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Isn't it possible dogs can have addictions like us? Our beagle mix shreds paper (napkins, coupons, plates, empty food bags) and he KNOWS he's not supposed to do it, it's like he doesn't have the willpower to resist. I know there is a reason why he does it and he may not be able to stop. I don't like to punish him if it's something we left laying around.
I think my Westie has some OCD with regard to digging! And my landscaper agrees. It would be very, very hard for me to break him of it at this point.
Had I gotten a good handle on it at the very beginning . . . .
It's like he goes into another 'zone' when getting into a really good dig. He doesn't hear you; doesn't want to play with toys; won't interact with anyone . . . .
I think certain behaviors can be lessened to an extent, but the urge may still be there even if they know they're not supposed to be doing it...my mom's dog "attacks" the mail as it comes through the mail slot, and if I'm petsitting for him I have to make sure he's not in that room during the time frame my mail usually comes...or I end up with a bunch of shredded bills!
I think my Westie has some OCD with regard to digging! And my landscaper agrees. It would be very, very hard for me to break him of it at this point.
Had I gotten a good handle on it at the very beginning . . . .
It's like he goes into another 'zone' when getting into a really good dig. He doesn't hear you; doesn't want to play with toys; won't interact with anyone . . . .
My friend has two Westies and they LOVE to dig. It's their favorite past time.
Like all things in life, you have to choose your battles wisely.
Yep. And that's why I have big holes all over my yard. Once they get too bad; I get some dirt and grass and cover it with straw. (He doesn't like to dig in the straw). Then we both start all over again with a new spot!
You also have to determine what's behavior and what's a bred-in trait. I have a beagle mix, too, and came to terms long ago with the fact that he's not going to be trained out of trying to chase rabbits. It's what his kind has been bred to do for centuries. He's also not going to be trained out of trying to get at anything that is or was a receptacle holding anything edible. He's a nose with a dog attached. Also part of his scenthound breeding, not something me saying, "Oh, don't do that," is going to buck.
He also has a habit of shredding socks. We could have broken him of this had we raised him from puppyhood and addressed the behavior consistently when it started, but he's a rescue, and came with the behavior already in place. I'm sure if we invested a lot of time and energy and used the right techniques, we could break him of it, now. But guess what? It's much simpler to just not leave socks lying around within his reach.
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