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3. This dog obviously needs more exercise than she's now getting. Add a 30 minute power walk to her current routine. A power walk is one where the dog must walk on a loose leash and is not permitted to pull, lag, sniff or potty. The last two are permitted ONLY when you call for a break. Again, this exercises both body and mind. And, again, a tired dog is a good dog.
^ this one especially.
seems like the dog needs more exercise, attention and toys.
Didn't read through the entire three pages, so apologies if this has been suggested. Tether when home. I've got my daughters 'boxter' (boston terrier / boxer mix) and I've had to resort to tethering with her. Get a six or eight foot leash. Attach to your belt loop then clip to her leash. Keep her attached all day. Yes, it's a PITA. Doing dishes while they want to play with another dog and you're getting yanked around and constantly correcting them is irritating. Trying to pee while a dog wants to play is annoying (though I've gotten to the point she gets kenneled while I potty - patience only goes so far!). And at night and when you're not home, crate. They can't do a thing you miss if they're tethered to you. And they do pretty quickly realize that and learn to settle down.
It's been about a week with my daughter's dog and there's a huge improvement. I can leave her off leash and she plays with the other dogs and then settles in next to me on the floor when I'm on the computer, the couch or washing TV. We still have our occasional problems, but the difference has been amazing. It's my 'last resort' with a dog because it is irritating, but it's also very effective.
I understand how tremendously frustrating it can be...in a previous post I think I mentioned I came very close to getting rid of a hyper-neurotic, massively destructive dog. I didn't, and it worked out...she was a wonderful, wonderful dog in the end. As others have said, it can take two or three years for the final "brain shipment" to come in, then all of a sudden you realise your challenging dog has turned into a mature, sensible adult.
My current terrier - herding cross breed was one that I think many people would not have tolerated for the first two years...she was going to 2-3 obedience and agility classes a week, plus daily runs and training sessions. You're in Alaska, I take it by your screen name? If there aren't available training classes, then dog daycare, or even finding someone else with a hyper young dog and a safe place for them to play and get their ya-yas out would sure help. Training...you're off to a good start, and classes would be extremely helpful, but if you can't, you can't. Does she get some control exercises along with the frisbee playing? Like, down and stay while the toy is thrown, then release to toy. Like that. I think self-control exercises are really important, especially for very drivey dogs.
I enjoy high-drive, smart, challenging dogs...come to think of it I've had several in my life that were quite a lot of work for a while. But I don't have kids and have a somewhat flexible work schedule, so I can make time for classes and runs....did two hours earlier today running the dogs off-leash.
You've had her 4 months and she's only a little over a year old, a crazy teenager...I would also advise patience. She WILL calm down, truly she will.
You learn the most from the challenging, difficult dogs. Easy dogs don't teach us much!
Quote:
Originally Posted by AK-Cathy
What do all of you people that are talking about training, training, training mean? If going to class is what you mean then no we haven't gone to a formal class with her but we have done everything a formal basic obedience class has taught us to do in the past with our other dogs and practice the commands with her daily along with giving commands such as sit/stay to go out, eat her meal etc. If there is something else, such as agility or other specialty training, we don't have much of that here and don't have the contacts nor are we able to commit large chunks of scheduled (their schedule) time to get into it. I have little hope that adding a basic obedience class to the other things that we are doing (that does include the content of that class) will be a magic bullet.
She gets vigorous exercise at least three times a day, long walks to the point of dragging and a power play, where she gets very tired. We have already committed more hours than we would have otherwise to dealing with her issues and were hoping to see some progress but so far, not enough to be encouraging. It seems that we get one area semi-dealt with and another gets worse, especially the destruction of items which we have made no dent into.
She is not left alone. She goes with us everywhere. She does her worst when we are cooking dinner, in the shower, running to another floor for something, working on something, cleaning, on the phone, away from the car. I'm serious when I say it takes seconds for her to do her work. Yesterday I was talking to my sister on the phone and had kicked off my shoes under the desk right where I was sitting because my feet were hot. I noticed that the dog was quiet and not in my presence. She had been gone maybe a minute. In that time she had snuck off with one of my shoes and destroyed it. This is a fair example of the type of thing we are dealing with. Momentary lapses. I scolded her severely as I have before but I have little hope of it making a big impression based on the other times she was caught with chewed shoes.
Frustrated? Darn right I'm frustrated. At first we approached this like a science project, more supervision, more tightening up of the house, more exercise, more structured protocol including basic command drills but the end belies the means unfortunately.
Oh I'm sure it's our fault. If it makes everyone feel like better dog people and more intelligent owners themselves, then heap it on. FWIW, I did do my due research in trying to match our energy and available time to the prospective dog. Rather than get another pure breed dog, we thought that we would do our share and help out a dog down on it's luck, and being my first non-breed rescue I was ignorant about what rescue groups do and do not know about their rescues and the differing protocols of the various groups in how long a dog is kept in a home and observed. In fact, the rescue organization knew little more than we did about her with her being passed from foster home to foster home before we adopted her. I don't blame them. They honestly didn't know. It all looked good on paper. The size, advertised age and temperament were what we needed, she was docile and sweet on the meet and greet and for the first week or so at home but docile and easy wasn't what we got, so instead of scolding, we need help.
