NWR: Dog Question (longish, sorry)

laurenclaire1386

I have a mixed breed dog that weighs about sixty pounds.  She's three years old and has been very well behaved until recently.  She's been tearing up furniture while FI and I are at work and basically wreaking havoc while we're not home during the day.  It's so weird, because up until just recently, I never had a problem leaving her alone.  So I bought a kennel today to keep her in during the day. She's never been kenneled one day in her life.  Anybody have any tips for kennel training a dog that's not a puppy?  I put her in there this afternoon, to see how she would do and she effing hates it. I'm worried she's going to hurt herself trying to get out of it.  Any advice would be appreciated.

J&K10910

I don't have advice on kennel training, but it sounds like your dog is bored.  Could either of you come home during lunch or something to take her for a walk or play with her a little to break up her day?Has anything major changed?

LesPaul

Does she get out much to run and exercise?  My 78 lb Lab (almost 2 years old) turns into a beast when she hasn't been outside for a couple of days.  She gets very destructive when she's bored.  Just an idea . . . .

redheadfsu

Sounds like separation anxiety that can be caused by any change. takes time to kennel. She has to love it, think it is her home. Feed her in it. She should sleep in there with the door open. Put a dirty shirt of yours in it so she can smell it. You have to work up to closing the door.Usually you have to do 5 minutes closed with you siting next to it.. one day. Ten the next day. So on. The pace depends on the dog.The important thing is to Get her very tired b/f you leave. Walk her for an hour or play ball. Even if you don't kennel.

laurenclaire1386

That's what's so weird about all this.  FI or I comes home at lunch every day and we let her out for a few minutes.  We've got a pretty big fenced backyard, so she's got plenty of room.  We let her out until she comes to the door to be let in.  Nothing major has changed lately.  We're doing what we've always done and she's actin' all crazy.  I'm at a complete loss. I hate the idea of the kennel, but I can't think of another option at this point. Doggie xanax maybe.  She's making me need real xanax.

MrsCanes511

FI and I have a German Shepherd that is about 80 lbs, and is almost three years old. We started kenneling her when she was about two. We kennel her every time we leave the house. We do this because when we are gone, she chews like...everything! We have been told that she behaves like this because she is bored. So we have been told many things such as walk her more often, maybe take her for jogs. (Apparently this is supposed to help by tuckering her out so that she doesnt have the energy to tear up) but also the best thing that we have tried is to leave the tv or radio on while we are gone, it helps her by thinking that shes not alone, so she wont try to escape or act out as much (ie. chew her cage!...which she has done) we tried this tv thing after she chewed the edge of the wall!! (she was in her crate, and stuck her head through the wood panels) that was about a couple of months ago, and this tv thing has been great. hope that helps!! ALSO, she has learned that the kennel is now like her little home, HER space. So when we want her to go in there, we say "go to bed" and she goes straight in. Or when FI is screaming during a football game, she hangs out in there cause she knows its her place. So give it some time, your dog will learn the same Im sure.

ac_in_dc

Yeah, my inclination is to say that she needs more exercise or maybe a mid-day walk (it's expensive to hire a dog walker but totally worth it IMO). You could also try gating her in the kitchen or another relatively "safe" room in the house. My first step would be to exercise her more though. How much do you walk her in the AM?

katiewhompus

If she is not doing any of this behavior while you are home it could be because she is bored during the day. Does she have a bunch of chew toys, balls, etc to keep her busy? Also take her for more walks than usual because a tired dog is generally not a destructive dog.For crate training just treat her like a more sensitive puppy. Find some toy or long lasting treat that she LOVES and turn this into her crate treat/toy. The only time she ever gets that toy is when she's in the crate, this will associate it with something good.Don't leave her in the crate by herself unsupervised until you are sure she won't hurt herself. If you have to leave her alone try putting her in a smaller room that's been chew proofed.

ac_in_dc

Sometimes just letting her out in the yard isn't enough. Maybe play fetch or something with her while she's out there? Or even do a leash walk before you leave from work. A bit more attention may help.

The Little One

I agree that it sounds like she is bored and needs to burn off energy.  When I first move in with DH, his dog started misbehaving probably from a change in surroundings.  As soon as we took him to the dog park to work off energy and get him used to me living there, he got better.  DOG PARK is the answer!

