[schnoodletim]

Ugh, I am at a loss here. I have a three year old Schnoodle named Sebastian. He is a great dog! Very loving and attached, extremely smart. BUT! I just cannot stop him from getting things. He will go for anything, and I mean anything. If my g/f or her mother leaves their purse out, he will find a way in, coasters on the table, forget about it! Socks? Who needs em' anyway, right?!

It has become so bad, that we cannot leave anything out anymore! NOTHING! I just cannot take my eyes off of him. I don't know what to do. He gets a lot of attention, is walked three times a day, in perfect health, I just don't get it.

Please, for the love of God, can anyone help me?

 

[Mdawn]

Have you tried teaching the "leave it" command?

 

[Marsh Muppet]

A) Don't leave anything out.

B) Teach him some behaviors that put his hunting and rooting skills to use. Teach him to find hidden items, and retrieve named items.

He doesn't have enough to do.

 

[cshellenberger]

Sounds like he's bored and looking for a job, give him some MENTAL stimulation with training. Look in the training section and start with 'Doggy Zen'. Then you might look on the 'Dog Star Daily' site for some more ideas for games you can play with your dog that will give him mental stimulation. Look into advanced training classes for him such agility, rally obedience or Search and Rescue training.

 

[Independent George]

What kind of walks does he get? How long, and over what kind of terrain? Does he get more vigorous exercise, like fetch, swimming, or free play with other dogs? Schnauzers were originally bred as ratters, so seeking and finding little things hidden out of sight is in their blood; in my experience, most overactive dogs are just bored.

 

[Mdawn]

What kind of walks does he get?

That's a very good question, IMO.

Eddie is very high energy and does much better with brisk walks where he isn't allowed to stop and sniff or do anything like that. I force him to keep moving. The point of it isn't for him to get out and get some air, use the bathroom, explore or anything other than EXERCISE. In order to do that, the blood has to get pumping. A fast paced, BRISK walk or run forces him to use his mind as well as his body.

 

[winniec777]

I would agree with all the comments about exercise and being bored. Our dog will ignore temptations right in front of her nose if she's been exercised and given enough attention. But when the witching hour hits and we ignore her, she starts stealing things to get our attention. I believe your dog is telling you he wants to do something and chewing/stealing is FUN, so that's what he's going to do given the chance.

So don't give him the chance, don't set him up to fail. It's just a fact of life that living with a dog forces you to change your habits to ensure their safety. That means not leaving anything on the floor, tables, counters, or furniture that the dog might get into. E.g. my purse is always put away, esp. since it has aspirin and tylenol in it that would be dangerous for my dog to eat. We keep bathroom doors closed because she likes to sneak in and shred toilet paper. I never let her in the garage by herself because there are things in there (e.g. antifreeze) that are very dangerous for her. So you learn to live a little differently. After a while it becomes second nature.

Training also is a huge help. Teaching your dog what it's ok to have (his toys) and what it's not ok to have takes time but it's worth it. This site has lots of articles on it that will help: http://www.dogstardaily.com/. Search on "chewing" and "stealing."

Your pup sounds like a great dog. He just needs a little direction from you. Good luck & let us know how it's going.

 

[schnoodletim]

Have you tried teaching the "leave it" command?

I use the term "Drop it," I don't know why, just did it the first time and it stuck. He almost always does, which goes to show me that he does not really chew because he wants what he is chewing, but because he wants the attention.

A) Don't leave anything out.

We don't, lol.

B) Teach him some behaviors that put his hunting and rooting skills to use. Teach him to find hidden items, and retrieve named items.

He doesn't have enough to do.

Not sure how to go about that, can you elaborate a bit please?

Sounds like he's bored and looking for a job, give him some MENTAL stimulation with training. Look in the training section and start with 'Doggy Zen'. Then you might look on the 'Dog Star Daily' site for some more ideas for games you can play with your dog that will give him mental stimulation. Look into advanced training classes for him such agility, rally obedience or Search and Rescue training.

