Bedding

Ok so i'm hoping someone has experienced this before & found a solution that will help me out.

My 2 Staffies pull the bedding out of their kennels everyday & then continue to play tug of war with it throughout the day whilst i'm at work, however when i'm at home they won't do it

The weekend just gone i decided to get yoga mat tiles & cut them to shape to fit the kennel then glued them in place with silicone only to find that this afternoon they have ripped/clawed it into a million pieces.

Do you use bedding in your dogs kennels? if so what do you use?

The other issue i have is they drag the kennels around the yard, the kennels are plastic but i'm starting to win the battle here as i have dabbed chilli sauce around where they bite. Still not 100% cured but i have made progress.

HELP?

We use old sheets/quilt covers as marley still has a habit of chewing them and they are not expensive to replace from charity shops

Thanks Steve but I've been picking these blankets up every afternoon for the last 3 years I'm not worried about the cost but rather the hassle.

The dogs are excerised at least 3-4 times per week, I've tried increasing the frequency of their runs/excerise but they still have the same behavior.

thehvacdude wrote:The dogs are excerised at least 3-4 times per week, I've tried increasing the frequency of their runs/excerise but they still have the same behavior.

3 or 4 times a week? It should be more like 3 times a day! No wonder they're shredding things, they're bored & underexercised!

Yeah, sounds like they're bored. Dogs that aren't exercised enough get very hyperactive and destructive, so just start increasing the walks they get and they should start relaxing more.

hmm 3-4 times a week, hope that was a typing error

They should have at a minimum two 45 minute walks per day, if not they find other ways to get rid of their energy

no typing error i run them for 5km 3-4 times per week.

I do not have the luxury of being able to run them twice a day for 45min.

Its not a luxury, its something you have to fit in lol

It's a luxury I leave for work at 4:30 & arrive home at 6pm, 3 nights a week I do gym & 3-4 nights a week I walk the dogs.

I don't know anyone who walks their dogs twice a day for 45 min & none of the 3 police dog trainers I have taken my dogs to for training have ever suggested this.

Do you have a family member or friend that could take them on the days you work? If not have you looked into a dog walker?

thehvacdude wrote:no typing error i run them for 5km 3-4 times per week.

I do not have the luxury of being able to run them twice a day for 45min.

If you consider dog walking aluxury, then maybe you shouldn't have a dog?

thehvacdude wrote:It's a luxury I leave for work at 4:30 & arrive home at 6pm, 3 nights a week I do gym & 3-4 nights a week I walk the dogs.

I don't know anyone who walks their dogs twice a day for 45 min & none of the 3 police dog trainers I have taken my dogs to for training have ever suggested this.

So, you find time for the gym, but not your dogs?

I (and many, many other people) walk my dog three times a day - a total of around two and a half hours a day, every day. So, now you do know somebody who does it.

A tired good is a good dog a, un-walk/un-tired dog is a problem dog any good dog trainer will tell you this!

walking your dog 4/5 time a week is simple not good enough.... if you cant walk them 2/3 times per day i would really think about giving them up.

Mine have a hour and a half walk each day so you should at least give them that as said before a tired staffie is a happy staffie

Look, maybe we've got off on the wrong foot, but surely you can see that your dogs are bored and under exercised? They need to be taken out for walks, & preferably off lead runs, every day - at least twice but preferably three times every day. Without that exercise (physical and mental) they will continue to be destructive as they need to channel their excess energies & frustrations somehow!

thehvacdude wrote:It's a luxury I leave for work at 4:30 & arrive home at 6pm, 3 nights a week I do gym & 3-4 nights a week I walk the dogs.

I don't know anyone who walks their dogs twice a day for 45 min & none of the 3 police dog trainers I have taken my dogs to for training have ever suggested this.

.. and do the 3 police dog trainers have staffords ??

I walk Max once a day, and work him once a day ... I can get away with missing the lead walk once in a blue moon, but he HAS to be excercised pretty hard EVERY day, or he is bouncing off the walls!!

Staffys are a performance breed, and could quite easily run miles and miles every day of the year .. a few K's 3 times a week might be ok when they are old, but that would only be warm up for my boy

Staffs are high-energy dogs, they need a lot of exercise. All dogs should be walked every day at least. Just because no-one you know does, doesn't mean they're right. Police dogs aren't Staffs, and certain breeds require less exercise/walking time than others. The fact that your dogs are being destructive shows that they do need more exercise. I mean, how would you feel if you only went out of the house a few times a week? I used to have to go weeks without leaving the house because of my health, and I was going absolutely insane with boredom and frustration. And I'm a human. Dogs don't think logically; if they're bored, they'll find some way of entertaining themselves.

If you, personally, can't walk them 2 or 3 times a day, you should seriously consider looking into a dog walker. The problem would most definitely improve

Oh my, i couldnt imagen mine being exercised 3-4 a WEEK!!!!!!

