chewing update

Hi to everyone, could someone please give me some advice. I've had my boy 6 years now, got him when he was 6 weeks old. We've had our ups and downs but for the last couple of years he has been great,very loving. He did chew a little when he was a puupy but he seemed to calm down become settled and stop but......unfortunitly he has started again, he seems to be helping us remodel the kitchen again every time he is left. He's not left alone but with another staffie. One of the most recent times was when my hubby had walked 5 mins to meet me and walk home with me, my bot had ripped the wall apart and ripped the skirting fromaround the door, he has done it again and again since that time. I love him to be but don't know what is making him act like this, he gets lots of walks and play and plenty of time in the garden. What can I do to stop him? He is hurting his face and mouth everytime he's ripping the plaster from the walls. Any advice would be gratefully received

Don't know!! Sound like normal seperation anxiaty but stopping it is a different matter!! Could try leaving him but not actully going anywhere so you can come back after a few mins! And maybe put your phone on video on the side where you leave him so you can see what he is doing and how quickly he is getting like that?? Then you can keep coming back after 2 minutes or 5 or however long it takes him to start panicing,so he knows that when you leave you will come back. And then try extending the times you leave for untill he is ok again! Could take a long time though I spoze!! Just an idea?!

crate crate crate! They are never to old to be crate trained! Get the biggest one u possibly can as u wont need it to house train and fill it with loads of blankets treats water and toys and cover it with a blanket to make a den. Leave the door open for him when ur home and let him use it as and when he wants. Never put him in it when he's bad just make it a great place to be. When u go out put him in there with all the things i said and maybe a filled frozen kong? x

is he getting daily walks?

if he is how many time and how long for?

He is walked 2 to 3 times a day . We also take him on a tennis court so he can run around with my female that we have too. So he's not completely alone when we're out. I've tried the toys and filled kongs. He's gone through the wall to the breeze block and hurting his face i'm lost as to what to do

blaze wrote:crate crate crate! They are never to old to be crate trained! Get the biggest one u possibly can as u wont need it to house train and fill it with loads of blankets treats water and toys and cover it with a blanket to make a den. Leave the door open for him when ur home and let him use it as and when he wants. Never put him in it when he's bad just make it a great place to be. When u go out put him in there with all the things i said and maybe a filled frozen kong? x

I think I have to agree, a crate would be good, for you and the dog, especially if its hurting itself

Hi just like to say thanks for all the advise, and 2 new crates arrived today. My hubby has put them up in the living room at the moment to help get the dogs used to them, my girl has taken to it straight away, keeps wandering in and out of one of them, my boy is very nervous but if I tap the bedding and make a clicking noise with my fingers he has started to get in the crate and lay down to have his tummy tickled, I'm feeling a little less anxious about it now, I know it's for the best to help him stop chewing

I'd always have crates now - I wish they'd been standard thing when my last dog was around!

As soon as he's really used to it (and it won't take him long) you can start closing the door for a couple of minutes, without fuss or saying anything. Just try to make it as 'normal' as possible. Then open it again, without fuss or saying anything. You'll find that eventually he'll just curl up and sleep when the door's shut. It makes them feel really safe & secure.

A quick update . It took of about an hour last night to get him in the crate, and he did curl up and went to sleep with the female I have in it. I've gone to work this morning and just received a picture on my phone from my hubby with spike getting himself in the crate and looking out the window. I am so proud of him

you'll wonder now why u never got one before! x

Aw, that's sweet!

I know how you must have felt. Before I got Dempsey I thought long & hard about a crate. I'm so glad I decided to get one, it's been probably the best investment I've made!

lets see the pics!!

Hollie loves her crate and goes in and out as she pleases, but Jess got like your boy did and I got her a crate, but she hated it with a vengence, she used to try chew her way out of it, coming back to bleeding gums was not nice, i ended up selling it (the crate not the dog)...

Can u leave him outside? my boy loves being outside and he also has seperation anxiety even though he is with another dog, they just love being with you-my Harley gets jealous if i spend some time with Mia loke the other day i got a brush for her and he didn't like her getting attention from Mummy so he pushed between her & i so he could get attention.

Try having some one on one time with him before or after you go out, i always tell my 2 that i am going out and will be back as soon as i can and i love them and will miss them. Treats work wonders lol. I hope u get it sorted out.

Just a quick thought. When you go out, do you make a fuss of the dogs or do you just shut the door & go?

I've found in the past that the more fuss you make the worse the devastation is when you get home. If you just get yourself ready & ignore them, shut them in wherever you want them to be & just go they'll settle far better, because it will seem so normal to them.

We always just get ready and leave, he knows when it's time to go to his bed before we leave. So far he is happy to go and snooze in the new crate and lets me close the door. we also do the same routine as we have done since he was a puppy and yes Hazelj we always give them both a treat before we go, and I do try to say the same things as you do. My boy Spike acts the same way as yours, gets jealous if the other one is being fussed.

Hopefully the crate will prove a godsend. Sometimes they just need that feeling of security.

My boy Spike spent o few hours on his own yesterday (but with the company of my girl) in his crate while we went out. I am so proud of him, it seems he spent the time curled up sleeping with his crate next to my girl Sugar's crate. It all started at the beginning of this week with the crates being delivered and by Friday they are both so happy to wander in and out of them when they want to and happy to get cuddled up together in one of them (while we're in the house with them). Everyone was right I wish I got these crates from the start of his anxiety but I felt so mean as they's both had bad starts to life. I am like a proud mummy telling all my friends of what has been achieved

Glad you got the problem sorted, happy dog happy mummy

great news!

Thats great to hear.

Great News
Nice one

Hi, we've had a little set back in the crate training. My Spike was doing so well but today I came home and he's almost taken the door off the crate, ripped up his bedding and broken a rails on the crate. He had water and stuffed kongs in the crate with him . Any advice?

I've never crate trained so can't help! someone will advise I'm sure

Oh no, what kind of crate do you have? I use a metal one for mine and he loves it, its a bit different because I started crate training at eight weeks but older dogs usually take to it pretty well as long as its done properly and if you followed all the advice above then it has been done properly. I dont know what to suggest, I thought the metal crates were pretty solid and hard to rip apart, is that what you've been using? Sorry to hear you've had a setback, hope Spike is ok.

Hi shontelle, I an using a metal crate for both my dogs. My girl is fine but just spike seems to just hate being without human company. He managed to rip the door off and in half and snap most of the hinges off and almost collapse the crate on him.

oh no is he okay? Ummmmm just trying to think of some ideas.......have u tryed leaving a tv or radio on for like background noise? It may help if he doesnt like being alone, also maybe u could try drapping a blanket over the top of the crate to make a real den, he may find this more relaxing? How long was he left when he did this? x

Hi Carly, yeah spike is ok no damange to himself, I have put a blanket over the top of the crate to make it snug for him, he even had some kongs in there with him, and I've also left a radio on for him. It's like he's laughing at me and lookingat me as if to say is that the best you've got, a metal crate can not stop me!!!!!!!

That is wonderful news that the crate is working.. well done...
I dont know what i would do without my lil girls crate xx