Bad dog...

iLoveMyPitbull1225

Oh, and to help with your car sickness issue: our little one was like, got car sick super easy. Pepto. Really, it works. She's 10 pounds so we gave her half a dose before we left and another after three hours, and she does great. Been doing it for 5 years. Ask you vet: Pepto, in the right doses, is safe for dogs. If your pit is like mine and about 50 - 60 pounds, he could take a whole dose every few hours and that should fix him right up. Good luck!!

Yes, he is about 55 pounds. It helps if he has an empty stomach and he doesnt always get sick, but the shorter the trip the better. Our vet prescribes him a motion sickness medication but again its not cheap and not something (as far as I know) that is good to use every day. I will try the pepto though, that sounds like a great alternative, thank you!

newcs

Also...try the bitter apple spray in a low risk situation first. Turns out our pittie is weird and likes it. Then again, he doesn't like peanut butter so he's just a strange one.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

Do you keep the windows closed when you drive? We found that cracking a window helped a lot with his car sickness (as did age thankfully but he still loses his kibble after an hour or so).

Do you run? Could you swap some of your gym time out for a run with your pup? I'm hoping to start with mine now that he's a little older. When he was younger, he needed to constantly have his head on my leg whether I was standing, sitting or walking so he'd trip me all the time.

You can also put all his food into a food toy (we used the kong wobbler) so he has to work for it and move around to eat. That's something that's easy to do while you're making dinner or doing other stuff too.

Yes---window is cracked I did find that that helped his sickness. We do run together occasionally, but he doesn't always keep up with me. He's definitely stubborn, he doesn't do anything he doesn't want to do.

JoyousRen

There are plenty of breeds I WANT but I won't get because they don't fit my household or lifestyle. This seems very unfair to the dog.

I used to say that until someone pointed out that breeds like Pitts have low adoption rates and are often put down. IT's more fair than death.

To the OP: My pitt mix LOVES her deer antler and they don't splinter so they aren't a choking hazard. I would recommend something like that as well as increased exercise. Maybe take up running with your dog. IT's a great way to get out extra energy.
Edit: I see you do run with him. Have you tried a head harness? My girl is stubborn and it helps control her without a choke chain.

downinaggieland98

Regardless morguebabe, this is the breed I have and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't feel that I am being unfair to him.... I rescued him and I'm trying to give him the best life I can with a loving family. I don't want to leave him in a crate all day. That is exactly why I was trying to start a new routine, and it worked for a little while. I don't have all the answers, so I decided to ask for advice from others who have experienced this because I want to do the right things. I want him to be happy and physically satisfied. But I didn't ask the question to hear opinions on my breed choice.

Sue- We do confine him to one room. And we actually have a nylabone and a kong toy, the one that you put treats in that they have to figure out how to remove the treats, which is his favorite. Thanks for the bitter apple suggestion- we currently use diluted white vinegar in a spray bottle for this type of situation.

I know it seems unfair to him to be crated, but I really don't think it is. We have an American Bulldog and he stays in his crate when we are at work. As soon as he knows it's almost time for me to leave for work, he gets in it himself. One time I didn't close it all the way and he still slept in there, it's his safe place.

Your dog is not bad, he's bored. I hate to say it, but they are smart, he will get bored, and he will probably chew something up once in a while if left to his own devices. It is your responsibility to make sure he's safe while you are gone, and you are doing that with him in his crate. You can exercise him when you are home.

mreeves261

Just a thought for exercise. I don't know how your pup feels about water. i have 3 Lab mixes (all rescues) that love it. In the winter months when they don't get enough exercise I found a Doggy Aquatic Center by me. I try to take them every other week. It's something like 15 minutes of swimming for a dog is like running for 2 miles. Not sure on the exactness but I know when I get mine home they sleep for 3 days!

tennileb

my three are really good, no chewing or damage as long as they get lots and LOTS of exercise, minimum hour walk for all three and an additional run for our youngest (lab / Aussie shepherd) . my oldest is a pit-weiler and when he was young he needed a few sessions of 3-4 hours of hiking each week and a daily walk the rest of the week. Frozen kongs with peanut butter and dog food help too.