Mine get at least 45mins-1 hour a day.

in order too help your dogs and stop their destructive behaviour you have too put more time into them, why go too the gym when you have two dogs too exercise i dont get that.

i work full time have 3 dogs too excersise, 5 rabbits and a cat and their wellbeing is my priority. my dogs can be left whilst i am at work and do not have any destructive behaviour because they get all the physical exercise they need.

Maybe these "police dog trainers" have time to train other dogs because they weren't that good. I personally don't know anyone that thinks it's ok to walk a dog 3 or 4 times a week. We sometimes don't have a great lot of time but the minimum is 45 minutes morning and 45 minutes tea time , and then I feel guilty if they've just had this so they will get extra long walks next day as well. Sorry to be critical but working ok you have to earn a living but using your gym time as an excuse for not walking them that's ridiculous

I'm sorry i work full time as does the OH have 2 high energy dogs, and 50! other animals to look after and i manage to walk them.

No excuse.

Agreed, we have two cats, two rabbits and three children, and oh works from home while I work 28 hours a week but Dexter gets two walks in the week every day for around forty five minutes, and three walks a day at the weekend when things are a bit quieter plus a good hour ball play every afternoon. I'm sorry you are having these difficulties with your dogs but the folks on here are right, they need so much more exercise than that they really do.

I totally agree with everyone here! If you've "not got time" for your dogs then you shouldnt have them!
I feel guilty every night i leave for work because my poor wee pup is on her own, and i work nightshift so all she really does is sleep when am at work, how can u leave at half 4 (am guessing in the morning) til 6pm? if i was a dog i would b destructive too!s
Diesel comes first in our house, if i know am gonna b out during the day i always make sure she's had a good long run before i go out. To this day i have never come home to any destruction (touch wood)

everyone seems to be having a go at you, but lets try to solve the problem rather than pointing fingers. if you are going to the gym a lot then you're body's condition and health is important to you. do you have a park nearby where you could do similar but modified exercises and include your dogs at the same time. a friend does this with his dog, pull ups on the climbing bars etc and the dog runs around chasing his ball or they play and rough and tumble and they both have tons of fun.

lilybet88 wrote:everyone seems to be having a go at you, but lets try to solve the problem rather than pointing fingers. if you are going to the gym a lot then you're body's condition and health is important to you. do you have a park nearby where you could do similar but modified exercises and include your dogs at the same time. a friend does this with his dog, pull ups on the climbing bars etc and the dog runs around chasing his ball or they play and rough and tumble and they both have tons of fun.

Nice diplomatic reaction Thea but please don't be too quick to judge our other members . We have a very large percentage of members on here that do care for their dogs and will be very quick to point out that if you don't have time for your dogs but have time for the gym then it is obvious your priorities are very much in the wrong place.
Members do have other things to talk about other than staffys but you must remember first and foremost we are a forum of dog lovers so these reactions are perfectly normal and to be honest expected. We are here to help with problems not do workarounds for people just so they can fit in something that doesn't seem that important to them

Hi there, I think your pooches need more exercise. I notice you mention the gym for yourself. you need to try and involve the dogs in your regime. This will kill 2 birds with one stone and save you gym money! You obviously care for your dogs or you wouldn't be asking for help. What ever you try to achieve at gym you need to replicate with dogs. If you can balance your exercise with the dogs exercise you will have a less hectic but equally rewarding lifestyle balance. This will give you more time to chill

I make sure I find time for minimum two walks, and lately the second walk has been in the fading light, but Pixee still gets her walks. Only yesterday it went much darker earlier, so armed with a big torch, flashing light on harness, it was off to the fields where I, yes me, ran with Pixee to tired her out as I couldnt to the walk down the canal as I didnt feel safe. Its so true a tired dog is a happy dog.

I try to take Zeus on two walks a day but there are days where I can't, so he ends up only having one a day. On the days that I can't take him, I always make sure I tire him out through play (mainly with a laser pen). He'll run for ages chasing the laser pen around the house so maybe you should try that, or another type of play to tire them out. Exercise doesnt necessarily have to be a walk, it could be anything to tire them out. Try mental exercises like hiding treats around the room or teaching tricks.

my OH always takes them for a good run in the day time and then they get about 40mins roadwork in the evening. But this always has to be on-lead in the dark at the moment. They also get lots of playing in our garden and at the weekend big pack walks with other dogs and my friends which are usually 5miles +. They go stir-crazy if left without off-lead running for more than a day. and start to constantly play fight and chew things!

I totally agree with what everyone says about exercise, my boys get walked twice a day.. more at weekends, I' also run a dog walking service and know fully the values that dogs get from their time with me.. it's not just the physical exercise, it's mental stimulation and human interaction.. Staffy's especially need and crave human attention... I was kinda left wondering if you truly have time to interact with your dogs... taking them for a run is one thing, but they need YOU. (Not wanting to upset anyone or provoke retaliation, its just my thought, and I hope you find a way to improve your dogs lives and yours too).

