Kersey misbehaving

[AdoreMyDogs]

I am so concerned about Kersey. She is absolutely destroying the apartment. She cost us our $600 deposit by ripping up and de-threading a chunk of carpet upstairs. She has destroyed all three of Graham's beds. She severed a phone cord. She is moving from room to room and doing bad things. When I adopted her, it was because she was a mature dog and she was house trained/crate trained and trustworthy in the house. I had her for 4.5 months before she began doing bad things, and now she's on a bad streak and I am caging her every moment we leave the house.

I had hoped that we would not have to set up her crate in our new house, but I have lost all trust of her. I am also worried about what she's going to do to our new house. We have really nice stuff and we do not want her destroying our home.

I know that there have been alot of stresses lately, with us doing our house search, us finally buying a house, and now when we go out buying appliances and buying all the home necessities that we don't have. She and Graham have needed to be home alone more often, but we are still taking the dogs into consideration, and when we have to be gone a long time, we take them with us.

Kersey has maybe 40 toys currently. She is the most destructive dog with toys that I have ever owned, but I keep those toys plentiful so she does not get bored while we are at work. She has chew toys, and stuffie toys that I buy at garage and yard sales (I can't afford to buy her stuffies made for dogs since they are so expensive, and she has them de-stuffed and ripped to shreads in a meer 10 minutes), ball toys. She has all kinds of textures, shapes, sizes, so she has no reason to destroy our apartment.

I am very worried about her. This house is something I have been looking forward to for years and years, and I am not even able to enjoy the experience of buying our first home because I am always worried about what Kersey's going to do. She has already grounded herself to being in the crate all day again, but that I eventually want her out of the crate. I got her mainly as a companion for Graham and she is old enough to know what is hers and what is ours. She was so good for over 4 months, close to 5 months, and now she's turned into a destructive, spiteful puppy again.

I am also concerned that of the beds she destroyed, they were all Graham's. She has one fluffy bed that I bought when I bought her and she has not touched it, but all of Graham's beds have been either destroyed so bad that I had to throw them out, or she's slowly working on them.

Anyway, I have to get ready for work. I was just hoping someone would have advice, because I truly don't want her destroying our new house. I would not have adopted her had I known she would ruin our house. We have a very strict budget with the things that we have planned to do to the house, and our hearts will shatter if she eats our new berber carpet or scratches our hardwood floors, or eats the blinds, or worse....if she eats through a live wire, instead of the phone cord that she ate through.

If anyone has advice on what I should be doing please advise.

I would also like to mention that Kersey should not be bored because she is in obedience class on Monday night and agility class on Wednesday. It's not as if she does not have mental stimulation.

[ChrisAK]

I'm chuckling with you not at you. I know this all too well. First off, kenneling is actually good for them. Keep this up.
He is experiencing the stress and is releasing it in the only way he knows how. You need to take time out of your busyness (hard I know), and take him to the park and run him. He needs that extra assurance right now.

Does Kersey have obedience training behind him. If not GET SOME! This will help immensly.

Get a can and fill it with marbles or things that will make a loud rattle. When you see him starting to act out his boredom, toss the can towards him and command "NO" very sternly. Then place him in a "DOWN STAY". Do not release him until you are ready.

When you move into your new home, kennel him up while you are gone. Work him by stepping outside the house and a short ways down the block (so he can't see you out the window). Wait for about 10 minutes and return. If he hasn't torn anything apart, praise. Continue this for about a week then extend the period outside longer. He will eventually catch on.

Good luck.

[ramanth]

Kersey!?! The Kersey I met? Oh Leslie, I'm so so sorry to hear that.

I have no idea why she would do that and since I've never had to deal with such a situation, I have no advice I could give.

Have you taken her to the vet to rule out any kind of medical condition she might have?

I know if animals are hurting on the inside they might take out their frustration on things.

