Hello, I have an 18 month old black lab/blue heeler mix who is basically the devil. She has destroyed MANY things: three kennels, 4 kennel pans, an air mattress, a set of sheets, multiple blankets and t-shirts with my scent, a wooden step attached to a foundation (very loosely admittedly), a carpet on said step, a set of blinds, one curtain, and has scratched up a door. Here is the laundry list of things I have tried for her: melatonin chews, Benadryl, Thunder vest, bigger room, new kennel (both plastic halves and all wire/collapsable ones), Adaptil, longer walks (~30-45 minutes), giving treats before leaving, spending more time cuddling, leaving sheets with my scent, new nylabones, and new antlers. I am not able to leave her in a yard at this time. We are traveling, which I know is a big change for her, but I am not sure what else to do at this point. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We have a vet appointment today and a call with a trainer. I do not want to give my fur baby up, but I do wonder about being the best fit for her, especially since I know my training will likely go to longer and longer hours. I read that puppies tend to outgrow this stage by about two years of age but am not sure my sanity will hold for that long.
Hi and welcome from Hattie 10 years and our rescue boy Charlie 7 years. Wow that's quite a list. Can I ask what kind of routine you have with your girl, how often and long is she walked, how long if at all is she on her own during the day? A good step that you are having her checked at the vet just incase, also it's great you are going to contact a trainer, just a tip make sure that it's a positive trainer with only kind methods. There will be lots of people with help so please stick around. xx
Hi there @cmostek21 I was going to ask about routine and how long she is left alone each day. What is your routine before leaving her? Have you tried previously trying to crate train her as it was one of the nest methods to prevent destruction by dogs if they are introduced to the crate slowly and positively.
Hi and welcome! Wow, you have my sympathies. I think you'll get some good advice on here from others who are more versed in the destructo-dog behaviour. Training her mind will probably help a lot, but also I suspect she needs a lot more physical exercise. 30-45 minutes unfortunately isn't very long to a dog essentially bred to run and work all day. I got a pit bull/Australian cattle dog (aka blue heeler) mix as a foster dog when she was 8 years old. She was the smartest, highest energy dog I've ever had...even at eight! Luckily for me she was not destructive and didn't use her smarts for evil but yowsa, did that dog have stamina. I ended up keeping her and even at 11 years old she was still doing 3-4 hour trail runs with my other dog, who was 8 years younger. She didn't need that much every day, but at least 3 times a week, she needed a BIG activity - 2 hours at the beach, 3 hour trail run, being taken out to a big event with lots of people that tired out her mind, etc. But to give you hope, I do think my dog was a royal terror when she was younger (I inherited her vet records so had some idea of her her past) and by the time I got her she was an angel in the house. Still LOTS of energy, but generally very well behaved and a real joy to have around.
Hi. Can I ask how often and how long she is left alone for? Dogs who are destructive are quite often bored or anxious. Have you used Thunder vests, Benadryl and melatonin chews under the advice of your vet? I agree with Emily that 30-45 mins walk a day isn't enough for her age. She needs at least an hour every day. Do you do any brain games or training at home? What kind of things do you do?
I would certainly be trying to work out whether the destructive behaviour is due to boredom or due to anxiety. If it's the former, then leaving her in a crate (as long as it's not for too long each day, and you've introduced it slowly and positively) with a stack of frozen kongs would be a good option for short periods. Also getting help to take her out for more walks during your periods of absence would be beneficial. If, however, it's due to separation anxiety, then this wouldn't be appropriate and you should start a programme of emotional adjustment and meanwhile ensuring your dog isn't left for any period of time he can't cope with. A good book about this is Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs by Malena Demartini-Price: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JV9ZSJ4/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Yes, I noted that you said 30-45 minutes were LONGer walks for her. At that age my boy was off leash for an hour in the morning and sometimes another hour in the evening. Plus we were in continual obedience classes. I also note you do not mention classes of any kind and mental work is very tiring. Remember doing homework when you were in school? Exhausting sometimes. Plus for dogs some classes combine physical and mental work, agility for instance. More exercise can just make a dog more fit, but combing it with mental work is sure worth a try and will be fun for both of you. Well, it was fun for us.