Have you tried taking them out and throwing a ball . My old staff went out for a walk once a day for about an hour but I would do a shorter walk in the evening Incorporating chasing a ball and fetching ropes etc. he was shattered ! Lol. Who looks after them / keeps them company whilst you are out ?

I hope someone does otherwise you need to think of rehoming them. Staffies are very people orientated .

One of the reasons I got a dog again is because I find the gym boring and I like walking. My puppy is only just fully inoculated and went for his first short walk today. It was only for 15 mins, but he calmed down for a good couple of hours after. Walks are the key.

I jump on what they other say! This is a really big sign for boredom.. And walking them 3-4 times a week is waaaaaay to little... My staff is getting 2-3 hours every day, every sunday we take a long walk along the coast (10km) and around 40 min in the evening. I have times I don't have the best of time too, but then I take her outside for a fetch with the frisbee, and let her run loose. So that might be an idea for you? A frisbee or a tennis ball? I know you can buy a "ball thrower", so you can throw it far, far away. And it's great fun for your dogs too

Sorry peeps and I know everyone means well but this guy has not posted for over a month and obviously didn't like the advice we gave , maybe the welcome post had some clues as well, he didn't mention about the 2nd dog


EDIT FROM HVACDUDE'S PREVIOUS POSTS

I previously had 2 dogs, a male & a female both desexed whom grew up with each other from pups also i must mention they were not related at all. So after about 3 peaceful years of my dogs getting along one day things changed & violent fights would break out daily & after seeking advice + training from numerous trainers we made the decision to part with the female (who was an American Staffy).

Since just having the one male english stafford things have been a bit rough, first there was the separation anxiety for the other dog, then separation anxiety from us when we were working & lastly the panic attacks when we have storm & we are not home. The separation anxiety was easily overcome by sending the male off to a kennel for a fortnight this cured him 100% but the storm panic attacks are a little more difficult to manage & i don't want to drug the dog up with ACP whenever there is a storm. Currently we have a run which we put him in when there is the possibility of a storm which doesn't calm him down but at least he cannot escape or harm himself. I must mention when we had the 2 dogs the storm freak outs were non existent as the 2 dogs would cuddle together in the kennel & provide comfort for each other.

So now 1 year after getting rid of the American female we have decided to introduce a new female into the home but this time she is a pure bred english stafford who's siblings have no history of freaking out when there is a storm & a very placid dogs by nature, i'm pretty confident this will assist with the storm freak outs our male is currently having but i'm concerned about ending up back at square 1, that is with 2 dogs that fight.

I would like to ask for your help & ideas about how i should go about introducing the new dog into the home (she is due to arrive in 4 weeks). At this stage we are planning on sending the male away to a kennel for 2 weeks prior to the introduction of the new dog so as that the both come into the home together. Can anyone suggest anything i should do to minimize the chance of aggression or jealousy?

END QUOTE

Does anybody think it's possible that the first "no 2" dog's behaviour had something to do with being left out in a yard together all day and only going out for 3-4 times a week

[quote="Dave"] I would like to ask for your help & ideas about how i should go about introducing the new dog into the home (she is due to arrive in 4 weeks). At this stage we are planning on sending the male away to a kennel for 2 weeks prior to the introduction of the new dog so as that the both come into the home together. Can anyone suggest anything i should do to minimize the chance of aggression or jealousy?[/color]


I don't think you need to send him away. My sister got a puppy this summer, and my staff didn't seem to bother. But we took Bella (my staffi) out in the yard, then let the puppy walk around and smell the house so he knew there was another dog here, after 10 min we switch and let my dog smell the house and the smell of another dog, we did this for almost an hour... then we let them meet each other. It's really important not to give all the attention to the puppy, let the "1 dog" eat first and separately. The nr 1 dog will probably "train" the puppy to become family. so its important to praise him all the time, so he knows he is still gets the attention. It's really sweet to watch:D My Bella is treating my sisters dog as a son, so sweet:)

Ceciliiiie wrote:

I don't think you need to send him away. My sister got a puppy this summer, and my staff didn't seem to bother. But we took Bella (my staffi) out in the yard, then let the puppy walk around and smell the house so he knew there was another dog here, after 10 min we switch and let my dog smell the house and the smell of another dog, we did this for almost an hour... then we let them meet each other. It's really important not to give all the attention to the puppy, let the "1 dog" eat first and separately. The nr 1 dog will probably "train" the puppy to become family. so its important to praise him all the time, so he knows he is still gets the attention. It's really sweet to watch:D My Bella is treating my sisters dog as a son, so sweet:)

Sorry you misunderstood my reply , this was from another post from the original poster - not me Seems like there is a bit of history here just by reading previous posts

this dude likes sending his dog to the kennels, for 2 weeks< how do you live without your dog for 2 weeks? how do you not worry yourself sick.
i agree the signs are all there.