Help, Dogs Chewing!!!

[bckrazy]

I admire you for at least seeking out help, not just dumping them off at the pound!

However, just letting the problem fix itself or being apathetic about it is almost just as bad. The more your dogs are allowed to chew, the more they will chew. My advice is (and this might be difficult, but I think it'll be a lot less painful than being chewed out of house and home)...

*Get enrolled in a good Obedience class, now! If you must, bring one dog at a time, on different days of the week. The class experience and one-on-one demonstration with a trainer is essential. You should really consider getting at least one at-home visit from a dog behaviorist.

*Get up 30 minutes early and run your dogs!

*Get a dog-walker, have your husband go home on his lunch break, or you go home on your lunch break, to exercise the dogs. Do whatever is possible. They are obviously very bored and unhappy sitting around by themselves all day... would you expect a 3-year-old child to sit peacefully in a room all day? They need exercise and attention! Consider crating them, or setting up a secure pen that they can stay in while they aren't supervised. Not only is chewing bad for you, it's SUPER dangerous for hard chewers! Pieces of wood or plastic can become lodged and can cause death, very quickly.

*Suck it up and be an alpha. It's hurting your dogs, and confusing them, to not know who the leader is in their family! Both you and your husband need to use strict NILIF (Nothing in life is free training) with your dogs, give them very limited access to privileges, and treat them like dogs - not people! This doesn't mean you need be abusive or negative at all. It means you need to clearly establish what you expect of them... they need to earn everything - their food, treats, petting, everything - by either sitting or laying down. They come last - they eat after you, walk through doors after you, and they do not pull you along when you're on a walk with them.

[beyond_me]

Thank you. Spaz has been doing a lot better with knowing we are the boss. I've only had her for about 1 1/2 months. I think with her it helps that she goes in the kennel at night. My other dogs think that they are human though. Roxy our boxer was riased by my husbands family, and my mother in law always wanted a 3rd kid so she was that to her. And Cali I've had for half a year is totally spoiled but pretty good other then chewing. It took a while to potty train her, but I've heard her breed can be normally hard to potty train. But she listens pretty good. We are taken them on longer walks at night, and my husband is playing more with them when we get home while I'm cooking dinner. We should get up earlier, but I already have a hard time getting up, not a good enough reason, but right now I'm happy that we are walken them more at night. 1 step at a time. They have been doing pretty good lately. Spaz if getting fixed this saturday so that should help. It totally calmed down Cali. I do need to work on the dogs letting me go through a door first, and us eating first. Usually I have to move out of their way. But I do see things changen and I'm doing better at making them sit before they get a treat and before we go for a walk. When we walk I'm telling them to do stuff just to make them know they need to listen to me all the time, and to stop Cali from pulling, they are doing good. My husband has been helping me out a lot more. He's being more understanding and helpful. We normally walked them, but now we are running with them and getting them (and us) worn out.

Also does anyone know of any tricks to get Spaz to stop barking at at my cats? They stay in the laundry room in the day because I have a dog door and my cats are house cats, so Spaz doesn't see them that much. I usually let her visit them but they don't come out much when she is around. They mostly come out at night now when she is in her kennel. I'm just wondering how to speed things up with her leaving them alone.

We work about an hour away from home. So we really don't have the time or the money for gas to go home for a luch break. I have thought about kenneling, but I hate to do that because I know dogs need to play and do stuff for their health. I would hate to make them hold it for 14 hours most days.

About the trainer, I would love to but money wise I can't really afford it. Also I know that when you get a trainer you are being trained too. You have to keep doing what the trained does for it to work. Which is fine but hard. I have a gentle leader for Cali, and my sister was training to be a dog trainer but had to stop because things came up, but she has shown me how to stop her from pulling, I just don't like to do that. But I should though huh? Also I know how to stop a dog from jumping with using a leash, I just need to do it. So I rather try and do things myself with advice if possible.

[Dixieland Dancer]

my sister was training to be a dog trainer but had to stop because things came up, but she has shown me how to stop her from pulling, I just don't like to do that. But I should though huh?

So I rather try and do things myself with advice if possible.

If you ignore the advice, why should we continue to give it? Just curious!

You are basically admitting that if the advice you are given doesn't fit your needs, you ignore it. You have been given the BEST advice possible for you and your dogs situation. I believe it doesn't fit what you want to hear so you are going to keep asking until someone says what you want to hear. It doesn't work that way. Sorry.

[beyond_me]

not everyone can afford a trainer!!!

[Dixieland Dancer]

But you have been given FREE advice from people on this board and your sister. Can you spare getting up 1/2 hour earlier or giving the dog an hour of your time in the evening? It is important. You may come home one day to find something chewed and your dog seriously ill or worse, dead from something it ate. You have to do SOMETHING!

Perhaps you can ask hubby if he will "walk with you" in the evenings and then each of you can "take a dog along" just because. However and whatever you do, you need to exercise and stimulate the dogs more.

[beyond_me]

Me and my hubby do take the dogs out for a walk at night. We were just walken, but now that we are in a little more better shape we jog with them, and play with them during the walk. Also when we get home when I'm cooking dinner my hubby plays with them. They adore playing with him. Cali not so much because I babied her and she likes to sit and watch but Roxy loves it and Spaz is learning. The morning though Cali wouldn't want to go out anyways, and I already do not get enough sleep. I'm about ready to fall asleep when I'm driving, and I drive a lot for work, so I need my sleep, but I do play with them in the morning and give them a lot of attention when I'm getting ready.
I know them chewing is very Dangerous!!! My sister has told me ways to stop my dogs from pulling and jumping, but I have a hard time doing those things, and have tried other things that are working. I am thankful for everyones advice, it helps give me ideas on what to do!!! That is what I am looking for. I have to do what works for me and my dogs. I know I can't keep doing what I have been doing, I have been changing, but it's not going to be over night. I have been a push over all my life with animals. It's going to take time for me to step up, and I am!They have been a lot better. They don't jump on the screen that keeps them in the kitchen anymore, which I use to never stop them, they are learning not to jump unless I say give ten, Cali isn't pulling much anymore, and they sit everytime I tell them to,and things are a lot better. Cali comes everytime I call her. Roxy not always, because my hubby is her alpha, she's jealouse of me, and Spaz just now knows her name so she'll be learning to also.
I have been around dogs my whole life, and do know a lot about them. I just have never had to be the one that was alpha, but I am learning!!!

[VTJess03]

Maybe if you can't afford to pay for obedience, you can find someone else in a similar situation and use the advice you have been given to be each others' obedience accountability. You could help them with the basic obedience that you have mastered, and you can ask them to make sure you are consistent with a particular technique that has been suggested to you or that you just need a little more practice with. It won't be as good as one-on-one with a professional trainer, but if you are careful and follow sound training techniques, it will provide each of you with an extra set of eyes to catch mistakes/bad habits before they become too far along to fix. (I would not recommend your husband though unless your relationship is very strong. Even with my loving hubby, this would strain our relationship and become a 'you're doing it wrong' blame-fest lol ).

[howlyip]

So far from what I have read in this forum is some ideas to help beyond_me with some chewing isues, but everybody has agreed that she needs to work on becoming the alpha in her dogs pack.

How about some ideas and tricks and training that she can do to become alpha first, rolled into some ideas on stopping chewing.

I myself understand not being able to afford a trainer, I had 4 dogs (3 rescues), worked 12 hours a day, and my husband wasn't fond of the dogs in the first place, just because one was potty training, one was digging and the other two barked.
How in the world would I be able to convince him we needed a trainer? I couldn't, so I joined up on a board like this and started getting tips. NOT ONCE, was I told to get rid of them. When someone is asking for help, help them, find the real issue, which in the case for beyond_me seems to be becoming the alpha, and from there learning some tricks.

There was someone who helped, saying that she goes through the door first, eat firsts, etc. All these are great but there has to other things to help speed this process along. I do agree that beyond_me needs to work on knowing that some things she may just need to suck up and do to get this to start working. Dogs are the most forgiving creatures I know, they also adapt extremely well if given the chance. They will love you no matter what. They desire to have someone be in charge, therefore making the rules set before them easier to follow. They won't have to worry if what they do is wrong, because they will learn exactly what is wrong and what is right.

Beyond_me, I suggest some reading that was brought up earlier, start to change your way of thinking on what dogs truly need to do it right. My dogs have had to learn some rules set forth by my husband, and they have adapted, even my 10 year old at the time. She stills loves me uncontrollably and always will.

So please, I think the question asked is, what are some tricks that will help beyond_me become alpha, and while this is going on, besides exercise what else can be done to help stop the chewing???

With these dogs being rescues, and so young, who knows what there life was like before. You are starting from scratch. It will happen, just become open to a few ideas, try them and see what happens.

[howlyip]

[URL=http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/nothingfree.htm]

[URL=http://www.sspca.org/Dogs_TANSTAAFL.html]

This shows the basics of NILIF "Nothing in life is free" It works, but it's a big change from where you are, but it works. I will try to find some more web sites on this to give you more information.

[bckrazy]

Hrm. Howlyip, I never said she should re-home them. But, she should ABSOLUTELY do something, soon. If it's really straining her marriage and her life, she wants to go forward in baby steps, and the dogs are unhappy/in danger, this should be taken pretty seriously.

I think that, since more exercise and time spent playing with the dogs is not do-able, they really need to be safe first and foremost. Chewing up wood and spa covers isn't safe!!! It'll result in painful chipped teeth or blockages, easily. I think the dogs should be in a secure, dog-proofed zone when not supervised. A dog run/pen or a secure area in the house with NOTHING there to chew on.

Honestly, a behaviorist costs about $75-100 per hour. Just one hour giving the behaviorist your history and situation, and him/her giving you advice for your personal situation, could help a LOT! Otherwise, read up on everything you can, get and plan, and DO IT. Could your husband run with the dogs in the morning before he leaves? Could you take them in the yard and play with them for 20-30 minutes and tire them out? Could you hire a private dog-walker, who charges reasonable fees for a number of dogs (I've seen some that charge $10 for a jog/walk, and small fees for each additional dog)? There are lots of things you can do to eliminate the strain on you and the strain on your dogs right now.

[Dixieland Dancer]

I DID mention that I though she should consider rehoming the one dog earlier in this thread if she was not able to spend more time with it. This was said because she stated she didn't have the time for the dog and was spending long hours away from home. The dog is 10 months old and still not housebroken! But that's not my primary concern. The dog being so destructive is. It is not a safe environment for the dog and she may come home to a seriously sick dog or worse, some day.

This is not a case where learning tricks is going to make the dog safe. This is a case of a dog being bored and finding something to do with it's time while the owner is away. The only solution is to stimulate the dog physically and mentally so that when she is gone, the dog will rest instead of destroy. Several people have given suggestions but I have heard many excuses on why these suggestions can not be done. She would find a way, no matter what, if it was a top priority. I have also made my comments knowing that this is a big enough subject to cause friction in her marriage. So I stand by if she doesn't exercise and mentally stimulate the dog more, the problem will not go away and may become a serious issue. If it was my dog and I knew I was not able to give the dog what it needed, I would find it a home where someone could. I did not say take it to the shelter.... I said actually find a loving home for it! I am a dog trainer and know that this situation would require a lot of my time and committment but foremost would be exercise and mental stimulation. Learning obedience is the mental stimulation and there is tons of information on how to do that available. Only she can exercise the dog properly and she admits she doesn't have the time to do that.

There are ample suggestions for improvement in the situation. She now has to take action!

[beyond_me]

Spaz is 10 months old but I've only had her about a month and a half, and she has been on antibiotics and she had 2 dips for mange that really set her back. She had been doing good but everytime I did a dip she got really messed up, depressed, sick and started peeing again, but I have stopped the dips and am doing other things that are a lot better, so she is a lot better now. Also I understand that I'm not hore as much as I would like to be, but I try to do my shopping during my break, and try not to do anything after work so that I am home with my dogs. I even try and stay home all weekends and hang out with them.
Also finding a good home is hard. Everyone who loves dogs already has enough. I would rather try and work with her then to find home after home for her. If the first home I gave her to didn't work, then she would just keep going different places and get stressed out which is bad for her demodex. She has Tick Fever which is why she has demodex but stress makes it worst. I know she can tell that we have been stressed with them chewing and I know that stresses her out, but lately they have been doing really good and we are doing better with them also. She is very happy where she is at. I would hate to make her go from home to home till she found 1 that would keep her. She's a lover and very smart. She has an awesome nose. But with her breed it is asking for the wrong person to want her. I know chewing is dangerous, they haven't been doing that for the last week. That is when we really started to wear them out walking, not just going for a walk, it has helped. I love all my dogs, and I only want is best for them, and I am working on that!

[Dixieland Dancer]

I'm glad things are working out. Please note, I only suggested rehoming her if you didn't or couldn't find more time to exercise her. If you can manage, I would never want to you get rid of her. It's just that I've seen first hand the stress a dog who is bored can put on a family and the danger it poses to itself. Exercise and mental stimulation are this particular dogs greatest needs. As long as you address these two needs, she will turn out to be a great dog!

[beyond_me]

Thank you. I understand now what you were saying, and I totally know how much stress it can be on a marriage. Lucky for me and my hubby we are working things out, and it's teaching us even to be better at talking and explainging what we are thinken, so in the end I think it will be a good thing. I just need to get her to stop chewing for her sake and ours, and it seems like things are getting better!!!
I think she will be awesome also. I think the main problem was I hadn't gotten Cali to totally stop chewing before I got Spaz. Now I'm having to work with two dogs, but they are getting better.
I am wondering, is there anyway to give a dog a chore to do when you are gone? I know they have kongs and you can fill those up with treats and peanut butter to have them do that, but I don't want to do that when I am gone. It might be a dumb question but can they know that they need to do something before you get home, kinda like I know I have to do so much at work before I can go home?
Anyway if anyone has a cool idea or game that I can do to teach my dogs to only chew on their toys that would be great!!!

[beyond_me]

Those web sites are pretty interesting!!! I will need to try doing that. Thank you!!!