My Chewer Who Doesn't Want To Go Home

[Guest the36thchamber]

I have two houndies. My male is pretty much a perfect dog. My female on the other hand does two things that I just don't get. First of all, I work graveyard so I'm home and asleep during the day. My Wife works days so she's home and sleep at night. Mynie is fine when I'm home alone asleep and she's fine when my Wife is home alone and asleep but come weekends when we're both home and sleep together, it's almost certain I'm going to wake up to something being chewed up and destroyed. Why does she do this and what can I do to stop it? The second thing she does is when we go for walks, she's fine til we start to get close to home and then she drags. We have to constantly sit there and encourage her to walk. It's almost as if she just doesn't want to go home. What can I do about that?

[Guest kydie]

Dogs like people have their quirks, i would continue to walk with her, maybe she wants to walk more! What do you find chewed up? How old is she? How long has she lived with you? I feel exercise is usually a good start for any unwanted behavior, does she get the same exercise and on the same schedule on week-ends as during thr week?

Edited January 9, 2010 by kydie

[Guest SusanP]

Well, I'd bet the dragging on walks is because she doesn't want to go home yet. I have one who does this, especially if the walk was shorter than usual.

As for the other, does she usually sleep in bed with you and get crowded out when you are both in it?

[Guest scfilby]

Well, I'd bet the dragging on walks is because she doesn't want to go home yet. I have one who does this, especially if the walk was shorter than usual.

As for the other, does she usually sleep in bed with you and get crowded out when you are both in it?

 

I was going to say the same.. if she usually sleeps with each of you separately, she is likely feeling excluded when you are both hogging her bed..

[Guest Swifthounds]

If she seems fine during the rest of the walk and the dragging just happens as you approach home, it may well be that she enjoys the walk and knows that "close to home" means the walk is almost over. A few things I would try: 1) change the walk routes so that you don't always approach home the same way, 2) try walking past the house at least once on a walk (so she starts to associate that the sight of home doesn't mean the walk is over), 3) ignore the dragging and any other undesirable behavior (the more reaction it gets from you, the more it serves her intentions), 4) reward good behavior with praise and/or treats (it's as important to pin-point and reward behavior you want).

 

Regarding the weekend destruction, there are lots of possibilities, especially if the destruction only happens on the weekends. What's different about your schedule and/or routines then? Sometimes it's as simple as the dog being anxious because the routine isn't being followed. Routines and predictability of their environment is how dogs develop security, so the changes might be causing her anxiety - which she lets out by chewing.

[Guest the36thchamber]

Dogs like people have their quirks, i would continue to walk with her, maybe she wants to walk more! What do you find chewed up? How old is she? How long has she lived with you? I feel exercise is usually a good start for any unwanted behavior, does she get the same exercise and on the same schedule on week-ends as during thr week?

 

She's 2 and a half, I've had her since June. Most of the time, she's chewing up paper, any and all paper. The only thing she's ever chewed up that really hurt were my hundred dollar sunglasses. Their weekend schedules vary a bit from weekday schedules and as I said, the one major change is that mommy and daddy are home together on weekends. They do usually get more exercise on weekends though.

 

Well, I'd bet the dragging on walks is because she doesn't want to go home yet. I have one who does this, especially if the walk was shorter than usual.

As for the other, does she usually sleep in bed with you and get crowded out when you are both in it?

 

Nope the kitties won't let the pups on the bed so they sleep downstairs

 

If she seems fine during the rest of the walk and the dragging just happens as you approach home, it may well be that she enjoys the walk and knows that "close to home" means the walk is almost over. A few things I would try: 1) change the walk routes so that you don't always approach home the same way, 2) try walking past the house at least once on a walk (so she starts to associate that the sight of home doesn't mean the walk is over), 3) ignore the dragging and any other undesirable behavior (the more reaction it gets from you, the more it serves her intentions), 4) reward good behavior with praise and/or treats (it's as important to pin-point and reward behavior you want).

 

Regarding the weekend destruction, there are lots of possibilities, especially if the destruction only happens on the weekends. What's different about your schedule and/or routines then? Sometimes it's as simple as the dog being anxious because the routine isn't being followed. Routines and predictability of their environment is how dogs develop security, so the changes might be causing her anxiety - which she lets out by chewing.

 

I like the idea of walking past the house, I'm gonna try that one for sure. As for what changes on the weekend, it's pretty huge if you think about. Generally during the week, my Wife and I are only home together for about an hour but on weekends, we're both home together the entire time.

[Jackandgrey]

She's two so she is very very young yet. If she sleeps away from you and you don't crate you need to a) puppy proof as best you can use babygates to keep her a defined area that so that she is limited in her scope of damage or c) muzzle her on weekends when the destructive behavior occurs. Or you could have her sleep in your room where the little delinquent is under closer observation. More than likely she will outgrow this. Jilly went through this stage when she was two as well.

 

Jill also needed way more exercise at that age too. Longer walks than Jack did just to get rid of that adolescent energy.

[Trihounds]

Have you ruled out anything physical / medical as to the cause for her slowing down closer to home (end of her walk)? I ask because I saw the same behavior from Bumper, didn't think anything medical (no physical evidence of a problem), it went on for a couple months, then learned the hard way he had an autoimmune disorder. I thought it was behavioral.

[Guest Swifthounds]

I like the idea of walking past the house, I'm gonna try that one for sure. As for what changes on the weekend, it's pretty huge if you think about. Generally during the week, my Wife and I are only home together for about an hour but on weekends, we're both home together the entire time.

 

I wonder if it might be that during the week, when only one of you is there at a time, she feels like she gets more individual attention from each of you versus the weekend when you focus on each other (understandably).

[Guest Sweetreba]

My female is my jumper. She does it to people we meet on our walks who she knows always stop and pet them. When she starts with the excitment I tell her be nice no jump and pull her away if she trys to jump she then calms down cause she now knows I won't let her near anyone till she calms down. If she jumps on me I tell her no firmly and pull her down with her collar gently. It took awhile but eventually it worked. About the walking I use to cut through the grass coming home and they would start to pull me towards it now I go pass the house and around the corner to the drive {I live on a corner} or if they are not tired and seem to want more I pass the house and continue the walk. Now they do not pull or drag cause they have no idea which way I am going to go.

[Guest whimzical]

My female is my jumper. She does it to people we meet on our walks who she knows always stop and pet them. When she starts with the excitment I tell her be nice no jump and pull her away if she trys to jump she then calms down cause she now knows I won't let her near anyone till she calms down. If she jumps on me I tell her no firmly and pull her down with her collar gently. It took awhile but eventually it worked. About the walking I use to cut through the grass coming home and they would start to pull me towards it now I go pass the house and around the corner to the drive {I live on a corner} or if they are not tired and seem to want more I pass the house and continue the walk. Now they do not pull or drag cause they have no idea which way I am going to go.

[Guest whimzical]

My female is my jumper. She does it to people we meet on our walks who she knows always stop and pet them. When she starts with the excitment I tell her be nice no jump and pull her away if she trys to jump she then calms down cause she now knows I won't let her near anyone till she calms down. If she jumps on me I tell her no firmly and pull her down with her collar gently. It took awhile but eventually it worked. About the walking I use to cut through the grass coming home and they would start to pull me towards it now I go pass the house and around the corner to the drive {I live on a corner} or if they are not tired and seem to want more I pass the house and continue the walk. Now they do not pull or drag cause they have no idea which way I am going to go.

 

I also have a puller when it comes to getting close to our home (barn door syndrome)

i also try to aproch the drive way different never entering the front yard the same way. This is still new and seems to be working.