TnJBonnell

Shes bored and frustrated maybe. Have you changed your routine lately? Do you not take her for walks or show her much attention as you used to?Kennel training is great, but its good when you start as a puppy, now is when you usually start taking the dog out of the kennel. Shes going to hate it, but she'll eventually calm down and get used to it. My dogs have always loved their kennels and would actually open the door and go in them when it was time for bed. The best thing to do is walk her before you leave, play with her, make her tired, then leave her one or two toys to play with. They sell machines that spit out a new toy after a certain amount of time to keep the dog entertained. When you get home walk her again, be sure to play with her, get her super tired! Take her with you places, show her something different then the usual home everyday. Go to dog parks and let her run around and let out all that energy. By any chance do you know what breeds are mixed in her?I have a very active dog and if we dont take him out, he will wreck something (he is 6yrs old). Its a big difference when we dont take him anywhere for a while!My father is a dog trainer, I grew up all my life training dogs, if you need any help please feel free to send me a message on here or email me at tbonnell1330 at aol dot com.GL

laurenclaire1386

AC, I let her out into the backyard first thing in the morning and she plays/runs around/does her thing usually until I get showered, dressed, and ready to leave the house.  Normally, it's about an hour.  Sometimes she wants back in before that though.  I kind of let her be the judge of how much outside activity she wants in the mornings and afternoons.  And, I can't remember the screenname for whoever told me about sitting next to her and the shirt thing, but thank you.  That sounds like doable stuff to get her used to this. 

redheadfsu

Backyard running is usually not enough for separation problems. She needs Lots of exercise. Like a full hour walk. If the dog is doing anything bad they are very bored & scared to be alone. You need to get her so tired all she wants to do is sleep. She may grow out of this, but maybe not. I have one that if not tired will do this (rescue w/o issues). I have to get him so tired he refuses to do anything but just lay down b/f I leave him.

brookelynpaisley

With kennelling, just make sure to pace her if you can. Let her investigate, leave the door open. When you do finally have to put her in for a period of time, don't acknowledge her whining - it reinforces her behavior. She doesn't come out until she's quiet. Praise her going in - feeding her in the crate will help her with a positive association. Nothing bad should ever happen to her in that crate - people honestly think that if their dog whines in the crate, they're supposed to bang on it or yell at the dog. It should be their haven, so praise, treats, and comfort should be the only thing she experiences. My husband wore a shirt at night before we brought our dog home and then put it in her crate for comfort. Whatever you do, don't give up. Hang in there. I know it's hard to listen to them cry, but you do know she's safe, and your furniture will be too.

ac_in_dc

See, letting her out may not be enough because you're not interacting with her. Some kinds of dogs (especially sheperd/collie types) need their minds as well as their bodies stimulated. So I suggested fetch/leash walks not just because it would make her run around more, but because it would encourage interaction between you guys.

laurenclaire1386

TnJ, thanks so much.  And everybody else too.  I feel a little better about the whole situation now and I definitely think long neighborhood walks are in order.  Much appreciated.

tobeDrReed

Invent the "Crate Fairy", or at least, that's what we call it with our dog.  Leave toys or treats in it for her to find when she's crated.  As far as training, using treats to get her to go in is better than forcing her in.  Like pp said, leave her for a minute or two then let her out.  Each time increase the time interval.  Only let her out if she's quiet or she will learn that barking/whining gets the door opened.  This means that you have to gauge her behavior and open the door before you know she's going to start whining.  It's a long process but repetition is key. 

vicmo5

She could be ill.  Have you changed her food recently? Have you noticed any other odd behavior? Is there something new in your neighborhood that is stressing her out?If not, then I also think she's probably bored.  You could try finding interactive toys or just spend more quality time with her.  I am so glad we crated Ruby right from the get go.  She can't wait to go in her cage in the morning when I leave for work.  I give her a nice treat every morning when she gets in.  She has a nice blanket to sleep on.  In the beginning we even left the tv on for her.  Good luck.  

vicmo5

One more thing-if you are going to leave toys and bones in her cage I would suggest leaving indestructible ones.  If she's destroying things she could choke.

laurenclaire1386

Ok: update.  I bribed her with her favorite chicken toy to get in the crate.  I sat next to her for a few minutes with the door open. Today is wash-the-sheets Wednesday, so I took the dirty sheet off our bed and put on the bottom so it's all soft and warm.  I threw in a dirty tshirt too for good measure.  She already seems way more calm about the crate thing.  Thank you ladies so much.

smokeybailey

I echo the previous poster about the walker.  It might be $50 a week for walks every day but if it saves your stuff and keeps her happy, it's worth it.

skiingstark

Or you can do doggy day care where they could play all day. we did this with our border collie mix (they are hyper) when he would be alone for more then 5 hours. There is some decently priced ones around where I live not sure about your area.