Houndmommy03 Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Holly is 5 1/2 years old and we have had her almost 3 years. She has always been very good. Several months ago she started getting into the bathroom garbage cans and tearing up boxes and tissues that she finds in them...We put the cans out of reach. Next she took a roll of toilet paper off of a shelf and shredded it (she did that twice). Another time she took a magazine off of a shelf and tore it up. None of these things is a big deal (except I don't want her to get hurt) but I am worried that one day she will destroy something of value. I don't understand why she has started doing this. We have never caught her in the act but we know it is her because she takes the item to her bed to tear it up and then falls asleep with it She gets 2 walks a day, has a fenced in back yard, I'm a SAHM with 2 kids also at home and she has lots of toys. Any thoughts? Thanks, Kim, Silver and Holly Quote <p>Kim and the hound - RumorMissing my angels Marlow, Silver, Holly and Lucky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NJgrey Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Sounds like typical doggie stuff to me. Don't know why she'd start doing it now, other than she tried it once, got away with it (since there was no one there to correct her) and had fun doing it. If you catch her in the act maybe that will discourage her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scfilby Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 It sounds like she is doing this because it is fun. Likely something attracted her to the trash can originally and she discovered what fun shredding paper is. Our Cy will shred paper if he finds it, but he has never chewed anything else. If it's only paper I would just make sure there is none within reach. I would bet the chewing will not extend to other objects.. The other thing that comes to mind for a pup to start chewing things out of the blue is bothersome teeth.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MyBoys Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Our almost 12 year old Seany is a shredder, he didn't do it when he first came to live with us which was a little over a year ago, but he has since then decided to shread and destroy any paper products he can get a hold of. I now just keep anything like that out of his reach and make sure he has stuffies that he can pull apart. What he really loves are those yellow fuzzy covered tennis balls and the yellow fuzzy rings, he will take them to his bed and just crew until the yellow fuzz is everywhere, I have no idea why but he totally enjoys himself. I guess it's just a dog thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndmommy03 Posted April 21, 2010 Author Share Posted April 21, 2010 Sounds like typical doggie stuff to me. Don't know why she'd start doing it now, other than she tried it once, got away with it (since there was no one there to correct her) and had fun doing it. If you catch her in the act maybe that will discourage her. Fun is probably it - just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. She loves to pull the stuffing out of her toys if she can get a hole open to do it. Thanks! It sounds like she is doing this because it is fun. Likely something attracted her to the trash can originally and she discovered what fun shredding paper is. Our Cy will shred paper if he finds it, but he has never chewed anything else. If it's only paper I would just make sure there is none within reach. I would bet the chewing will not extend to other objects.. The other thing that comes to mind for a pup to start chewing things out of the blue is bothersome teeth.. She will have her annual vet check up soon so they will check her teeth at that time. Thanks. Our almost 12 year old Seany is a shredder, he didn't do it when he first came to live with us which was a little over a year ago, but he has since then decided to shread and destroy any paper products he can get a hold of. I now just keep anything like that out of his reach and make sure he has stuffies that he can pull apart. What he really loves are those yellow fuzzy covered tennis balls and the yellow fuzzy rings, he will take them to his bed and just crew until the yellow fuzz is everywhere, I have no idea why but he totally enjoys himself. I guess it's just a dog thing Maybe I'll have to get her some tennis balls! Kim Quote <p>Kim and the hound - RumorMissing my angels Marlow, Silver, Holly and Lucky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFullHouse Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Sounds like she's bored. I'd find something to keep her entertained like a Kong or something along those line. More outside time chasing a ball or Frisbee would help also. Quote Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kydie Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 this won't help. but I had a lab that his entire life loved "paper" of any kind, and tore it up where ever he found it, maybe try adding an extra walk to see if that helps, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MnMDogs Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Matty loved paper and paper shredding. Christmas and birthdays were heaven to her... she would go nuts and prance away with the tissue paper or wrapping paper until she got to a shredding spot,and go to town with gusto. It never bothered me, so I never tried to stop her. She mainly did it while we were around, so I don't think it was a boredom thing. She just seemed to love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Sounds like she's bored. I'd find something to keep her entertained like a Kong or something along those line. More outside time chasing a ball or Frisbee would help also. Exactly! Having a yard and toys is great, but most dogs need interaction, not stuff! Is it possibly you've gotten very busy with the kids and stuff and maybe she's trying to get your attention any way she can? Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Ekko I think is proof that they sometimes do things because it's fun to do them. Ekko is not bored, not at all. When she first came home, she was an angel, but the more comfortable she became, the more of her antics came out.Ekko was not used to being in a house. She doesn't just shred paper, she eats it. Opens the refrig when she wants to, and will actually take pictures off the wall. I had to learn to Ekko proof the house, something I've never had to do. Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest burgerandfrey Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Our almost 12 year old Seany is a shredder, he didn't do it when he first came to live with us which was a little over a year ago, but he has since then decided to shread and destroy any paper products he can get a hold of. I now just keep anything like that out of his reach and make sure he has stuffies that he can pull apart. What he really loves are those yellow fuzzy covered tennis balls and the yellow fuzzy rings, he will take them to his bed and just crew until the yellow fuzz is everywhere, I have no idea why but he totally enjoys himself. I guess it's just a dog thing I wish our boy Zeke just chewed the fuzz off tennis balls, but he actually tears them up and starts swallowing pieces that he later throws up! It's so sad... he loves tennis balls but we can't let him have them. It takes him about three minutes to tear a chunk out of one. Our previous grey loved tennis balls as well, but fortunately she never tried to swallow pieces of them. In fact, Zeke will tear apart and swallow any toy he gets ahold of. He can get through even some of the toughest toys out there. The only things he hasn't destroyed are the Kong solid rubber ball and the heavy-duty Kong (the kind made from black rubber). Our poor girl Lola doesn't get to have any toys because Zeke just destroys them all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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