[LovedMyRotty]

It is early. Too early to be up and posting but I am so mad and upset right now.

Mia in the last couple days has been eating our shoes! I am about ready to choke her with my shoe laces! <dripping in sarcasm>

Mia's history was to be tied outside every day, all day long and I think now that she isn't, she's like YEAH BABY!! I'm gonna do this! Oooh, that looks good! Eat this, take that! I'll jump over here! YUM! Good hat Momma!

She, in the last two days has eaten two left foot sandals I just bought dd and the back of my sneakers. Yesterday morning, she took my niece's sandal and ate it <I had to replace> and just tonight she ate my freaking hat and a box spring mattress!

OMFG! What can I do to stop her cuz if I can't, she has to go. I can NOT allow her to continue on this path because I have a 6 month old boxer who seems like an angel compaired to this dog! I don't want Mia to encourage Ava that this is what you should do!

Please help me! I'm desperate! Do I have to walk this dog 6 miles a night and throw a stick in the river for two hours just to break her cuz that is not logical, nor is it possible! I agree she needs some training but how do I make it click that this is my stuff and off limits to her?! I'm desperate and I hardly ever get desperate when it comes to a dog! She's got me at my wits end.

DH won't spend time with her and I feel doomed right there. He won't even train the baby. He feels that it's my job but he hims and haws when they don't listen to him. I just wanna whip him cuz he has the time! I don't and I can't stop what they do if I'm at work. I get a laundry list of things they do everyday when I get home and I just roll my eyes cuz hey, I'm superwoman!

Mia is so smart too. Is it lack of exercise? Why the destruction? How do I stop it?

Please help me help her! She's looking at me in her cage with the most pathetic face at 5:30 am when I should be sleeping!! I've been up since 4:30 am taking notes on damage!

 

[skelaki]

Crating her when you can't watch her is part of the solution. She needs constant supervision and has to earn house privileges gradually. Take a deep breath and tell yourself the this stage too shall pass. Oh, and you have my permission to take a rolled up newspaper and hit DH over the head LOL.

Yes, it does sound as if she needs more exercise but especially exercise such as obedience training that uses her mind and her body. This will be more tiring than purely physical exercise such as playing fetch (although both are important). Put her (and the other dog as well) on a NILIF program also. But mainly, if you set and consistently and patiently enforce your house rules, everything will work out fine eventually. You don't mention Mia's age but I'm guessing she's still a puppy or a teenager.

 

[LovedMyRotty]

I'll assume she's a teenager. She is almost a year old. So smart too!

I feel so bad for feeling so angry with her now. I will crate her more often and beat DH with a roll of newpapers! I will work harder with her though.

She tried to get on the couch. I said EGH EGH! She got down and laid beside me. Got up and tried again. EGH EGH! Snapped fingers and said down pointing to the floor and now she's on the floor beside me right now.

I am just frustrated.

Can I get some suggestions on tricks or training to do for her? She knows sit, paw, down and I have to work on stay but something fun while being crate trained <when she's allowed out>.

I appreciate your response and will work on her! She's ornery and I can't sit here and blame her! Do you think I can go smack my neighbors with the same roll of paper for ignoring and tying her to a post all day every day too? I promise to clobber them smack dab between the eyes!

I will give DH strict instructions on keeping her crated. She can have a poddy break here and there and back in the crate and once I get home at 4:30, I will deal with her. Sound good? Sure does to me.

 

[tw1n]

Sounds like she needs a lot more exercise. How often do you walk her?

 

[LovedMyRotty]

You mean how long does she walk me? We go about a mile, not every day but if it will help, I will try and get her out every eveing for a walk around the bike trail.

 

[tw1n]

You mean how long does she walk me? We go about a mile, not every day but if it will help, I will try and get her out every eveing for a walk around the bike trail.

A mentally stimulated and physically tired dog is less likely to search for entertainment.

 

[Cracker]

She's still an adolescent dog, and since she has not learned how to be in the house she doesn't KNOW your shoes etc are not chewies. Shoes are especially popular because they have "people scent" on them as do mattresses. Dogs go through a second large chewing stage in their adolescence so giving her something appropriate to chew on (a big cow femur?) will go along way towards helping with this issue.

Since she spent a good amount of her short life outside on a tie out with little or no human guidance she is simply exploring her new world. Dogs explore with their mouths, not having hands or being able to read,knit or make sandwiches makes for a bored, mouthy, chewing dog...Not acceptable behaviour but certainly NOT abnormal.

The crate training is good. She has to EARN her freedom in the house. When she IS out and about she needs to be watched or confined to the area of the house that you are in so you can watch her and TRADE the unwanted item for an appropriate toy. Teach her a drop command by offering a trade for stuff (a goodie if you drop the shoe, good girl). She may, for a while, start bringing you stuff simply to trade, which is SMART on her part..lol. But at least she is not destroying it. She will eventually, if guided to the proper chews, just leave your stuff alone. Remember she is still a puppy (albeit a big one) so puppyproof as much as you can. She can't chew it if it's not there to tempt her.

As for the furniture. If she gets off when you say so, then reward her for lying on the floor. Dogs do what works. Lying on the floor earns rewards and is therefore more rewarding than the couch. Eventually the couch surfing ends.

Rotties are working dogs, bred to herd, guard and pull carts. Keep her mind occupied by teaching her new things, play tug with her (with rules), and maybe once she's done growing look at getting her a backpack or a cart to pull to fulfill her "muscle dog" needs.

 

[Trixie]

You'll also want to dog-proof a little. Put shoes up and away, because as you are working on this, you don't want to lose any more shoes! (trust me, 7 pillows, 3 pairs of shoes, and a cell phone all fell victim to our pup before I gave in and took the extra time to puppy-proof the house. Now, all those items are safe no matter what)

If you do catch the dog with the item not to be chewed, tell her to drop it and offer something in exchange for your shoe -- a treat, a stuffed kong, a chew toy -- something that she is allowed to have any time.

Good luck! You can break the dog of this. It takes some work and patience, but it can be done.