Puppy advice, please!!

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llahairdna
llahairdna Posts: 521 Member
in Chit-Chat
I have a dog (a mutt) I got from the local humane society about 5 months ago. He's just over a year old, so he still acts pretty puppy-ish, which I understand. He loves to chew on things, so I make sure he's got plenty of toys--his "baby" (a teddy bear), balls, chew toys, etc, but lately he's been getting more destructive--taking books off the bookshelf and ripping them up and taking my clothes outside to chew on. Usually he only does it when I'm not paying attention, but this morning he ran into my room with me standing right there, and grabbed some clothes off the bed and ran out the doggy door with them! He gets punished for being destructive (smacked and put in the kennel), and he knows it's wrong because he gets a guilty look and runs away from me, but he keeps doing it. I take him on walks and play with him in the evenings. Any advice on how to get him to stop??
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Replies

  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
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    Have you tried those rawhide bones?
  • OLFATUG
    OLFATUG Posts: 393 Member
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    They make a spray that tastes like bitter apples that we used to train our dogs, they really hated the taste. That and constant supervision/correction are pretty much all I can suggest.
  • llahairdna
    llahairdna Posts: 521 Member
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    Have you tried those rawhide bones?

    I have, but he doesn't chew on them--he just buries them.
  • utes09
    utes09 Posts: 561 Member
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    They make anti-chew sprays that may work. My puppy is like immune to them though.

    You can try a squirt bottle. Put it on the stream part and if they do a behavior you don't like spray their feet or body to get them distracted.

    Also, we've been told not to use the kennel as punishment. Especially if that's where they sleep or need to be when you're away. The kennel should be a happy and safe place for them.
  • Ddubs22
    Ddubs22 Posts: 47 Member
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    My baby still does that and he's 1 1/2 yrs old....most of the time he isn't allowed to have full reign of the house, we keep him confined with gates to a few rooms only without anything to chew on. good luck.
  • AlisonrCorigliano
    AlisonrCorigliano Posts: 11 Member
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    It sounds to me that he has a lot of pent up energy and so I would suggest taking him for some power walks and make sure that his mind and body are being exercised. At that age, but still have the puppy tendencies, the best thing that I have found in my experience are walks. Wear them out!
  • jenniferleighvt
    jenniferleighvt Posts: 9
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    I have a puppy as well - my advice to use is to not discipline him physically or put him in the crate. Dogs don't understand why they're being disciplined and it doesn't do much to correct the behavior.

    Alternatively, distract and reward. When he starts to chew, take the item away as fast as you can and replace it with a toy/rawhide/acceptable substitute. Over time, the dog learns what is acceptable to chew. Also chewing can be a sign of boredom so make sure he/she is getting regular exercise/playtime.
  • annamc18
    annamc18 Posts: 198 Member
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    when my pups start getting destructive with more than just their toys - they usually just need to get more exercise or have a really good, tiring play time at the dog park lol
  • cmeade20
    cmeade20 Posts: 1,238 Member
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    Maybe ask a dog trainer for advice? I'm no help as I've spent the last 6 years trying to teach my dog that stealing my underwear and tossing them up onto my ceiling fan is not okay
  • RissaDean
    RissaDean Posts: 189 Member
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    It sounds like your puppy isn't getting enough play time/mental stimulation. Dogs LOVE to learn new things! I don't know if you have the time/energy for this, but what about trying something really strenuous like agility training? If you can't do that, what about working on teaching new tricks like roll over, fetch, etc besides the standard sit/lay down/stay? My dad taught his dog to play dead when you point your fingers at him and say bang....anything like that your dog has to really ponder and work at will help curb the destruction!
  • akamatilda
    akamatilda Posts: 19
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    Smacking a dog is never the right approach. If he hasn't been neutered, he should be. Lots of excercise can help, too- and attention.
  • mrau719
    mrau719 Posts: 288 Member
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    anti chew sprays, and if you haven't yet try and sign him up for "puppy class" it helps with being mentally challenged. Any idea what mix he is? Sounds like my lab who is the same age-she gets bored and started chewing again. "recycle" the toys. Keep say half of them out and the other half hidden. After a few weeks or whatever time switch them out-it's like new toys!

    Also, don't use the kennel as punishment.
  • mskari77
    mskari77 Posts: 142
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    Dogs do not "feel guilty"...they only become afraid of you. Smacking is not a form of communication in the dog world, so he/she does not understand what or why you are doing it, and all you are doing is losing your dogs trust in you. Kennel should not be used for punishment, they need to be there so the dog feels he has a safe place to go. As some other people have said, try giving him more exercise in the form of walks or jogs, and us the distraction method just as you would a baby. When he grabs something of your to chew on, tell him no and as you grab it from him, replace it with one of his toys.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I used to work in a shelter and I am a STRONG believer in positive reinforcement. Reinforce good behavior and ignore bad behavior. He does it because he knows he gets attention when he does it. However, most animals don't understand why they're being punished, and don't associate it with bad behavior, but rather with the person dishing out the punishment. This can lead to trust issues between you and your puppy. Treat him when he does something good - even if it's just with praise and attention - and ignore him when he's naughty. Give him a "time out" by literally not paying any attention to him at all for about a full ten seconds (long time out in doggy time!)

    Also, do you happen to know if he's mixed with a working dog, like a herding dog or a retriever? He may also be bored and be looking for something to do. This often happens with intelligent dogs. Try training him to do tricks or something like that so he stays mentally stimulated.

    The only thing I would definitely say is never hit your dog. He's only going to start associating you with being hit and that's no good!
  • SgtMindy
    SgtMindy Posts: 53
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    Hello, I have quite a few dogs and know what you're going through. They way we combat this is with rawhides and other chewies, but also by blocking off the areas we know are temptations. If it's your clothes he's after trying banning him from the bedroom unless under direct supervision. We put up baby gates (keeps them out of the cat litter). Also, when I found that my lab/mix puppy, George, was literally eating my house, I maced the wood (I've tried the bitter sprays and gels, they don't work on my pups). He hasn't tried that since.
  • aimiemims
    aimiemims Posts: 15
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    We have a nine month old puppy who went through much of the same. I agree that the Bitter Apple spray works very well in helping them avoid things you don't want them to chew on. I don't think that smacking the puppy helps him learn, but rather, I would suggest giving him little bits of treats and plenty of positive encouragement when he is playing with the right types of toys. Our trainer helped us understand that removing the temptation (my shoes!) from where the puppy can get to them will set us all up for success. Closing doors, removing things from the puppy's reach, putting up puppy gates and plenty of supervision has really worked for us.
  • llahairdna
    llahairdna Posts: 521 Member
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    It sounds to me that he has a lot of pent up energy and so I would suggest taking him for some power walks and make sure that his mind and body are being exercised. At that age, but still have the puppy tendencies, the best thing that I have found in my experience are walks. Wear them out!

    I took him out for SEVEN miles one day, and he still wanted to throw the ball for an hour afterwards. It's amazing, because he's only about 15 lbs and his legs are short. You'd think he'd have been worn out, but no.
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
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    It doesn't sound like he's ready to have free roam of the house unsupervised yet. I'd make him a small pen someplace like the kitchen. If you cannot give him your undivided attention, then put him in his pen. Make sure he has pee pad, water, chew toys in there.
  • Abbie_Thompson
    Abbie_Thompson Posts: 45 Member
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    Never discipline your dog by putting him in the crate. Crate training is a great tool but it should be a safe haven for your puppy. Bitter apple spray is not going to work on you clothes either, (I noticed many people suggested it). Usually when dogs act out like this it is because of excess energy and boredom. I know you said you take him for walks but he may need more/longer. Also dogs need a "job". Basic training is their "job". Start working with him regularly, maybe 30-60 minutes nightly. Start with sit, stay, and down and work your way to more difficult tricks. Taking him to training classes may help if you've never trained a dog before. Make sure you end each session with a positive and try your best to never use negative reinforcement. In the meantime, if he grabs something he shouldn't have: take it away, tell him "no" and give him something he is allowed to have. Also, if it is really bad you can ask your vet for calming medications like prozac....

    Source: I am a registered veterinary technician with years of experience
  • Moxie42
    Moxie42 Posts: 1,400 Member
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    Giving him a stern "NO!" and correcting the behavior (taking the clothes, shoes, etc.) should help over a little bit of time if you're consistent with it. It would be even better to give him the "NO!" and then say "Drop it!" and as you say that, take the item from him and put it on the ground- then pet him and tell him he's a good boy as if he had dropped it himself- this should help teach him to leave things alone when you say "drop it" and he will start to associate the "drop" behavior with getting affection. Also, when he does start to drop things on his own when you tell him to, reward him with a treat. In regards to training in general, find some small training treats and reward him for anything good he does, and anytime he listens to you. It takes some time (it took our min-pin a month or two before he truly understood "drop it" but it's way more effective than smacking him, which will only make him afraid- it doesn't teach him anything. Also, putting him in the kennel as punishment isn't very good because he will associate the kennel with punishment and will become afraid of it- this causes problems if you need to put him in there for traveling or if he's supposed to sleep in there.

    I'd recommend checking out some pet-owner-oriented sites and looking into "positive reinforcement training." If nothing else helps, look into a training class. They're usually not cheap but it's worth it.

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