I also have a bike-tow-leash (from some guy in florida) to tire my youngest our when I can't run.

MsEmmy

Something else that works for car sickness is having a lot of bedding underneath the dog so he doesn't feel the vibrations/ motion so much. We have an old duvet in the back of the car for our dogs, but an old sleeping bag would do the trick.

Curleycue0314

We have a grey hound mix and a choc lab, both resuces and i've had several Pits. One of my rescues chews because she gets seperation anxiety if you leave her out of the kennel. Its her safe place! We just make sure that both my girls get LOADS of playtime afterward. They are BOTH high energy dogs. Kenneling your dog isn't a bad thing, its a responsible thing to keep them safe. Both dogs are also kenneled every night too. With our pits we focused on keeping the tired. We used to take the last one to the park and just make her run nonstop playig fetch until she layed down and wouldn't bring back the ball. You need to play more with him. Loved my Pits and I love my rescues!

ldrosophila

Dont feel guilty about leaving him in the crate. He knows what to expect and he cant entertain himself on your blinds. If you like having a non-chewed house then into the crate he goes. Just make sure he is exercised.

Exercised means he is passed out on the floor with his tongue hanging out. I know I have well behaved, exercised doggies when after a big drink of water they pass out on the floor.

Dogwalkingirl

I would say it is totally due to lack of stimulation and excersise right now. My dog walks with me for 5-6 hours a day so he of course sleeps ALL the time when in the house. I understand most people can not have this luxury.

I am a dog walker and most of my clients do not have their dogs crated during the day but they need me for 45min-1 hour mid day so their dogs are more settled in the house. For my more active dogs their owners are also walking them for 30 min before work and an 1 hour after work. So a 30 min walk is nothing for a Pit...2 hours minimum. Also make your dog use his brain its not always about going for a walk. Hide things for him to find, play catch, maybe agility or a sport that you could play with him on the weekends. Pits are also big chewers so as many of the other people have said give him lots to chew on and play with while you are not there....stufedf kongs, stuffed bones..etc.

What do you do when you come in and see something chewed???

If you think it is seperation anxiety related then try leaving him for shorter periods (30 min when you go to the store) and work up to leaving him longer. Also try to not be with him ALL THE TIME when you are home. Most everyone does this...my dog is on my knee or at my feet 24-7. However, if a dog shows seperation anxiety you should sometimes have him in another room when you are home (just for short periods) to show him its okay to be without you etc.

GiddyupTim

I cannot tell you why he started chewing, any more than anyone else can. I suspect he is bored and anxious being alone. But, I do know that many would tell you just to make sure he has lots of things available that he can chew, at least at this time, until you can figure out what to do. Maybe get one of those toys that you can put the peanut butter in, that will really get his attention and keep it for a while.
Also, most puppies chew. But, most dogs don't. They usually outgrow it to a large extent. So, don't despair. We have a kelpie (a working sheep dog). She chewed every piece of wood furniture we own -- sometimes just one test bite -- for her first six or seven months. Now she never chews anything.
You could also look at "Dogs for Dummies" by Gina Spadafori. She's got all kinds of advice for behavior problems like this.
Or www.cesarsway.com has an article on "5 steps to correct inappropriate dog chewing."

GiddyupTim

Did anyone mention vinegar spray or bitter-apple spray yet? You put it on the things the dog is likely to chew that you don't want ruined. They learn to be careful before chewing, supposedly.

mrdexter1

webcam the room while you re out and remember a dog can hear loads more than us and it could be anything that triggers him off but you should be able to work it out ...

car, plane, rain on widows, thunder, horn, doorbell, phone, mail delivery other dogs distant bark etc etc....

iLoveMyPitbull1225

Just a thought for exercise. I don't know how your pup feels about water. i have 3 Lab mixes (all rescues) that love it. In the winter months when they don't get enough exercise I found a Doggy Aquatic Center by me. I try to take them every other week. It's something like 15 minutes of swimming for a dog is like running for 2 miles. Not sure on the exactness but I know when I get mine home they sleep for 3 days!

