Help! My puppy is destroying my kitchen...
Discussion
Ladies and gents, in case you haven't seen him in the show us your dog thread, this is Yoda.
Looking a little sheepish, wouldn't you agree? Here's why:
He chews up something in the kitchen maybe once or twice a week. He is 8 months old, and only does it when we are out at work. A typical day would be:
- 40 minute walk first thing, rest then feed
- Kitchen sprayed with horrible tasting stuff, toys prepared to keep him entertained
- Leave around 8:15, back home at 12:45 for 10 minute walk and lunch. Prepare more toys for the afternoon
- Leave at 1:30, back by 6 then a good hour work with training and food and play time
In terms of toys, we have kongs stuffed with a little peanut butter, various toys stuffed with treats, boredom balls with food, occasionally a pressed rawhide bone (this keeps him busy for a while). We also try and rotate his normal toys.
This is our first dog, and otherwise he is pretty good! We have done puppy foundation class and just passed bronze class, now moving onto silver. It's just the kitchen chewing!
Is this a phase, that he will grow out of? Or are we doing something badly wrong?
Looking a little sheepish, wouldn't you agree? Here's why:
He chews up something in the kitchen maybe once or twice a week. He is 8 months old, and only does it when we are out at work. A typical day would be:
- 40 minute walk first thing, rest then feed
- Kitchen sprayed with horrible tasting stuff, toys prepared to keep him entertained
- Leave around 8:15, back home at 12:45 for 10 minute walk and lunch. Prepare more toys for the afternoon
- Leave at 1:30, back by 6 then a good hour work with training and food and play time
In terms of toys, we have kongs stuffed with a little peanut butter, various toys stuffed with treats, boredom balls with food, occasionally a pressed rawhide bone (this keeps him busy for a while). We also try and rotate his normal toys.
This is our first dog, and otherwise he is pretty good! We have done puppy foundation class and just passed bronze class, now moving onto silver. It's just the kitchen chewing!
Is this a phase, that he will grow out of? Or are we doing something badly wrong?
icetea said:
Yes, you selfishly bought a dog when its completely incompatible with your lifestyle. The poor guy is bored to tears in there on his own... no wonder he's wrecking the place.
If you needed to have a dog you should have took an older one from a rescue centre.
Do you really mean that, or are you looking for a reaction?If you needed to have a dog you should have took an older one from a rescue centre.
We really did our research and thought we would be ideal owners - plenty of love, walks, attention and training
Thanks for the constructive advice. I really thought we were in an ideal situation for a puppy, maybe I was wrong but I could never be without him now, I honestly love the silly mutt!
To answer a question above; yes, between us my fiancee and I had three weeks off when we first got him, and left him for progressively longer periods each day. I forgot to add that we have family coming over twice a week for a walk and play for a couple of hours at lunch so it is three times a week he only gets a short walk at lunch. We leave the radio on (SWMBO insists Radio 4, maybe that's the problem!). He was fine for the first few months, it all started when he hit six months old!
I've talked about our situation with our vet and trainer, and they see our situation as typical in terms of time left alone. I know loads of owners who leave their dog all day, I would never do that.
The dog walker is a good idea, I'll look into it.
To answer a question above; yes, between us my fiancee and I had three weeks off when we first got him, and left him for progressively longer periods each day. I forgot to add that we have family coming over twice a week for a walk and play for a couple of hours at lunch so it is three times a week he only gets a short walk at lunch. We leave the radio on (SWMBO insists Radio 4, maybe that's the problem!). He was fine for the first few months, it all started when he hit six months old!
I've talked about our situation with our vet and trainer, and they see our situation as typical in terms of time left alone. I know loads of owners who leave their dog all day, I would never do that.
The dog walker is a good idea, I'll look into it.
Many thanks for the replies. I do feel that some of the comments were overly harsh, bordering on spiteful and were posted simply to upset and get a reaction. Others were melodramatic, and pretty far from the truth.
I reject the suggestion that we are selfish, inconsiderate owners; our trainer, vet and neighbours (who are also vets) all agree that we are very loving, thoughtful and strict with our dog. What we are however, is inexperienced and have a lot to learn. I therefore especially appreciate the constructive comments from members who I respect (ali_kat, Paddy_N_Murphy, BexVN, Karyn).
So, first things first – I think it is boredom, rather than seperation anxiety that is making Yoda chew. Reasons being:
- I've seen at training first hand dogs with seperation anxiety, and they HOWL and are clearly upset. Yoda on the other hand doesn't even bark (except at the hoover) and displays no anxiety that we can see. Our neighbour confirms he doesn't bark at all when we are not around
- He doesn't constantly follow us around, craving contact and affection
- When we leave him, he doesn't even notice us going (too busy sniffing for treats and toys I've left him, as this picture today shows)
We spent a good half hour on the phone to our trainer today, and we'll have a proper chat on Saturday (going onto silver training course, having passed foundation and bronze with flying colours). What could have caused the latest chewing session was a change in routine – my fiancée had a few days off last week. We also need to 'de-humanise' him, and do such things as no fuss or attention for first ten minutes we see him each morning / lunchtime / evening.
So, today was a good day with no damage! I've taken on-board some of the suggestions in this thread, by getting up earlier and giving him a good hour walk first thing, and twenty minutes at lunch. I also got more toys, stuffed them with treats (adjusted meal quantities of course) and hid them around the kitchen. The cage above was left open to provide somewhere cosy and to hide toys.
