I resently adopted a dog that was found out running, I was told that he is about 8 months old and in very good health. We went out and bought him a prong collar for training because of his size and pulling. For quite a while he has been well behaved but he started a habit of chewing things such as shoes, socks, clothes and now Shellys furniture . He has also been pushing his way through the door and running off, So we bought him bones and have been walking him more but nothing has changed, Should we just try to find him a better home?
Any advice you might have would be very much appreciated.

He's being destructive because he is either bored and lonely (from being home alone too long) or not getting enough exercise. Try exercising him more and see if that helps.

And send a note to Irrissistible Bitch. She knows alot about dogs too!

HamsterHuey said:

She's a good one to ask about this.

My dog went through a weird stage of chewing all things plastic and he had an odd habit in tipping the bin over and sleeping in it in the front yard which was kinda cute but kinda yucky and looked really sad too (poor lil doggy in a rubbish bin) but he grew out of it Most dogs do from my knowledge, but if it's extreme i'd say the above advice is wise! Actually it's better to include daily activity for a dog- specially if they dont'have alot of area to play in at the back

Maybe you can take your dog to a dog trainer or get suggestiongs from a vet or a pet stores.

Shit Stained Balls?

LordEvil said:

well they are brown.....

HamsterHuey said:

I definitely will,


Its weird he has only been left alone 3 times since we've had him, and even then we have another dog thats with him, Possibly seperation anxiety?

This is the big brute, Ruggu named after Rohan Marley

meggy said:

He's cute!

meggy said:

I'm trying to figure out the breed! Kinda like a German Shepherd but still i'm not sure...you know if you go via temperament (even if the dog is a mongrel- as was mine) and going by your doggy's individual personality ofcourse you can probably gauge the best way to get him out it's current phase!

Hes a German Shepherd, Husky mix

Finding him a "better home" wouldnt b the wisest solution bcuz the dog will suffer alot 4 it.

Puppies need 2 chew and bite things, its their natural instinct. I did read in a book that a solution could b this:

- when u c him having chew something give him a toy he's allowed 2 bite. After it feed him with his favourite food.

- NEVER allow a dog 2 chew things like old shoes.... He must understand whats allowed 2 bite and not...

Meg is going to cry when she finds out but that dog ate chewed up the remote for my tv. The clothes and shoes weren't too bad, and the warranty just might cover the furniture damage but this is a lot and I can't afford to replace this stuff right now. We have a dog crate but it's a little small for him and she has two doves that live in it right now.
He is a sweet dog and he gets along very well with the other animals and kids that come to visit. He demolishes all the dog toys as soon as we get them. All our other dog's favorite toys are gone.
I don't know what to do, we walk these dogs for miles every day and we take him out to play in the fields behind our building.

shellyevon said:

i've orgnoted Meg and if she's up for it, we'll work on things, but this won't be an easy fix. in the meantime, try to dog-proof your house as best you can. good luck!

meggy said:

Oh, lord.

HamsterHuey said:

So do I.

meggy said:

Honestly, that's about the most neurotic breed combo you could possibly have. All of the exercise and training in the world are unlikely to help a dog like that if they don't like being left alone. Invest in a good crate. And pray that barking doesn't become a problem.

meggy said:

He looks more like a shepherd and a rottie mix. You should try some obedience classes. Sometimes they offer classes at Pet Smart.

Especially with a Dog that size you have to show him that you have more Dominance over him. Putting him in a crate when your not home is a good idea, until you are able to trust him alone in your home. You should watch the Dog Whisperer. He knows his stuff about dogs.

Has he been fixed yet?

Tom said:

Excellent question.

jaimestarr79 said:

Dog "Whisperer" hater here. sorry, i just have to speak up. Cesar Millan has good ideas, but his methods are horrible. he shows aggression toward fearful and aggressive dogs and corners them. he uses choke chains during walks and he forces fearful dogs to do things they are obviously afraid of (that doberman episode comes to mind). no wonder he has all of those disclaimers on the screen throughout his show.

one show i would recommend is "Barking Mad" on BBC America.

he looks like my boy, we just bought lot's of beefhide bones or the equilvalent and took him to all of the classes at petsmart we could afford. We sprayed brown listerine on a cotton ball and wiped his tongue with it and then sprayed around the base boards ( which is what he was chewing) on it and that stopped that behavior. We crated him when we were not home and in the evenings when we were so he wouldn't see it as punishment but as time alone. He's 5 now and a model citizen except for the occassional chewing of the pen on the floor or the paper towel that is left on the floor

good luck

JustErin said:

Yeah, just before she adopted him, he still had stitches. I don't know if he realizes he's been fixed though.

you can buy this stuff called bitterapple that stops dogs from chewing. Just spray it on and dogs hate the taste of it. you can buy it at petsmart.

My bf has a dog trainer for his guard dogs and a handler for all the other pets, they both said that once you use a prong collar (which he is an angle walking with as it doesnt bother him and is lose while walking) that you cant go back to use anything else that would be considered a training aid for walking. Could he be chewing to show Dominance over our other dog?
I will defanently try the brown listerine not too sure about the bitterapple he tends to like alot of stuff that a dog would normaly turn away from, I tried that with a kitten once and he loved it, same with hot sauce. Is it possible that who ever had him before abused him (he was very amasiated) so he does this as a way of getting that kind of attention?

meggy said:

i don't believe the argument for the prong collar for one second. i've never met a dog that needed one, and i've walked literally hundreds of dogs.

the chewing is more likely a sign of anxiety, not dominance over your other dog. is he humping your other dog or biting him on the top of the neck?

IrresistibleB1tch said:

What happened?