That's a really good idea! We sometimes take him to the creek or lake to swim, he does enjoy it.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

I would say it is totally due to lack of stimulation and excersise right now. My dog walks with me for 5-6 hours a day so he of course sleeps ALL the time when in the house. I understand most people can not have this luxury.

I am a dog walker and most of my clients do not have their dogs crated during the day but they need me for 45min-1 hour mid day so their dogs are more settled in the house. For my more active dogs their owners are also walking them for 30 min before work and an 1 hour after work. So a 30 min walk is nothing for a Pit...2 hours minimum. Also make your dog use his brain its not always about going for a walk. Hide things for him to find, play catch, maybe agility or a sport that you could play with him on the weekends. Pits are also big chewers so as many of the other people have said give him lots to chew on and play with while you are not there....stufedf kongs, stuffed bones..etc.

What do you do when you come in and see something chewed???

If you think it is seperation anxiety related then try leaving him for shorter periods (30 min when you go to the store) and work up to leaving him longer. Also try to not be with him ALL THE TIME when you are home. Most everyone does this...my dog is on my knee or at my feet 24-7. However, if a dog shows seperation anxiety you should sometimes have him in another room when you are home (just for short periods) to show him its okay to be without you etc.

About an hour and a half is more typical, its just that the past few days it has been rainy and he doesn't like the rain. I was thinking this decrease in exercise might be the reason for the increased chewing. From all of your comments it seems like that's most likely.

When I walk in and find something chewed, I stand over it and say "bad boy" or just "bad"....He puts his head down and sulks away. It almost seems like he knows it was bad. I know this isn't necessarily the case, but he knows I am upset about it and can sense that. I don't stick him in his crate, because it is not intended as a place for punishment, but I will put him in a different room while I clean up whatever mess has been made.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

Exercised means he is passed out on the floor with his tongue hanging out. I know I have well behaved, exercised doggies when after a big drink of water they pass out on the floor.

This was him last night! He stretches out on the tile, that's how I know I got to him! We ran for about 20 minutes then took another hour walk, that definitely did the trick.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

Something else that works for car sickness is having a lot of bedding underneath the dog so he doesn't feel the vibrations/ motion so much. We have an old duvet in the back of the car for our dogs, but an old sleeping bag would do the trick.

ive seen these on the internet, I was thinking about getting one as a puke guard. But that's a smart idea too. Thank you

iLoveMyPitbull1225

He's not a bad dog, He's probably bored. Do you have a neighbor or relative that can take him during the day or just visit and take him for a long walk? Is there any way you can put him outside on a relatively long leash?

I know he's not. I've thought about asking my landlord who lives next door, but he is older...and Rocco is VERY strong. I wouldn't want him or anyone to get hurt. Ill probably do some asking around or try to find a walker.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

Frozen kongs with peanut butter and dog food help too.

This is his favorite treat He loves peanut butter!

BikerGirlElaine

Did anyone mention vinegar spray or bitter-apple spray yet? You put it on the things the dog is likely to chew that you don't want ruined. They learn to be careful before chewing, supposedly.

And when I have a puppy, I put a drop of a scent on all of their toys every few days. That way they associate the scent with things that are theirs to chew on. The last time I did this I was using a duck scent that I got from a sporting goods store. I do think it helps. If you did both of these things at the same time that might be a powerful way of communicating what you want through scent.

BikerGirlElaine

Frozen kongs with peanut butter and dog food help too.

This is his favorite treat He loves peanut butter!

I've also frozen actual bones, with and without PB, and they last longer that way, too.