Our trainer also offers a dog bus service
whereby a few dogs are picked up at 9, taken for walks, trained etc and dropped off at 3. This sounds like a great idea! I'll try and find some local dog walkers too, but my goodness they will be interrogated first..... Yoda is too precious to trust to anyone.
Oh and to answer a few questions from the thread; he is a chocolate labrador retriever, is fully toilet trained, we just say 'bye' when leaving (and he ignores us as above), I initially couldn't see a pattern with the chewing but it could be down to changes in routine. Think that is it.
Oh and one other thing – funny wouldn't you say, that the two contributors who also own labs had similar experiences – perhaps it is ever so slightly common behaviour to the breed rather than irresponsible and selfish ownership? The neighbours garden gnome being destroyed really did make me chuckle
More feedback appreciated, if constructive of course
I'll finish this long winded post (well done if you've read this far!) with a nice pic of Yoda waiting patiently for me to open the front door before this mornings walkies.
I reject the suggestion that we are selfish, inconsiderate owners; our trainer, vet and neighbours (who are also vets) all agree that we are very loving, thoughtful and strict with our dog. What we are however, is inexperienced and have a lot to learn. I therefore especially appreciate the constructive comments from members who I respect (ali_kat, Paddy_N_Murphy, BexVN, Karyn).
So, first things first – I think it is boredom, rather than seperation anxiety that is making Yoda chew. Reasons being:
- I've seen at training first hand dogs with seperation anxiety, and they HOWL and are clearly upset. Yoda on the other hand doesn't even bark (except at the hoover) and displays no anxiety that we can see. Our neighbour confirms he doesn't bark at all when we are not around
- He doesn't constantly follow us around, craving contact and affection
- When we leave him, he doesn't even notice us going (too busy sniffing for treats and toys I've left him, as this picture today shows)
We spent a good half hour on the phone to our trainer today, and we'll have a proper chat on Saturday (going onto silver training course, having passed foundation and bronze with flying colours). What could have caused the latest chewing session was a change in routine – my fiancée had a few days off last week. We also need to 'de-humanise' him, and do such things as no fuss or attention for first ten minutes we see him each morning / lunchtime / evening.
So, today was a good day with no damage! I've taken on-board some of the suggestions in this thread, by getting up earlier and giving him a good hour walk first thing, and twenty minutes at lunch. I also got more toys, stuffed them with treats (adjusted meal quantities of course) and hid them around the kitchen. The cage above was left open to provide somewhere cosy and to hide toys.
Our trainer also offers a dog bus service
whereby a few dogs are picked up at 9, taken for walks, trained etc and dropped off at 3. This sounds like a great idea! I'll try and find some local dog walkers too, but my goodness they will be interrogated first..... Yoda is too precious to trust to anyone.Oh and to answer a few questions from the thread; he is a chocolate labrador retriever, is fully toilet trained, we just say 'bye' when leaving (and he ignores us as above), I initially couldn't see a pattern with the chewing but it could be down to changes in routine. Think that is it.
Oh and one other thing – funny wouldn't you say, that the two contributors who also own labs had similar experiences – perhaps it is ever so slightly common behaviour to the breed rather than irresponsible and selfish ownership? The neighbours garden gnome being destroyed really did make me chuckle
More feedback appreciated, if constructive of course
I'll finish this long winded post (well done if you've read this far!) with a nice pic of Yoda waiting patiently for me to open the front door before this mornings walkies.Thanks again for the replies, another chew free day (family came over for a few hours lunchtime).
Love the pics of Paddy and the two jumping into the river. I wouldn't want to cycle as there is nowhere suitable near, but when I run Yoda follows me so that could be a good idea. Paddy_N_Murphy, yeah my parents love dogs but aren't ready for a pup themselves so they help out. Thing is, I don't think they reinforce our training so ruin our hard work (e.g. getting him all excited when they walk in coochie cooing!). They mean well though, I'll just have to train them!
We've thought about a dog flap, but I'm a little concerned that a Yoda sized flap would be big enough for a thief... also, our trainer didn't think it was a good idea (yet) as we are not there to correct any naughty behaviour.
We've never used a crate, other than to provide a snug place for him to sleep and to hide toys (i.e. doors are always open).
And no, I'm afraid I can't take him to work One of the magazines at work is Dog World, and they get to take their dogs in! Wish I worked for them 
Love the pics of Paddy and the two jumping into the river. I wouldn't want to cycle as there is nowhere suitable near, but when I run Yoda follows me so that could be a good idea. Paddy_N_Murphy, yeah my parents love dogs but aren't ready for a pup themselves so they help out. Thing is, I don't think they reinforce our training so ruin our hard work (e.g. getting him all excited when they walk in coochie cooing!). They mean well though, I'll just have to train them!
We've thought about a dog flap, but I'm a little concerned that a Yoda sized flap would be big enough for a thief... also, our trainer didn't think it was a good idea (yet) as we are not there to correct any naughty behaviour.
We've never used a crate, other than to provide a snug place for him to sleep and to hide toys (i.e. doors are always open).
And no, I'm afraid I can't take him to work
One of the magazines at work is Dog World, and they get to take their dogs in! Wish I worked for them Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff