Help me not turn my dog into a throw pillow.

[cnvh]

The Beast: 19-month old female shepherd mix, about 35 lbs. We got her from a shelter when she was about 4 months old. She had some quirks when she was a puppy but for the most part has been a very obedient dog, and the older she gets, the better she gets in terms of obeying commands. Super-quick learner, pretty high energy, the only dog I’ve ever had that is a fetch MASTER-- she goes nuts whenever she sees the “Chuckit,” she’ll retrieve for hours if you keep it up, always drops the ball at your feet (we never really even taught her that, she just does). The Beast isn’t particularly the nervous type-- couldn’t care less about thunderstorms, loves everybody, never met a human or critter she didn’t like.

We also have an older dog (7 y.o.), a lab mix, about 70 lbs., female. The Old Lady is much more laid back, also very obedient, but more timid re: storms, strangers, etc. We’ve had the Old Lady since she was also about 4 months old (rescue). Old Lady was our only dog until last summer, when we adopted The Beast. The Old Lady and The Beast get along well, never have arguments.

We crated Old Lady when we got her, just during our workday, up until she was about 8-9 months old. She transitioned right out of the crate to whole-house freedom pretty easily, never had a problem with her re: messing in the house, destroying anything, etc.

With The Beast, however… Well let’s just say that weaning her out of the crate has not gone so well. We first tried shortly before Christmas… she did OK for about a week, then the Christmas tree went up. She left it alone for a few days, then one day we came home and found that she had stripped the entire bottom half of the tree of every single decoration. The house looked like Santa had gone on a bender and trashed the place… :mad: So, back in the crate went The Beast, whenever we left the house.

We tried again around March. For a few days, things went OK… then we came home one day to find that she had pulled off a couch cushion, removed the zipper with near-surgical precision, and gutted it of all stuffing. So back into the crate she went.

We tried again this week… she’s been so good for the past month-- we’ve been letting her out of the crate for a couple hours here and there if we go out to run errands, and she’s been 100% fine, not a single thing disturbed. So we let her out of the crate all day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and today… Monday-Wednesday, the only casualty was a lone tissue that she found somewhere… but today, we came home to find another couch cushion, zipper removed, and stuffing strewn everywhere-- it looked lilke a sheep exploded in our living room.

Through trial and error, we have learned that The Beast has a high degree of delight for anything with snaps or zippers. She never bothers shoes, or throw pillows, or curtains, or anything like that-- but if she finds something has a zipper or snaps, it’s done. She destroyed two dog beds (removed the zippers and de-stuffed them); I replaced the destroyed ends with velcro tabs and she hasn’t bothered them since.

I DON’T think it’s separation anxiety… The Beast hangs out on the couch when we leave the house, doesn’t seem even remotely anxious, doesn’t even bark when we leave. The Old Lady is always calm as a cucumber when we leave, so Old Lady’s not riling her up. Hubby makes a point of taking both dogs jogging every morning before work, so The Beast is at least a little tired out. And the ONLY thing she seems hell-bent on destroying is our freaking couch-- specifically any part of it where she finds a zipper.

So… do we crate her until she’s 15? Or is there something we can do to keep her from eating our couch??? I really don’t want to have to operate on my couch and replace all the zippers with Velcro; I’m only a seamstress in emergencies, certainly I’m no good at it.

I see they make “anti-chew strips” for furniture… I wonder if I can stick them to the couch zippers. Or if anyone knows another “stay the hell away from my zippers” home remedy, I’d love to hear it.

[Catersun]

i have nothing useful to say other than God Bless you, while I chuckle. I have a counter thief, I feel your pain. She gets locked in my bedroom when we leave so I don’t come home to smashed dishes. At least yours can be crated… mine dismantles them while inside them.

[Casey09]

Can you try baby steps? What if you confined her to a bathroom, kitchen, or another room that you can make more Beast proofed? I would also always leave toys out. If her stomach isn’t overly sensitive, try a frozen stuffed Kong.
They do make scat matts, or something, to keep dogs away from certain items. You might try that also.

[vacation1]

Easiest - get rid of the couch. Kidding, kind of. Just remember she’s basically still a puppy. And that one day she will calm down and you will not even notice. If she’s like my dog, that day will be when she’s 10, but I digress. In the meantime, the best thing to do is separate Beast from couch unless you’re sitting on said furniture. Maybe try graduating her from the crate to a gated room like the kitchen? They make a lot of sizes and strengths of dog gates today - ask me how I know.

[cnvh]

We have a couple of baby gates, could potentially try blocking The Beast off into the kitchen, but I’m half-afraid she would figure out how to open the cabinets. :eek: And don’t get me started on toys-- these dogs have more toys than I had when I was a child! They’re both fond of stuffed toys and like to carry them around the house; our living room looks like a canine daycare center. Rawhides, rope toys, every kind of stuffed thing imaginable, tennis balls, you name it. The Beast also gets a peanut-butter-filled Kong every morning when she goes into the crate, which we had continued giving her every morning, same old ritual-- we just didn’t bother shutting the crate door this week.

The Beast is so pitiful re: the crate, too… she totally knows our morning routine, and she automatically goes right in after the two dogs go outside for their “final potty,” no command needed from us. But she always looks like she’s a beaten dog when she’s in the crate-- head down, “guilty face,” sad ears, the whole nine. (Note that we’ve never, ever put her in there for punishment, and if she doesn’t HAVE to be in there, she never goes in there of her own free will.) But she puts herself in there every weekday morning like clockwork, and she stays in there until we lock her in, even it we still have a few more minutes of getting ready for work. She hates it, but she goes in anyway without us even having to tell her to.

My husband is equating her to a conscientous warewolf who KNOWS it will kill if it’s not shackled during the full moon…

[irkenequine]

enter: the greatest thing ever invented:

http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Extra-Decorative-Walk-Thru/dp/B000XT30G4/ref=sr_1_8?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1312514713&sr=1-8

I have a cement mixer/aussie cattle dog mix who could smash through even the tallest baby gates with ease…but no longer!

It worked out fantastically for us because we have an old house with wide double-door type entrances into each room as opposed to an open floor plan. Our front door flows into the living room; we installed this in the doorway between the living room and the den (which we refer to as the ‘dog room’ as its where our leash rack and an older couch is that theyre welcome to lay on)

Although you could install this maybe in a hallway, or a back half of the house? It does give ours access to the kitchen but we don’t have counter surfers. The most AMAZING thing about it is having 5 large dogs and walking through the door and NOT being bowled over…nevermind watching a movie or eating dinner on the couch without 5 dog noses…no hair on the throw pillows, the cats have a ‘safe haven’ room…I don’t remember life without it!

Best of luck to you…I have a destroyer in my home too…thank GOD mine can come to work with me or I’d come home to the whole damn house collapsed in on itself I’m sure.

[Big_Grey_hunter]

She’s still young, give her time! Crate her or deal with some damage, but don’t give up hope just yet! I got my Special Dog at 12 months, after spending 5 months with a crappy (not abusive, but rough) owner and then 7 months in shelters. He had issues. Lots of issues. One of them was his issue with crates and incredibly destructiveness. Your dog eats couch cushions. My dog ate the couch. He ate off one arm, ate the cushions, and pulled the skirt off (and ate it, no joke) He’s eaten shoes, rugs, floor boards, dog beds… If it wasn’t solid steel he would destroy it, and usually eat it too. We kept all furniture covered with heavy duty throw blankets (he wouldn’t eat covered furniture… usually) and kept all tables, counters, chairs, floors clear. No food in trash, food cupboards blocked, etc.

The first 18 months were hell. He got at LEAST one 40+ off leash run in the woods daily or he was a mess. He destroyed thousands of dollars of stuff. After that, he gradually got better, chewing up less,calming down, he could even skip a walk every few weeks. Now, at almost 4 it’s a non issue. He will still swipe the occasional shoe or dish towel, but not to chew. He doesn’t need daily runs, although he’s happier with them. We cn leave stuff sittng around without him touching anything.

Give your dog a few more years, lots of exercise , and lots of patience. Chances are she’ll grow out of it, or at least most of it.

[Wellspotted]

She is telling you something loud and clear and you’re just not getting it. The ears–at least you can tell they’re “sad”–the face, the general sad look, and then the tearing around the house and tearing stuff up. She is saying as plainly as she can:

SHE DOES NOT LIKE BEING CRATED.

If you kept me in a crate all the time I would HATE you.

No wonder she tears the house up. She is young. She has energy. She is probably going just about insane being crated with all that youthful energy all the time. There is no way she can help herself.

Would you keep your horse tied up in a straight stall all day long?

If you have the kind of lifestyle where you cannot let your dog be a dog, then get a cat. And don’t crate it. Or better yet, get a hamster or a guinea pig.

It is not fair to a dog to be kept by people who don’t have time to stay home with her, play with her, take her for walks, let her use up her energy.

Maybe instead of a throw pillow you should just go buy a stuffed dog and put it on your sofa.

Poor puppy.

[Big_Grey_hunter]

[QUOTE=Wellspotted;5759320]
She is telling you something loud and clear and you’re just not getting it. The ears–at least you can tell they’re “sad”–the face, the general sad look, and then the tearing around the house and tearing stuff up. She is saying as plainly as she can:

SHE DOES NOT LIKE BEING CRATED.

If you kept me in a crate all the time I would HATE you.

No wonder she tears the house up. She is young. She has energy. She is probably going just about insane being crated with all that youthful energy all the time. There is no way she can help herself.

Would you keep your horse tied up in a straight stall all day long?

If you have the kind of lifestyle where you cannot let your dog be a dog, then get a cat. And don’t crate it. Or better yet, get a hamster or a guinea pig.

It is not fair to a dog to be kept by people who don’t have time to stay home with her, play with her, take her for walks, let her use up her energy.

Maybe instead of a throw pillow you should just go buy a stuffed dog and put it on your sofa.

Poor puppy. [/QUOTE]

:rolleyes:

[Simbalism]

My aussie pup has a zipper fetish also. She has removed the zippers from three dog beds so far and removed part of the stuffing. She didn’t seem intent on destroying as only a little of the stuffing is removed. She also likes to chew up baskets. She is always playing with sticks when outside, so I think she correlates the baskets as sticks. Another thing she is attracted to is flower pots. They can be plastic or the terra cotta clay type, she will pull the plants out and drag the pots off the deck and into the yard and chew them up. I work at night so she is in the crate at night when the family is sleeping. In the morning she goes for a walk or to the barn with me, then home, eats her breakfast, and then goes out to play with adult collie shepherd mix while I get ready for bed. She’ll usualy sleep in my room for about 3 hours(door shut/confined), then wake me when she wants to go out. She goes out in the fenced yard and then stays loose in the house if family is there. She routinely carries my shoes out into the living room, but doesn’t chew and is always carrying toys around. My pup is right around 11 months old. Your dog may just be a dog that needs to be confined in some manner when not being given attention. High energy dogs need a job or lots of exercise. On the other hand she may need grow out of it. I have my dog in obedience class and the trainer told us that most dogs do not have trustworthy adult behavior until two years of age.

[JanM]

I agree that things will get better, but not until about age three. Get the stupid velcro put in the sofa cushions, and replace anything else that has zippers and stuffing. Sometimes you just can’t win, and there’s no point trying.

It could be worse. My mini Schnauzer from the pound (he was three when I got him) like to take my underwear and drag it in the back yard, generally on the elevated back porch. And for those who think dogs are color blind, I don’t think so because he would only take the really wild patterns or colors outside-the very visible ones. Doggy Doors aren’t just for going out for potty, but for humiliating your human mommy too.

[LauraKY]

We crated our collie for 5 years. She finally “matured”. We had a dog fence around the Christmas tree for most of her life. Finally, one year, we had a fence less tree. That’s the winter our lab adopted us. We’re back to the fence.

The lab was crated for 2 years, the hound for one, new adopted collie for one week, she just sleeps on the couch or bed if no one is home.

So, you do what you have to do. My first collie loved her crate, would sleep in it at night with the door open. We moved and disposed of the crate, bought a new one for the lab and she would try to get in it before him. Funny girl.

[cnvh]

Wellspotted, get over yourself. Really.

The Beast is a 35-lb. dog in a crate sized for a great dane; I’m pretty sure it’s the biggest size they sell… she’s only in it during our workday, in case anyone was wondering-- not when we’re home, and not when we’re asleep.

