[Einstein's Dad!]

Hi All, our 2-yr. old Golden Retriever (Einstein) has been spending the last two nights chewing on our car's front and rear bumpers.

I bought him two large doggy bones yesterday to try and satiate this bad habit but it hasn't seem to have worked (he just hides the bones). Running out solutions, we resorted to spraying the bumper area of the car with a concoction of vinegar, garlic and other spices in the hopes that the smell would deter him.

Any other ideas?

Thanks for the help,
Roby (Einstein's Dad)

 

[ThoseWordsAtBest]

Stop letting him near the cars?

 

[Einstein's Dad!]

LOL that would be the obvious solution, i know but the garage is also his place of residence -so to speak. We have a (small) back yard but he stays there in the daytime only. At night, we keep him in the garage hoping his large booming bark will deter any potential miscreants.

 

[winniec777]

Sounds like he's bored. Being kept in the yard all day and in the garage all night sounds a bit lonely. You have to interact with the dog to teach him what it's ok to chew and what it's not ok to chew. That means being there in the room with him and redirecting him to something more rewarding than the thing he was chewing on. And it takes a lot of repetition. This doesn't mean yelling or punishing the dog when he's chewing the bumper. That will just teach him to wait until you're not around to do it. Here's a link to a good article on the topic:

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/destructive-chewing

How much exercise does he get? If he's not getting enough, that can lead to destructive behavior.

 

[Einstein's Dad!]

@Winnie: I think that's what he is -really. I haven't had a chance to walk him for nearly a week now so the only 'stimulation' he gets is from people walking past our house and running around in his space. My fault, i know.

And you're right about the yelling and punishing bit as well -I don't subscribe to that either.

I just have to make time for him is all.

Thanks for the very useful advice.

Roby (Einstein's Dad)

 

[winniec777]

I know our dog gets an unholy gleam in her eye when she hasn't had enough exercise. Has us running for the leash pronto!

 

[Labsnothers]

Other dogs may not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work. Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate. Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding time for more than one dog.

 

[w8ing4rain]

I think I would be more worried about my dog getting into anti-freeze or something than I would be about the bumpers. There are a lot of safety hazards in a garage. If the dog has to be in the garage could it be crated while in there. It would be safer for the dog and for the bumpers too.

 

[Foyerhawk]

Why doesn't your dog live in the house as family?

Mine run every day, and are calm and good. My dogs know many commands, and destroy nothing.

 

[Shalonda]

I agree with Foyerhawk. We have a golden retriever too. She lives inside with us and gets enough exercise and she doesn't chew up anything. She would hate being cooped up in the garage all night away from the family.

 

[Clawby]

I'm having trouble with a shepherd we adopted. He had been dropped off in our neighborhood and was skinny as a rail. He's been with us a couple of months and seems to be fitting in....except for chewing rugs (one of them an original Persian rug....my hubby wasn't too happy about that) and the skirt off a chair.

He originally slept in a crate but lately he's been sleeping where he wants. He likes to stretch out to sleep and can't do that in the crate. But he's not doing the damage during the night, it's during the daytime. I guess we're just not paying close enough attention, but we're busy here.....I know...everyone is....and I don't want to force him to stay outdoors when he wants to come in.....and he's sneaky....very sneaky about what he's chewing on. He has a basket of toys, other dogs to play with, but he decides to eat the Oriental rug and the chair skirt and the braided rugs. Help!!! He's costing a lot of money.....I just hope everything can be repaired.

 

[Einstein's Dad!]

Thanks guys for al the tips:

@Labsnothers &w8ing4rain: our garage is a four car open air type so the one facing the street is pretty much well, open apart form the wrought-iron gate. All car equipment and material are safely kept in two huge cabinets so that's not a problem. I'm also not to keen about crating after we had a bad experience with another dog of ours a couple of years back: a doberman (Bogart).

@ Foyerhawk & Shalonda: How I wish we could take them in. It's just that were sharing a house with my parents now and they are particular about their stuff. Our smaller dogs (the JR terrier and dachshunds) were the ones who stayed in the house and the big ones were kept in the garage (where we built them enclosures). But, i don't know...is it too late to house-train a 2-yr. old golden retriever? That might just be the solution...

Also, as positive reinforcement what do think of treats? I give Einstein some from time to time but we don't really have that much variety here locally so I don't really know if it works. Peanut butter you say? Cookies?


Thanks,
Roby

 

[Einstein's Dad!]

This is Einstein by the way -this was taken when he was one. He's so much bigger and naughtier now.

 

[foxthegoldfish]

I think what is best for him is lots more exercise and for him to live in the house.
You can house train a dog or any age

 

[Foyerhawk]

Hi, I didn't mean to sound mean, it's just something that makes me get passionate.

He is very sweet looking. And, it's NEVER too late to housebreak any dog. I have housebroken 13 year old Goldens before, who'd never been in a house. Does he mess in the garage?

 

[GypsyJazmine]

Park the car away from him & give him more exercise!

 

[Clawby]

I don't think my shepherd is lonely but he may be attuned to smells since I got him when he was roaming and emaciated. Now he's housebroken, is learning that the doesn't have to chase EVERY cat he sees (we have eight of those critters) but he's begun chewing...first on rugs and now a chair skirt. He has lots of toys, gets lots of attention and has other dogs here to play with. Any ideas other than putting everything up on a pedestal so he can't reach it?

 

[Einstein's Dad!]

@Foyerhawk: Mess up the garage, no not particularly. I guess I should just give it a try letting him into the house for short periods at a time everyday and gradually increase that.

@GypsieJasmine: I actually did try this the other day -i played with him for an hour until he were both spent and, that night, he didn't even bother to check out the car!.

 

[Taz Monkey]

There's no reason a two year old golden can't come live inside the house. A dog living in the backyard during the day, and in the garage at night makes me very sad. Why get a dog? And I never understood the whole "the little dogs get to live inside while the big dogs have to live outside" way of thinking either. I have a golden, a lab mix, and a beagle mix, and all 3 live comfortably in my house.

 

[Einstein's Dad!]

@Taz: I understand, i do. And if it were my house alone i wouldn't even think twice about it. But if there's one thing I'm good at, it's diplomacy -so, we'll see.