Since she just started this behavior, I'm wondering if it's that or if she's truely resentful at you guys being away. Not that that is your fault at all. Kia has copped attitudes at me this past summer when I had to do homework and couldn't play with her.

Geez.... I just don't know. I'm just so sad that she is doing that to you.

*HUGS*

[Dixieland Dancer]

Leslie, I do not know enough to form an opinion on why this is suddenly occuring. It may be that Kersey is feeling the stress of all that has been going on in your families life but then again it may be something totally different. I would really like to understand better so bear with my extra questions.

1. How old is Kersey (approximately)?
2. How old was she when she was given up by her previous owners? Or How long was she in the shelter?
3. Do you know anything about her past history before you got her?
4. How is she with Graham? Does she try to be the alpha dog over the two of them?
5. Does she obey you when you give her a command immediately or does she do it when she feels ready too?
6. Is she spayed?

I am really interested in knowing how Kersey and Grahams relationship is.

Thanks for the additional info. I will write more after I get your answers.

[jackiesdaisy1935]

I wish I could give you some advice, but I can't imagine why she is doing this at this time, unless she feels the stress of all that has been happening, but what to do about it, I don't have a clue.
I'm sure someone on here more experienced will offer some advice, I'm so sorry I know how you feel and how worried you are about her destroying the new house. Can it be jealousy of Graham for some reason? This one has me stumped. I hope she improves before you move into your new house.
Jackie, Miss Daisy and Perry

[AdoreMyDogs]

Originally posted by Dixieland Dancer
Leslie, I do not know enough to form an opinion on why this is suddenly occuring. It may be that Kersey is feeling the stress of all that has been going on in your families life but then again it may be something totally different. I would really like to understand better so bear with my extra questions.

1. How old is Kersey (approximately)?
2. How old was she when she was given up by her previous owners? Or How long was she in the shelter?
3. Do you know anything about her past history before you got her?
4. How is she with Graham? Does she try to be the alpha dog over the two of them?
5. Does she obey you when you give her a command immediately or does she do it when she feels ready too?
6. Is she spayed?

I am really interested in knowing how Kersey and Grahams relationship is.

Thanks for the additional info. I will write more after I get your answers.

1)Kersey just turned a year old.

2)She was fostered with a family for a month before she came to me. Before that, she was a stray.

3) maybe some very slight dominent behaviors from her. For the most part, I see that they are about equal in heiharchy, but Kersey does show some very subtile dominent traits (coming in first through an open door, getting to the water dish first after a walk)

4)When I give her a command she obey's immediately. She is very obedient. She would never, ever do such bad things while we are home, which leads me to assume she knows that she is misbehaving.

5)Yes she is spayed, and she never did have her first heat. She was spayed before I adopted her.

My guess is that she is acting out out as in effort to get more attention. I do admit that I have not been spending as much time with the dogs as perhaps I should be, but I have been so busy that I just can't right now. Graham understands and he's always a good boy, but Kersey may just have a different way of voicing her opinions.

I am going to take them both to the Bark Park today and maybe tomorrow also, as they have not been in weeks. Hopefully it'll give Kersey the release she needs.

Thanks for the help. Candy, what do you suspect I should do about her slight alpha traits? Since they appear to be so similar, should I go with that? Or should I start treating my precious Graham as the omega?

[Sudilar]

Kersey can probably feel the anxiety and stress. Things are happening that makes her feel insecure. (Do I sound like a pet psychic?? LOL) Are you packing? Who knows, maybe her first family was moving, too, and dumped her. Dogs know when things are not normal. The minute I bring out the suitcases from the basement, Killian gets clingy and mopey. Just the fact that you can't spend as much time with her can make her uneasy. After all, she did end up at a shelter.
In this case, crates are a good thing. In fact, the rescue group my parents got their dog from highly recommend crating. (But he broke out of the crate and tore down the drapes and blinds-oops!) Mom needed new blinds and drapes, anyways, she says.... Now the crate is repaired and his escape route has been secured! LOL He has access to the crate (open door) whenever he wants (and he does like it), but when they leave, they close the door. They take him almost everywhere they go anyways, so he's not in there very often!
Good luck and wear the little girl out at the park. A tired pup, is a good pup.

