Can someone help with my MIN PIN?

Question

my min pin Pager is almost 8 months old. She is purebred, and the vet said she is a great example of the breed standard. She is playful,loving, and loves people and other animals. We have really socialized her since the day we got her. The problem is some of her behavior. She is real bad about getting into things like the garbage and tearing in up (we put the garbage up now so she can't reach it). But she will chew and destroy anything she can get hold of. we tell her no, give her toys instead, smack her bum or nose, we've used a water spray bottle, nothing works. As soon as you turn your back or go to sleep or something she's at it! I don't know if she is bored or what. She has plenty of room and toys to play with, and chewy toys like pig ears. We love her but cant keep having her destroy the house. We have tried crating her and that doesnt work because she just howls and screams and wont stop. what can we do to help this behavior? or do we just have to wait til she is older? Help!!!

Answer 1

You really need to give the crate another chance. Ignore her if she fusses. Make the crate positive for her, feed her in it, give her yummy treats in it.

As you've noticed she is only doing this when you aren't watching. When you aren't able to supervise she needs to be in her crate.

Answer 2

I adopted a min pin/Chihuaha (Mia) a few months ago who was 6 months old and exhibited the same behavior. Her previous owner couldn't deal with her having torn up her living room, pillows, shoes, etc. With Mia the problem was her previous owner was not around enough. Though she is great playing on her own, it became obvious to us when we got her that she loves to play with humans, and if we didn't do enough of that, she felt neglected. Mia loves to play ball and we try to work that into every day somehow (the mini tennis balls at Petco that squeak are awesome). It's great that she's so small because we can even play in the house. She also does really well when other dogs are around and plays with them constantly (maybe you can find a neighbor dog buddy?). If you're not home much, I would say that could be the problem. This is a great breed of dog, but they have boundless energy and seem to become anxious if you can't work some of it out. They need to run - Mia loves to run in circles in our yard - at least a little a day. And she will play fetch with anyone that will have it. It sounds like yours is bored - possibly a little pent up. Are you spending enough interactive play time with her?

Oh - and they love to sleep with you. Mia is the first dog I have ever let sleep with me, but she's small enough, loves to snuggle and sleeps through the night most of the time without budging. This has bonded her to me very well and she listens better and better all the time.

Before you give up, you might try playing with her more. Setting aside some quality ball or fetch time has done wonders for Mia. She hasn't torn up a single thing since coming to live with us and has dragged a few things out of my closet as a reminder only on days when I have been too busy for her.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Answer 3

My min pin acted the same as yours, My Roxie, chewed things up, and would leave the mess either by the door, or somewhere she knew I would see it. She knew she did bad, but she would do it anyhow. Also, putting her in anything, mine acted the same way.
She actually grew out of that, because I cna't think of anything that I have done differently, besides smacking her bum or nose. I have used the water technique, and that did work for a lot too. She hated that. Just give it time. They are very stubborn.

Does yours sleep under the covers with you?

Answer 4

I have a min pin-Chihuahua mix that just turned 1 last month. Is it possible he's teething? I'm not sure how old dogs are when they teethe (sp?), so I suppose it's a possibility.
Here's some things you might try:
1. Close off rooms that your dog has access to that are out of your site. If you frequent the living room, kitchen, shut the other doors or put up gates. This will help limit temptation for her to chew in places out of your site.
2. Dog-proof the rooms that she does have access to (keep trash covered, don't leave things lying around that she likes to chew on).
3. As far as crating, it sounds like that's the best option for your dog at night when you're sleeping. Min pins are den animals, so he will eventually respond well to a small crate. Chances are, he's just not used to it yet. So you may have to put up with some howling, whining for awhile. And DON'T give in when she howls and whines because then you're only teaching her that she gets rewarded (gets out of the crate) when she howls/whines. My dog hated crating at first, but now he actually goes in his crate on his own. You might also try covering the crate with black so that it seems dark and limits visual distractions. It will also make it seem more den-like.
4. Try playing tug-of-war games with some chew toys to get your dog familiar with them. Dogs love tug-of-war and it can be strong for their teeth. Plus it wears them out, resulting in a more tired dog at night.

I hope I'm not way off base with these, but they have worked for me and my dog. Good luck!!

Answer 5

one of my friends have a min pin. as far as i know its pretty much like that. bored. see if getting it a friend stops that behavior...even a lil kitten might work. you probably dont want to get anything that will be too much bigger than it. also when it does chew up stuff or pee or poop in the house give it a lil smack on the butt say no in a harsh tone and put it outside for 20 min maybe 30...and when you see it doing good and making progress like...not chewing up stuff all day or not peeing or pooping in the house all day...tell her what a good girl she is and give her treats

Answer 6

Okay, this sounds lame but it worked with my dogs. Take an empty soda or coffee can and fill it with 20-30 pennies. When they get into something, shake the can. They hate the rattling tinny sound. Soon, s/he will learn that the bad behavior results in the scary sound.