We had always assumed his "job" was guarding the house. He is super protective of the house and even has his "chair" near the window where I pull the blinds up everyday so he can sit on the chair and lean on the table to look outside.

He growls and barks when he hears others outside walking by. It is not a ferocious bark, more of just a warning.

I would love to take him to training, but taking him into the car is near impossible because he throws up every-single-time.

I will look into the other training you suggested.

 

[Locke]

Definitely sounds like he could use more exercise. It makes a world of difference.

 

[schnoodletim]

What kind of walks does he get? How long, and over what kind of terrain? Does he get more vigorous exercise, like fetch, swimming, or free play with other dogs? Schnauzers were originally bred as ratters, so seeking and finding little things hidden out of sight is in their blood; in my experience, most overactive dogs are just bored.

What do you mean "what kind of walk?" Generally about 15-20 minutes each around the block. We go different routes to switch it up. The terrain is typical suburbs. He does fetch and the only play dates he gets is when we meet up with neighbors. Unfortunately we have no swimming pool! although I would love one.

That's a very good question, IMO.

Eddie is very high energy and does much better with brisk walks where he isn't allowed to stop and sniff or do anything like that. I force him to keep moving. The point of it isn't for him to get out and get some air, use the bathroom, explore or anything other than EXERCISE. In order to do that, the blood has to get pumping. A fast paced, BRISK walk or run forces him to use his mind as well as his body.

Very interesting. I usually let him sniff around a bit, but I never let him stop and sniff hard. I always keep him moving. I do notice that every time we are on grass his head is down and he is sniffing, even when he is walking.

I would agree with all the comments about exercise and being bored. Our dog will ignore temptations right in front of her nose if she's been exercised and given enough attention.

So walk him to exhaustion and hope he doesn't get anything? He seems pretty tired after walks and generally happy.

But when the witching hour hits and we ignore her, she starts stealing things to get our attention. I believe your dog is telling you he wants to do something and chewing/stealing is FUN, so that's what he's going to do given the chance.

This is the problem. He gets my undivided attention as soon as I get home from work and a lot of the night, but obviously I can't give it to him 100% of the time.

So don't give him the chance, don't set him up to fail. It's just a fact of life that living with a dog forces you to change your habits to ensure their safety. That means not leaving anything on the floor, tables, counters, or furniture that the dog might get into. E.g. my purse is always put away, esp. since it has aspirin and tylenol in it that would be dangerous for my dog to eat. We keep bathroom doors closed because she likes to sneak in and shred toilet paper. I never let her in the garage by herself because there are things in there (e.g. antifreeze) that are very dangerous for her. So you learn to live a little differently. After a while it becomes second nature.

Our house has been Dog proof for 2 years now, so it's nothing new. He still manages to find things, sometimes none of us knows where he gets it from, even in our own room, lol! I just worry he is going to find something small to "get" and it's going to choke him, or scratch his throat or something.

 

[Mdawn]

Very interesting. I usually let him sniff around a bit, but I never let him stop and sniff hard. I always keep him moving. I do notice that every time we are on grass his head is down and he is sniffing, even when he is walking.

Try stepping the pace up a bit so he has to keep up with you...not to the point that your dragging him obviously, but fast enough that he has to keep up. I usually turn around and head from home when Eddie's pace starts to slow. It's a couple of miles...I don't know what kind of energy level your dog has though so it could be more or less.

Marsh Muppet had a good suggestion of giving him something to do, like finding treats hidden in the house...etc...Also, stepping up training sessions helps. My dogs are pooped after training and sleep for a good bit after. Mental exercise is very good at wearing a dog out.

Just remember: A tired dog is a good dog. That's the mantra I lived by for a long time with Eddie, who destroyed anything and everything when he was younger. I simply wasn't providing enough exercise and mental stimulation.