[Dixieland Dancer]

Leslie, thanks for the additional information. I wanted to rule out the possibility of a dominance aggression problem between Graham and Kersey. This is something that can creep up too. However, I think what you are dealing with is a classic case of seperation anxiety.

Do not assume that Kersey is aware that what she is doing is wrong. She has a real problem that is producing unwanted results and she can not control it at this time. Numerous things in her short life have produced this. Formost, the change in your schedule getting the new house and not spending as much time with the dogs as you usually do. Your home is the first stable home she has had and she is overcome with anxiety when you leave that it may be over. She depends on you as her alpha perhaps just a little too much. This can be corrected but it is going to take some time, understanding and patience on your part (as well as Dan) to overcome. I speak from experience because I had the same issue with Dixie for almost two years.

There are several things you can do to help. Start by trying to get Kersey comfortable in a room of your house without you being in it. I used a Kong filled with treats or peanut butter to keep Dixie occupied. I was in the house but where she couldn't see me. If I went outside I didn't take her all the time (which I normally did). I made sure I was back in a few minutes. When returning I did not acknowledge her. After a few minutes (5 to 10) I would then call her and pet her giving her praise.

When I had to leave, I had to learn to vary my routine so she would not be suspicious when a certain sequence of events happened. My biggest mistake was giving her a kiss and telling her to be a good girl while I'm gone and dragging out the inevitable. For about 15 minutes before I leave now I have to ignore her and try to give her something to occupy herself with. Usually I give her a treat ball with breakfast before I leave so she can try to get the kibble out while amusing herself. Then I leave without any fanfare. I should note that I did put the treat ball in the crate with the door closed at this point.

At first on my weekends I would do the same routine as I did during the week when I was going to work. I would leave for about 10 minutes and then come back and leave her in the crate for about 5 minutes and then not acknowledge her for another 10. By doing this I was taking her focus off of my return and hoping she would be more relaxed during my absence.

I am a firm believer that nothing is for free. I make the dogs work for everything even if it is a simple sit. This way I can incorporate security into everyday routines such as feeding, going out, etc.

In severe cases of anxiety, you need to work behavior modification along with prescription medication. Only your vet can tell you if it is this severe or not. I would try just behavior modification first and see how that goes. The key is to get Kersey to depend on you less without giving up your alpha position.

Use the crate until you have trust in her again. This is for her safety as well as your peace of mind.

One final important note..... EXERCISE is a must!! Try to spend a minimum of 20 minutes running Kersey before you leave. The more the better. I know how hard this is sometimes but I have to force myself to get up a half hour earlier just to exercise the dogs. They need the stimulation and relaxing effect that Exercise has on their system. Then the chances are that they will rest the majority of the time you are gone. This is not taking the dogs for a walk but actually getting them panting from running and playing frisbee or catching a ball. Whatever you do it must be to increase the heartrate for extended periods of time.

Don't give up on Kersey. It is because she loves you so much that she is suffering from this problem. It is just as hard on her (in a different way) than it is you.

There are numerous old threads that deal with this issue and many many articles on the net. If you need more help and ideas on why this occurs just search around. Best of Luck and let us know how it goes. Just remember patience. It may take months to get her comfortable at home alone.

As for your question about the alpha status. They will let you know when there needs to be a change in how you handle the dogs. When one starts acting more dominant against the other then you need to reward the more dominant by letting them drink first, go out first, get greeted first, etc. Until they let you know, don't worry about it. No sense in making work for yourself where there is no need. Dealing with Kersey's separation anxiety is going to be enough of a challenge.

P.S. Dixie is fine now and has not been crated in a long time. She has not destroyed anything either. It does get better. Just hang in there.

