I have a 14 month old Shepard mix, she's about 45 pounds. Everytime I leave the house she somehow gets out of her kennel and chews up shoes and other things. I've tried to leave her in the backyard but she just digs HUGE holes, and we can't have that because we are renting. She has chew toys and chew bones all over the house but would rather chew up other things. I've tried leaving her out of the kennel and she just does the same thing. (She was kennel trained before we got her) My father in law thinks that she has some sort of separation anxiety or something like that. Is there anything that I can do to get her to stop? My husband is wanting to get rid of her because we can't get her to stop chewing! Help please!
2007-12-26 02:06:02 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
1. She needs more exercise. Lots more exercise.
2. Get a crate that works.
3. See a trainer
4. If none of the above work, you can see a behaviourist and perhaps get a referral to a vet for separation anxiey meds.
2007-12-26 02:09:06 · answer #1 · answered by bettathang 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Whenever someone in my dog group has a problem similar to yours I suggest one thing first. Whatever exercise you are providing outside of just letting her play in the yard, double it or triple it if you can. Go for longer walks. Take her with you to dog friendly places. Find a dog park that is near you. Many times the chewing is a sign of anxiety and excess energy. You need to wear her out to help this first and then you will see what is left over to correct. There will still be some to correct but it will be less in my opinion. Also, if it were me she would be kept in a kennel ( locked so she cant get out somehow) every tim you leave the house. She cannot be trusted alone based on her behavior. After she has been doing the kennel successfully for a while, you can try and keep her out for short periods but I think that is a while off. You need to confine her when you arent there and exercise her more when you are. Remember that having a yard doesnt exempt you from having to do long walks and parks and whatever else you can find to get them the exercise they need.
2007-12-26 10:14:14 · answer #2 · answered by abhorman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, KONG toys are great. Don't buy the imposters.. they are not worth the money and will get wrecked. Plus, KONG guarantees their doggy toys for a lifetime. Go to http://www.kongcompany.com/worlds_best.html for more info. It does sound like your girl has separation anxiety. They have this thing called doggie daycare.. last I checked, it was a little pricey, but well worth it. It's a timed released system where every couple of hours, it releases a new kong filled with treats. Don't but one from Petco though, Petsmart is generally cheaper or if you can find it on Ebay, even better! If you google separation anxiety, There are a ton of ideas you can apply to keep your pup out of trouble. If you need anything else, I would be more than happy to help you. You can email me at rellimztik_arual@yahoo.com.
2007-12-26 10:15:52 · answer #3 · answered by rellimztik_arual 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all leave something going, the radio or TV, because dogs are social animals. Second make sure the last thing you touch is her chew toys just in case she should get out. Put everything you don't want destroyed up out of her reach. I have the same problem with my little dog and she is about the same age, in other words, she should be getting past the puppy B.S. and she isn't.
2007-12-26 10:10:05 · answer #4 · answered by wazup_dude2007 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Check out Cesar Milan. The guy is a genius when it comes to dog problems.
http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/dogwhisperer/
Does the dog get adquate exercise and mental stimulation througout the day? Being a sheppard mix, she is built for work. A lack of stimilation may result in destructive behaviour.
Here is another good article from the Humane society:
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/separation_anxiety.html
2007-12-26 10:23:24 · answer #5 · answered by Ivan J 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's exactly what it is, separation anxiety. You will need to get a dog trainer to come to the house and work with her; this is fairly easy to remedy but you need a professional trainer to do it right. Some friends of miine leave their TVs on tuned to Animal Planet...
2007-12-26 10:11:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talk to your vet about this. The vet can recommend someprograms to help change this behavior. How many hours is the dog alone, how much exercise does it get everyday? A lot of exercise for a young dog is very very important.
2007-12-26 10:09:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
She's frustrated. See if you can get someone to walk her in the time you're gone. Lots of people are doing so these days because they simply don't have enough time to spare to spend with their dog. See if you have a neighbour kid who likes to spend time with animals but doesn't have any, or a friend who likes to go walking. I think it's the best remedy .against frustration: something to do.
2007-12-26 10:16:53 · answer #8 · answered by saskia r 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like she may not be getting enough exercise. Do you take her on daily walks or runs? She is still a young dog and probably just has a lot of excess energy to burn.
2007-12-26 10:09:27 · answer #9 · answered by LuvMyBT's 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For those dogs that know how to houdini their way out of a kennel, I use an eye bolt into a stud in the wall and clip the dog to it.
2007-12-26 10:10:42 · answer #10 · answered by texpetk9@yahoo.com 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