogs love it and it's sooo good for their teeth.

#4 - Training. Alas, you can not get away from the fact that you have allowed your dog to grow up a problem child. You have allowed her to chew without stopping it, and even if you have punished the bad behavior you have failed to give her the option of having an alternate good behavior. She does bad, because she can't do good. You have to give her the option of doing good through doing the previous things listed! Try not to leave her un-supervised while she is in transition to the new way of life. Never leave her alone unless she is in a crate or pen with plenty of things to keep her active. Toys, food, bones ect. In this way, you are now not giving her the option of being bad.

Also, never loose your temper with her. You have created this mess. Sorry, but it's the reality of it. Be patient and slowly change the way her world works. She'll figure it out and it will all come out in the end!

Answer 2

Dogs usually do this when they are bored. If you have not done anything to prevent this behavior before now, it could be out of habit now because she sees it as acceptable. If it's something new, she's probably trying to tell you something. Get her some good bones (pig hooves are a huge hit with dogs!) and a couple of plush toys and ropes of her own to chew on and keep all blankets and pillows etc. up until she gets the message that she can only chew on her own toys. It's also a good idea to get a small basket or crate to put her toys in so she knows that those are strictly hers.

Answer 3

Oh boy been there done that route. There is this stuff you can get at a retail pet store called BITTER LIME and there is a second one I think is BITTER LEMON don't quote me on that one you would have to check your local pet store. I had a male Pomeranian and he was just as bad. That doggy no stuff is useless this stuff is worth it's weight in gold. My dog was/is weird he loved the taste of the Bitters when they were separate so, I mixed the two flavors and boy he stayed away from everything after that. In fact he would go out of his way to avoid where the mix was sprayed. He was as hard headed as I am and believe me that's hard headed lol. But I mixed the two and after about 10 minutes humans CAN NOT smell it but they can. Any major pet chain carries both just remember the word BITTER and they will know that it's a dog training aid and will find it for you. It really works.

Answer 4

To keep dogs from chewing things up that you don't want chewed up, buy Bitter Apple. You can get it at the pet store and you can get it in a spray or a cream. I use the spray and spray it on furniture, throw rugs, and anything else I don't want destroyed. I have only had to use this when my dogs were puppies as they always grew out of chewing. It sounds like your pup might have an underlying behavioral issue, but this is worth a shot. It is all natural and it does not harm animals. I have even used it for rabbits.

Answer 5

She should of been trained to NOT do this three years ago.

New puppies need lots of personal chew toys and raw hide.

They promptly need to be punished for chewing on inapproiate things. For instance get a tin can and put marbles in it. Seal the can and shake it hard or throw it near the dog when it chews on something inapporite. Soon the dog learns what she can or can 't chew on.

Whenever a dog needs to chew..put a chew toy or rawhide bone in her mouth. Then it becomes a habit.

After three years you really never should of let it go this far. Sounds like the dog will need to be in her pen while you are gone and taught what she can and not chew on from now on.

Answer 6

In addition to what the other people said about her being bored and what not, try Bitter Apple. Its a non-staining spray you can put on stuff to deter chewing and biting. You can probably buy it at your local pet shop or online. It's got an aweful bitter taste (won't harm your dog though) and it will certainly turn her off.

In the meantime, please get her some chew toys, knotted ropes, balls and rawhide treats of her own to play with when you're not home. And when you are home and you see her playing & chewing on the stuff she's supposed to chew and play with, praise her and love on her! Reinforce that good behavior with good feedback!

Answer 7

Hi Interesting question. When you write a book on the subject, send me a copy! Anyway, One that immediately comes to mind, was a holiday gathering, with maybe 15 guests, when i was growing up. Folks had a wire haired fox terrier. Mom had just finished setting the table with all the best linen, dishes, ect. Guests were in the living room, and everyone was chatting, when I heard a scream. Everyone turned to see the terrier in the middle of the huge dining table, chomping down on the roast. The dog took one look and made a bee-line thru the mashed potatoes to save his life. Actually everyone was laughing so hard, that the dog was spared and remanded to the bedroom. Enjoyed the other stories. Rebel

Answer 8

sounds like she's bored and has some separation issues. are you exercising her enough. at least two long walks a day often will wear out a dog enough that they will rest while you're gone. also enroll her in a training class this can help build her confidence, and may help if she only has mild separation problems. the trainer will be able to guide you if she needs more training for the separation problems. plus the class will bond her closer to you, and provide you with ways to deal with other problems, like pulling on lead. but training and plenty of exercise is your best option here. and the simplest. keep her in her cage, for now, while you're gone. it will help keep your house in one piece, and her safe from possibly ingesting what she's tearing up and having a blockage. and as your training and exercise program progresses, start leaving her along for very short periods to see what she does, and lengthen the time away with her out of her cage as she and you improve. good luck.

Answer 9

I agree with the bored aspect. Dogs by nature like to have things they can chew and tear. Does she have her own playthings, stuffed safe toys, real beef bones, etc?? They are like kids. You take away what they should not be messing with and replace with their own toy. Over and over.

Be firm in tone when removing her from doing bad. Put her to a full down position and let her know what she did wrong. No nonsense approach. If seriously being bad take to pen for doggie time out. After a few put one of her toys in cage and let her know that is hers. good girl.

Was she always this way? Did you recently get her? A dog has to know the boundaries of behaviour. They can not be left to figure it out! Be firm and positive and no-nonsense when training her. Yes, pen can be used while training but try to avoid it being seen as just her punishment area. She should see cage as her special bed area. Her place to have a special treat/bone or sleep.

When she starts playing/destroying just her toys praise her for that. We stock up on toys at the Goodwill, wash then, check for safety(remove eyes, nose, things to swallow) and give them a chance to choose. Mine have toys they sleep with and others they choose to tear apart. They do not bother my people stuff.

Answer 10

Training your dog will be a huge part of your interaction with him for the first few months. Learn here https://tr.im/zkYaQ
This includes housetraining, leash training, obedience training, socialization, and problem solving. In addition to providing your dog with needed skills, this time will also be a great opportunity for you to bond with him. Take the time to really get to know your pet while training him and a loving relationship will easily develop.