[AdoreMyDogs]

For the 2nd time this week Kersey has peed on the carpet. Last week she pooped all over the carpet. It was completely uncalled for. I had just gotten back from taking them to the Bark Park, I left to run some erands, while Dan stayed home with the dogs. He was watching TV for about 1/2 hour and then walked into the office and there was a large, warm puddle of pee in the middle of the carpet.

She then proceeded to chew even more of Graham's only remaining bed while Dan was cleaning up her pee and scrubbing the carpet. She has destroyed all of his other beds.

I've about had it with her. I thank everyone for the advice but my nerves can't take her for much longer. She's now grounded herself to being in the crate at all times, except at night and when she is going out to potty. I will NOT have her peeing on, pooping on, chewing up my new house. She is totally taking away from my pleasure of buying a new home. I am so stressed out right now. I simply can't take the extra stress of this unruley dog. I have been having breathing problems from too much stress. It just does not get better, it gets worse. The house is alot of stress and it gets just a little bit worse daily from Kersey. She keeps my stress level on the rise and I truly don't want to see what happens when she begins to destroy my house...the house that I have been hoping for....dreaming of....longing for, for many, many many years now.

I think the timing was bad for getting Kersey. Way too many stresses in my life now, and now I have to deal with this dog who has lost much of her home training, and is as destructive as can be. I'll take her to the vet tomorrow to rule out any problems, but honestly, she's acting 100% healthy. I truly love Kersey but I am worried that I made a bad decision in getting her. It's been so stressful since I got her. She is way too much dog for this apartment, and I figured it would be all better once we got a house, but quite frankley, I don't plan on letting her out of her crate to even have a chance to run around in the new house, for fear of her wearing out her welcome by causing us further financial stresses with all that she destroys.

I hate to sound harsh, I am quite fed up with her now. I come home after a much needed break from the dogs. I was finally slightly less stressed out after having a good time buying house stuff from Home Depot. As soon as I walked in the door and set my purse down, I look and there are towels all over the floor from her pee, and there is a whole bunch more of Graham's bed shreaded. I am trying so hard to make her happy and fulfill her mentally by providing such wonderful training and agility, and by truly taking wonderful care of her both mentally and physically, and loving her and being her cuddle partner and her friend. I feel like I am being pulled farther then I can go. Right now I am thinking about her, as she is locked in her cage for the rest of the night, and wondering if she's not quite happy with me, Graham and Dan. And these behavioral issues she has, it is truly getting worse by the day. I have known about seperation anxiety for many years and as a general rule, I NEVER give either of them any attention for the first 5 or so minutes that I am home. I just do that out of habbit. I also never say "goodbye" to either of them....never, ever. I ignore them while I am preparing to leave and I ignore them when I get home.

She is becoming more work then I feel I can handle. It was not like this when I adopted her and I am really confused. She is obviously not happy. I know that she knows that I am beyond the healthy level of stress.

We close in 4 days and I am not excited at all. I am just stressed at how I can provide her a good home while she's locked in her crate while we are fixing up the house, because I can't trust her.

Candy??? Carrie??? Anyone??? Help....please. I need advice. My heart is breaking and my body is so far beyond the healthy level of stress.

[Sudilar]

Do you think she's picking up on your stress and as yours escalates, so does hers? Maybe you can talk to a behaviorist for help?

[Aspen and Misty]

I knwo this might sound werid but they say that a dog goes threw a terrible two's just liek people .Now I didn't want to say it before because I probly sound stupid saying this but in a book I read it said that most dogs go threw there terrible two's at the age of 12 or 13 months. About your pups age. You will loose everythign you have done with her in the past year or so. So this is my guess that she might be going threw her terrible twos. Sorry if that sounds stupid but. O well...from my reading that is my guess off what is happeing

[shais_mom]

Leslie, I am so sorry Kersey is putting you thru this. I am a firm believer in crates also. Shaianne was in the crate almost all the time while I was away. And Keegan spends her nights in the crate while I am at work and when we go to bed.
I am sure you are doing most of the stuff right. I totally sympathasize with you, needing a break from the dogs. I need that too, it doesn't mean we are bad moms just human. Also, Kersey is still a puppy I am sure, so that probably adds to the problem. Sometimes as soon as Keegan gets out of the crate she is like "OK, now what can I do?" And she gets into everything. The one day I had just had it with her and I just sat down and bawled and said "Why do you have to be so bad?" and "IF I can't handle you I can't handle kids!" She was just awful! Keep your chin up, and try to take care of yourself.

