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hello ,my dog is 9 years old a mix ,he was abused before I got him 2 years ago.From the first time I left him alone he ripped my comforter and sheets .The next time I came home to find my pillow ripped ,pieces of my mattress all over .Another time he chewed the front door (made of wood) shredded my sheets .I now have a gate up so he can only roam the kitchen and living room .I have replaced 4 beds already ,I just got him big barker bed which cost 200.00 dollars because he has arthritis he has tried to chew that also there are teeth make and holes along the side .I was home and heard the mail man and witnessed himgrab his bed with his teeth and shake his head with it in his mouth .Please I need your help
It sounds like he may be suffering from separation anxiety. If you google it there are plenty of articles and threads in his forum with some good suggestions. The behavior with the mailman could be a way to relieve his stress because he's anxious. He also could be bored if you're leaving him alone for long periods.
I would start with more exercise to the extent he's able to tolerate it. If he's tired he's less likely to act out.
How are you treating his arthritis? Is he on glucosamine, Omega 3, something for pain management?
I'd stop buying expensive beds for now and go to a thrift store and buy a few think comforters, that way if he tears them up it won't be a lot of money wasted.
If he's ripping up blankets and chewing apart beds it's because he's probably suffering deep separation anxiety (as said above), or he's incredibly bored.
Maybe you could leave the tv on when you go...or a radio...so he won't feel so alone.
He sounds very frustrated.....try taking him for long walks so's he's worn out, and be sure to give him extra love and understanding....eventually he'll get it together.
I think he's angry and frustrated when you're gone...and afraid when the mailman comes around, and he shows it by attacking the property of the very one he wants to protect him...you!
Crate him. When you are not home crate him with a Kong filled with Peanut Butter. Only put bedding he Can destroy but will not destroy your budget.
Work with him as others have said.. hopefully in time he be ok being left alone.
Try to be home when the Mailman comes ...introduce them... have a few doggy treats outside when the person del the mail have him slip the dog a treat.
Crate him. When you are not home crate him with a Kong filled with Peanut Butter. Only put bedding he Can destroy but will not destroy your budget.
Work with him as others have said.. hopefully in time he be ok being left alone.
Try to be home when the Mailman comes ...introduce them... have a few doggy treats outside when the person del the mail have him slip the dog a treat.
Yes, the only way to go. Far too many dogs end up being put down when crating could have solved the issue. https://www.paws.org/library/dogs/tr...rain-your-dog/ Additionally, youtube has some great videos on doing this.
As mentioned by others, boredom, or the threat of boredom, can also have this sort of affect on some dogs. This would likely be in breeds that have more of a working history - like Aus Shep or Border collies. Without adequate stimulation mentally and physically, they can act out in undesirable ways. I was boarding an Aus Shepherd for a neighbor who did pretty much the same thing - chewed "cookie" holes out of his blankets if he didn't get to do stuff with the rest of us.
I'd agree that it could be separation anxiety except that he ripped his bedding while you were there.
So it would appear that certain noises are a trigger that I'd guess has something to do with past abuse (Why do animal abusers even get a pet in the first place? It does my head in. Bless you for adopting him)
Rather than buying new expensive beds for him to destroy, get one of those metal frames that use a hessian material for them to lie on. It keeps them off the ground, are very comfortable & the hessian is inexpensive to replace.
Because the material is stretched tight, it'd make it much harder for him to destroy.
At his age, he'll either see a cage as a safe sanctuary, or a forbidding trap that could freak him out.
Considering that a cage may or may not work & that a metal frame bed would be too large for most cages, I'd get a metal pen. I've seen a few when I was looking for an enclosure for my boy.
There's some good ones on the market that come in panels that easily interlock, that gives you the option to make the pen fit your circumstance.
hello ,my dog is 9 years old a mix ,he was abused before I got him 2 years ago.From the first time I left him alone he ripped my comforter and sheets .The next time I came home to find my pillow ripped ,pieces of my mattress all over .Another time he chewed the front door (made of wood) shredded my sheets .I now have a gate up so he can only roam the kitchen and living room .I have replaced 4 beds already ,I just got him big barker bed which cost 200.00 dollars because he has arthritis he has tried to chew that also there are teeth make and holes along the side .I was home and heard the mail man and witnessed himgrab his bed with his teeth and shake his head with it in his mouth .Please I need your help
I'd suggest that the first part of your description is separation anxiety. The second part ("and heard the mail man and witnessed him grab his bed with his teeth and shake his head with it in his mouth") is displacement behaviour (taking out aggression or anxiety on an object, when something is stressing the animal). My dog displays displacement behaviour quite often in the backyard...every time a dastardly squirrel shows up on the back fence Izzy charges at it like Rambo...but ONLY after he's managed to grab his soccer ball so he can shake the ball violently in his mouth while chasing the squirrel. If the squirrel shows up and Izzy can't find his soccer ball, he's desperate, not knowing what to do...he runs in circles looking for that ball, all so he can show the squirrel just what he'd do to him if he ever caught him.
Your dog is definitely displaying anxiety issues, which is what needs to be addressed. There are numerous ways of doing this, including ensuring that the dog has enough in his life to meet his physical and mental needs (is he getting enough exercise for his breed? is his brain receiving enough stimulation to keep him satisfied? is he receiving help with everything that he perceives to be a threat?). There are some good suggestions already made, and if you can, working with a dog behaviourist can help you to work through them with your dog.
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