Incidentally, when she has the run of the house at night, she never bothers anything… I really think she DOES know right from wrong with regard to zippers, but they’re her crack, and she can only stay clean for so long.

Unfortunately, I doubt a baby gate would work, even a tall one-- The Beast jumps, too. A couple months ago, she jumped out of a second-story hayloft, about 12’ off the ground. I had gone up (via the inside stairway) to get hay, the dogs all followed me up, and all the dogs followed me back down the steps like normal animals, except The Beast-- no, she had to do her best Superman impression and went out the hayloft door instead. Scared the absolute crap out of me, but she was fine, not even a scratch.

Although I DO have two babygates, so stacked one on top of the other, they would be about 6’… that might do it, as long as she didn’t figure out a way to dismantle the gate(s).

[bort84]

I would really try the baby gates (but you will def need your two you have now or an extra tall one). We got an extra tall kind very similar to the one irkenequine posted. It has been great. I would try that first. If you’ve already been trying her on complete free roam of the house for a couple hours at a time, no reason you couldn’t try it with the baby gates.

If needed, you can definitely do a double stack. The bottom one could be a more permanent fixture, and you can take the top one down when you get home.

I don’t love crates as a long term solution, so I would probably see if I could get away with baby gating in your situation.

Beyond that, I’d do as many little training sessions a day as you can to get her mentally tuckerd out.

[threedogpack]

I think before I taught her to discriminate about baby gates when you are there and when you are not, I’d do some deliberate training for staying behind baby gates quietly. She sounds quite bright and just tossing her behind a baby gate might work against you.

I’ve had dogs that were never reliable in the house and I’ve had dogs that had to learn how to be alone as well as those that just figured it out somehow.

The first thing I usually try is what you’ve been doing 1 hour>2 hours>3 etc and if I know I’m going to be gone for longer than has been proven, crate.

[cnvh]

[QUOTE=threedogpack;5760014]

The first thing I usually try is what you’ve been doing 1 hour>2 hours>3 etc and if I know I’m going to be gone for longer than has been proven, crate.[/QUOTE]

This is pretty much where we (were) at… She’s been perfectly fine on the weekends when we’ve gone for as long as to get dinner and a movie, 3-4 hours, no problem. I’m worried now because she discovered zippers in the couch, and I’m afraid she’s smart enough to know there’s more. :no: So at least for now, we’re back to NO unsupervised house time.

Has anyone ever tried the anti-chew strips? I see they make them for wrapping around table legs and such; they’re infused with cayenne pepper, lemon oil, etc. I’m thinking maybe I can cover the couch zippers with the tape (all the zippers are in discreet locations-- backs and bottoms of cushions, etc.)…

[MunchkinsMom]

What about Scat Mats: http://scatmatfordogs.com/

Maybe putting a few of those on the sofa will save your cushions.

Some dogs just never get over that urge to de-stuff things. My 13 year old brittany has always been notorious for killing dog beds in record time, and my husband told me point blank “NO MORE DOG BEDS” because he was sick of the mess.

Luckily it was only dog beds that she did that to, never the bed pillows or sofa cushions.

Or maybe the Petzoff cover: http://www.safepetproducts.com/petzoff.html

[LauraKY]

Ours kill dog beds too. I was going to suggest the scat mat…Munchkins Mom beat me to it.

That and a crate.

[wendy]

do you do any TRAINING of the dog while you are home? I mean about house rules. Simply stuffing a dog in a crate doesn’t teach it how to behave in a house. Crates are SO over-used. Most dogs who destroy the house are under-trained AND under-exercised, both physically and mentally. Bored dog. Confused dog. A tired dog should happily sleep while you are gone.

Housetraining usually involves several months of rather intense dog-monitoring and controlling the environment and rewarding dog for being good. The dog should be tethered to someone who happily rewards for not-eating-the-couch, not stealing the food, etc. The common tactic of waiting for the dog to be bad, trying to catch it being bad, and then punishing it doesn’t work well- it mostly teaches the dog to wait for the owner to go away before being bad.

A “chew mat” is a useful idea- dog is taught anything placed on the mat is fair game for eating, anything not on the mat is forbidden.