[Dixieland Dancer]

Leslie, I am treading lightly here because I don't want to sound unsympathetic. However, crating Kersey is not the answer. If anything it is adding to the problem because when she does get out (if ever from the sounds of your post) she will just be more unsure of what she is doing. Especially since she doesn't understand why she is in the crate all the time now. I know you said you believe she does but really you know in your heart she doesn't. Dogs do not have the cognitive reasoning that humans do.

She has two things going against her at the moment. First she is a teenager and second her mom is filled with stress and is struggling to handle it. I do believe she is picking up on your stress and is feeling anxiety herself. This is new to her and she is acting up.

Your post sounded so uncharacteristic of what I would expect to hear from you so you must be very stressed. Is there anyone who can watch Kersey for you for a week or so while you deal with packing and moving? After you get settled a little your nerves may be more able to handle the situation.

I still believe Exercise (not obedience and agility class) are going to help immensely. Get her heart rate up for a good 20 minutes or so and help her expend some of that puppy energy! Throw a frisbee or ball and have her run, rn, run.

There is no easy solution. She is feeling anxiety and so are you. The teen years are difficult especially when you are feeling so much stress but it does get better. Think it through and I believe you will realize that crating her so much is not the answer. She does love you and is just looking for your love in return.

Perhaps you can ask the vet for some medication to help Kersey deal with her anxiety for awhile, just to help through this period. There are natural remedies out there too that help calm the pups nerves but I am not familiar with them that much. I believe something is called essence of flowers or something like that.

[Rachel]

Leslie, I am no expert here but I have lived through some destructive stages with Hannah, and I think that Candy has what could be a very good take on the situation and some excellent advice. I do believe that Kersey's destructive behavior and pottying in the house is her way of relieving her own anxiety and stress. The object for you is to find other ways for her relieve her stress and not to be so stressed out to begin with.

Concentrate on play and exercise, things she enjoys. Focus on her good traits and qualities. When Hannah was a bitty puppy she was so challenging I didn't think we would ever bond. But she had one trait that was endearing in that when she was tired she wanted to cuddle and love. I focused on that in my mind and soon found she had other wonderful traits that I enjoyed.

What I am going to say next is from my theory of *If what you are doing isn't working, try something else.* Does Kersey enjoy obedience work and agility training, or does she go through it with less than enthusiasm? Maybe a break from all the structured work is in order if that is the case.

I know how important your new home is to you and you don't want it destroyed. I think once Kersey has her own yard to enjoy, it may be such a help to what she is going through. I hope you don't give up on the relationship you and Kersey are forming. There is an answer somewhere in this situation and if anyone is capable of finding it you are. You've been through difficult times before and you can get through this one too. Take several steps back from the situation and try to look at it in a depassionate way to evaluate what may be causing the problem and how to alleviate it. Good luck.

[AdoreMyDogs]

Just an update so you all don't think I am going to give up on my Kersey girl:

We had a good weekend and it was very uneventful. Kersey behaved herself very well and didn't do anything naughty this weekend. I had a long talk with Candy on the phone last night (thanks Candy ) and it was helpful. She suspected that along with my stresses, Kersey is also unsure of her role with Graham. It was very helpful and I am willing to try harder to not only relieve my own stress, but to also work on helping Kersey through this.

I just wanted to drop an update so you all don't worry about Kersey, and don't feel poorly about me