Echo And Travel Are Bored, And Making Me Crazy!

[Guest Shermanator]

They are making me nuts. Anything within their reach, and not nailed down, they're grabbin' and chewing. Echo is almost 3 (in Jan.) and Travel turned 2 this past May. So, I know they are still pups, which accounts for all that energy! Today is the 2nd day in a row they have shredded a toilet paper roll while I have been working in my home office.

 

1.) No crates here. We do not or do we want to crate.

2.) They get a nice long walk in the evening or early morning.

3.) They have bones to chew at all times, and non-squeak toys in the early morning/nighttime.

4.) I have tried treat balls, and kongs with mixed results. They get bored with them.

5.) We have a dog door which is open for them at all times. They can come and go as they please.

 

Not sure how to keep them from chewing and shredding things. I love my little girlies, but it was seven years ago when we adopted our boys Sherman and Patton, and they were pups. I only remember my old mellow boys who were so good and laid back, and I had nothing to worry about with them. Ah haha.

These little new girls (Travel has been with us 4 months, and is slowing coming out of her spookiness, and Echo, the instigator we have had for 2 months.

 

I'm open to suggestions, please!

[GeorgeofNE]

I would suggest that a walk in the evening OR the morning is not enough, and do both!

[JAJ2010]

LMAO sure your not living in my Apt with me? I have resorted to crating at night and muzzling during the day while I'm not home. While I am home, I can watch the little chomper... She had a brief 4 months where I was able to put the crate away and trust her like a real adult. Maybe it'll happen again in a few years!

 

I tried increasing their exercise but that only made Sunshine more amped up with energy!

[Guest NJgrey]

Catch 'em in the act with a squirt bottle. Set a couple traps - things they like to chew set on the edge of a table with something metal tied to them, so that when they grab it down the metal hits the ground and startles them. Close all bathroom doors, make sure toilet paper is hidden in linen closet or in bathroom cabinets. Close all doors to rooms where destruction occurs.

 

In my place it's well known that any item containing paper - books, magazines, napkins, toilet paper - left within reach of the 3 year old greyhound will be chewed. Same for most shoes, though it's more likely that those will just be collected rather than eaten.

 

It seems you exercise them plenty, I don't think it's that. Seems to me it's just that they have access to all this fun stuff - wouldn't you do the same?

[Guest Jubilee251]

Molly needs a good romp in the morning AND the afternoon (that can mean an hour-long walk or a hard play/sprint session in the park), or she will get into anything. She just turned 3 and is our wild child. Exercise should tire them out.

[Plymgreys]

Yeah, I'd go with the two walks a day thing. Lottie is 8 and whilst she doesn't chew she does get a bit "ants in her pants" if she doesn't get two walks a day. You may well find the walks don't have to be overly long. There's a shape and a routine to her day (which I'm sure was in place before she came home) which has to be maintained. Even if the walks are short she seems to be satisfied that she's ticked the box by going out just for 20 mins and is happy to settle.

[TheFullHouse]

You might try taking them out in the yard before you start work and really letting them cut loose and expend some of that energy and again at lunch time. I know my little boys start to drive me nuts around 1:00 in the afternoon so I turn them out together and let the chase each other around the yard until they're really tired. Even though they have a dog door to use, you may have to coax them out there and once they start running, just let them have at it. Tired dogs are happy dogs.

[Guest gecko_foot]

I understand you do not want to crate, but have you thought about muzzling your dogs when you aren't training/exercising (as suggested above) or supervising your dogs? I muzzled my grey for the first few months when I wasn't directly supervising him because of his very minor klepto tendencies. While this is a temporary solution, it would be much worse if your dogs were to ingest something that might cause an obstruction. It's not a perfect solution as they can still be destructive and potentially eat things through the muzzle, but it might help minimize the destruction.

 

 

 

Good luck!

Edited November 3, 2010 by gecko_foot

[Remolacha]

Close doors, pick up things, hide things

 

I've noticed that now that the weather is cooling off here, even the old guys are much more energetic, so taking them out for a play session, or an extra walk, is a good idea too.

[jenn8]

Wow, a pair of teenagers. What fun! Just imagine they are humans in a room full of bubble gum, iPods and brat dolls. They will play with the stuff as long as it's there.

 

For the time being, I think you will have to dog proof rooms and close doors to other rooms so they can get used to a not so fun home life. If they can't find new things to play with, they will eventually stop looking for them and you won't have to be as cautious.

 

I would also keep whatever toys they can have in one basket or a designated spot to show them where they can grab them from.

 

The more exercise they get, the better.

 

Jenn

[Guest RobinAZ]

LOL! I have to laugh. Obviously Travel and Layla are sisters because Layla shreds everything too. She's torn up pillows, comforters, and even the two memory foams I had on my bed (she pulled the sheet off to get to them). Of course once she got going, GreyCee joined in. I muzzle them now when we aren't home. They are fine with that. And it stops the destruction. Hopefully as they get older they will stop this.

[Maddiesmom]

Maddie is 8 and still shreds paper that is left in plain sight for her. I have many of times (of course my fault) have lost a bill to Maddie's mouth. She has now learned Toilet paper. FUN. I use a squirt bottle on her when I catch her. I also use a squirt gun on her outside when I catch in her another activity I can't stand - eating poop and digging. I have so many holes in the backyard, one of these days, I swear I am going to twist an ankle mowing it LOL - she sees me with the squirt gun and runs. I have learned to close doors, clean off counters (as she counter surfs) and not leave paper on the coffee table. Now that it is getting colder, she is running down the hallway with a tennis ball or a toy, which is fine with me as long as she is not shredding the bills, i have no problem with it

[Guest Shermanator]

LOL! I have to laugh. Obviously Travel and Layla are sisters because Layla shreds everything too. She's torn up pillows, comforters, and even the two memory foams I had on my bed (she pulled the sheet off to get to them). Of course once she got going, GreyCee joined in. I muzzle them now when we aren't home. They are fine with that. And it stops the destruction. Hopefully as they get older they will stop this.

 

I have no idea who started the shredding, but I think both dogs were apart of the shred-fest! Echo's the chewer- she's chewed up muzzles, swifter dusters, and is the garbage can bandit- grabs what she can out of it, and chews/shred. We are pretty diligent about keeping our offices closed it we are not in them, but sometimes we forget, and Echo grabs that opportunity to raid the garbage cans.

 

Travel is the shoe bandit, and is also known as the cat-litter bandit.

Travel takes all shoes she can get to, and piles them on her bed. No chewing, thank goodness! We have also busted her in the cat box. Ew. However, she's in cahoots with Echo on that one. We had a baby gate suspended about 18 inches off the floor to allow the very old cats easy access. Never a problem with Sherman or Patton - they were too tall to try to crawl under. However, both girls are much smaller, and I caught Echo actually trying to crawl UNDER the gate to get the box. We have to lower the gate.