Hi everyone, I feel like this is my millionth post about Jack but he has reached new levels. So for about a month everything settled...routine 2 walks a day, play in the garden...a few hours alone if i went to to work ..bliss. BUT then Jack decided to rip open a sofa cushion and pull out the foam... i mended it and thought new day blank slate. But today I walked him for 30 mins left him a kong, his stick and a raw hide. I was gone for 1 hour and he had the sofa ripped again....he is 8 months and only starting this destructive behaviour now....what can I do... I am a mess coming through the door wondering what I come home to. Please help!!
Can you block off the no go areas, shut doors or use a pen? I would not have risked it at that age with Maisy as she loves to pull out stuffing, I left her in her crate for a few hours or used the baby gate at the top of the stairs to give her the run of one room and the landing upstairs. This has increased to downstairs as well now, but she often peers behind the t.v. and I worry that it might fall on her if she gets behind it so the living room is out of bounds when she is on her own. Please also take care in leaving him with only safe toys as it is easy to choke on a piece of rawhide.
Hi has anything changed in the last month that you can think of? If possible dog gate or crate whilst you are out with a kong or suitable chew then you know he is safe and so does he. From Emma with Mason chocolate Labrador 11 months
I can’t offer any help but I can sympathise. My 10 month old who has never really done much destruction other than soft toys has killed 2 beds in 3 days. Beds that he’s had for about 6 months. Nothing in his routine has changed. So I’m interested in people’s responses to you
We used the pen and crate initially but he could jump it after he was 5 months. He only has access to the living room and hall way as we stair gate the stairs. Nothing has changed in his route so I am at a loss....we rent and I am worried he will damage the house. He is 32 kilos so so a pen will no longer contain him and I don't want to use the crate in less I am out for short periods. At least I know I am not alone ☺
I had Finn in a crate which we could lock. He stayed in the crate until he was 4. He damaged the house, that’s why we had him for so long in a crate. We tried several times to decrate him, without luck, ended up destroying our things. He was happy to be in his crate!
Hi @Elaine06, how old is Jack now? I think I've seen people mention elsewhere on this forum that it's common for pups to have a behavioural blip around the 8-10 month mark, I guess as all the adult hormones are coursing around and the world takes on new colours for them! Our pup is 9 months and if I was leaving him for any length of time I'd crate him, unless you have somewhere safe you can corral Jack (like a kitchen) without access to easily-destroyed things. Our fellow's pretty reliable BUT on occasion has chewed off wallpaper and had a go at the lime plaster on the walls (thank goodness I did a plastering course last year!) Agree with @Shaz82 - avoid leaving him with anything like rawhide, kongs seem safest.
What size of crate did you use and what was the maximum time you ever left him...no judgement I just need to get over my guilt.
The is for the advice. Jack is coming up on 9 months this week so yes maybe it is a hormonal phase. What size 9f crate do you use? Jack is 32 kg so a big boy and am curious as to what size crate is ok to leave him in.
We had the largest open crate. So 125cm x 75cm. I left him for about two or three hours alone, when longer I had someone to walk him in the morning and who gave him water and a carrot
If you are leaving a dog in a crate it needs to be large enough that they can stand upright without and stooping and be able to lay stretched out. A good size is a 42"