As I type this my husband had her to watch. He went to the restroom for a minute and she got up on the table and knocked off and broke his coffee cup. Another day in the life.
We have finite resources of both time and money to deal with her given our other commitments. Our prior experience has not taught us that to be a decent dog owner that we have to have all resources and time available to be focused on the animal. We are doing our best with what we have. I have received some good comments. I will be looking for a chain leash. Most of the comments unfortunately involve things that we are already doing with her minus a formal class but we are exercising the contents of that formal class at home (which worked just dandy with our other dogs) with mixed results with this one.
The scolding and the comments that read along the lines of I'd help you but you suck as a dog owner add to our already stressful situation. Thanks to the more understanding responders.
Sounds like you've gotten your hands more than full with a terrier/herding dog type and I feel for you.
First, you need to make a decision if you really want to keep this dog, there is no shame in realizing you might have bitten off more than what you can manage in your life right now so contact the group you got the dog from and make arrangement to return the high drive terrorist. Again, no shame in this, this dog just is not a match for your family.
Second, if you choose to keep this dog, you will have to change quite a few things and make a very very big commitment to this dog.
a. exercise, exercise exercise; it sounds like you are trying but it's apparently not enough.
b. mental stimulation along with the exercise, there are lots of really good books on positive reinforcement training.
c. This is the big one, this dog MUST be restrained at all times, no matter if it's a tether to your belt -easy enough to do and cheap, get a carabiner to attach to the leash and then to yourself, anytime you can't do this the dog must be in a crate or expen with "lid". Don't leave the dog outside unattended even if it's in a fenced yard. Don't ever turn your back on this dog if loose until it is very well trained.
d. Training and exercise must be on going through out the day and evening for mental stimulation, not just a few minutes here and there...must be constant.
e. You've got to figure out a way to crate this dog in your car, otherwise you will end up with a destroyed interior ah la Turner and Hooch.
As a young adult dog, basically a "teenager" with NO household manners, you've got your hands very full to overflowing and you have discovered why this dog was turned in to begin with. It sounds like obedience and agility training are the only things that are going to settle this dog and it won't be overnight. Keep in mind some dogs don't "settle" ever and this dog might be one.
Those national agility dog shows you see, many of those dogs are hell on wheels to live with, you might try to find an agility person and pass this dog along. Many of the herding and terrier breeds don't have an "off" button and it sound like you've got a combo of the two.
What ever you decide is OK, but if you choose to keep this dog it will be a huge lifestyle change to make him/her a enjoyable companion, otherwise, you are setting yourself and your family up for failure and misery.
I like what Mrs1885 had to say about tethering the dog to you. It sounds like the dog is getting a lot of exercise, it just seems the dog needs an extraordinary amount of it. Considering the dog is only a year old, I would commence with the tethering while inside with you. Crating when you're out, etc. Hopefully, as the dog matures, she'll settle down enough to learn what good manners are acceptable.
Perhaps a session with a behaviorist is in order? If anything, to guide you in a plan to rein in the dog's bad behavior.
if you feel you are doing/have done all you can then you should think about returning her to rescue. she sounds like a dog that needs room to roam, things to chew and a great deal of one on one extensive training.
As suggested get chew toys and get rawhide chews as well My sister's dog [a JRT] will go thru a rawhide chew in about an hour BUt he doens't chew anything else.
I recommend consulting an animal behaviorist. They will come to your house, do an evaluation of the dog's behavior and how you've been addressing the behavior. And they will provide you with a detailed information on how to change the dog's behavior.
You can find an animal behaviorist by contacting your local no-kill shelter. That's how I found one. I didn't have to pay a penny because she was just starting out and building her resume. She only needed to come here once. The evaluation and recommendations only took 30 minutes. My dog's behavior changed almost overnight.
As suggested get chew toys and get rawhide chews as well My sister's dog [a JRT] will go thru a rawhide chew in about an hour BUt he doens't chew anything else.
Oh, your post reminded me.
When I would catch my dogs chewing, I would replace what they was chewing with an acceptable alternative by offering it to them.
They always took the toy or chew I offered and wandered off to chew that.
One more recommendation. I did this with my Lab when he was a crazy puppy.
Keep him with you at all times. Have him on the leash inside the house.
When you're at the computer, loop the leash under your chair leg. Same goes for when you're watching TV.
If you have to do housework, laundry, etc., tie the leash onto your waste by wearing a belt.
This teaches your dog that you are the boss and he has to do and go wherever you say.
This might sound like a hassle but this is super important training for a dog that is misbehaving.
IT WORKS!
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Easy dogs don't teach us much!