If your dog starts getting into things he shouldn't...then he needs to do something to wear him out.

 

[schnoodletim]

Try stepping the pace up a bit so he has to keep up with you...not to the point that your dragging him obviously, but fast enough that he has to keep up. I usually turn around and head from home when Eddie's pace starts to slow. It's a couple of miles...I don't know what kind of energy level your dog has though so it could be more or less.

I def. think this will help. He is a very fast walker, and he loves every minute. We were thinking about trying bicycles, but just cruising so his pace fastens.

Marsh Muppet had a good suggestion of giving him something to do, like finding treats hidden in the house...etc...Also, stepping up training sessions helps. My dogs are pooped after training and sleep for a good bit after. Mental exercise is very good at wearing a dog out.

I am def. going to try both.

Just remember: A tired dog is a good dog. That's the mantra I lived by for a long time with Eddie, who destroyed anything and everything when he was younger. I simply wasn't providing enough exercise and mental stimulation.

If your dog starts getting into things he shouldn't...then he needs to do something to wear him out.

lol, great mantra. Thank you for the advice.

 

[Renoman]

What does he have available to him for chew toys and toys in general?

 

[schnoodletim]

What does he have available to him for chew toys and toys in general?

LOTS of toys and bones. We realized from the get go that he loved to chew bones. I still think it is a way for him to get out pent up energy, so these suggestions so far are right on the money.

I had originally thought that him "getting things" was just spite, but now maybe it really is a lack of the exercise he requires (even though he gets a lot, and is in perfect health) and mental stimulation.

 

[cshellenberger]

I use the term "Drop it," I don't know why, just did it the first time and it stuck. He almost always does, which goes to show me that he does not really chew because he wants what he is chewing, but because he wants the attention.











We had always assumed his "job" was guarding the house. He is super protective of the house and even has his "chair" near the window where I pull the blinds up everyday so he can sit on the chair and lean on the table to look outside.

He growls and barks when he hears others outside walking by. It is not a ferocious bark, more of just a warning.

I would love to take him to training, but taking him into the car is near impossible because he throws up every-single-time.

I will look into the other training you suggested.

That's not a good job for an active mind such as the one a Poodle x Schnauzer mix would have. He's getting NO mental stimulation lying around 'gaurding the house' in his favorite chair LOL. If you can't take him in the car, look into any community stuff that may be around or get some books and a trainer that will come to your house and show you the proper timing to get you started or a good training video. Here are some excellent reading and video suggestions.

PERFECT PAWS IN 5 DAYS FEATURING JEAN DONALDSON'S MODERN TRAINING METHODS DVD

THE DOG WHISPERER VOL. 1 - BEGINNING & INTERMEDIATE DOG TRAINING DVD

QUICK CLICKS - 40 FAST AND FUN BEHAVIORS TO TRAIN WITH A CLICKER

TRICK SCHOOL FOR DOGS - FUN GAMES TO CHALLENGE AND BOND

CANINE SPORTS & GAMES

50 GAMES TO PLAY WITH YOUR DOG

TAKE A BOW...WOW/BOW WOW TAKE 2 DVD

 

[schnoodletim]

I just wanted to thank everyone for the help! We have been doing better. I went to the pet store and got a clicker, and we have been rigorously going through "Doggy Zen." Our walks are a lot faster paced and longer, and I just ordered a book off amazon 50 Games to Play with your Dog. I am very excited to get his brain going and get him the exercise he needs.

Next steps are better walking discipline, and getting his listening skills improved (which doggy zen is helping with also).

Thanks again.

 

[Pickleisaminidaschi]

My dog Brainard used to do that. We had him in the backyard and my neice put her new Barbie on the table by our open window with a SCREEN and he broke the corner of the window and stoll her Barbie!
I just took the barbie away from him and showed him it and said "NO!" in a really loud and mean voice. He hasn't stoll anything else.

Yet....