Hyperactive Dog - What To Do?

[Guest Norzy]

Hello all!

 

We got our greyhound/wolfhound girl at the end of August from a hoarding situation in Kansas. We guess her to be 1-2 years of age, and she's generally a pretty good dog but she's waaaay more energetic than 1. our other dog, 2. what we are used to, and it's kinda driving us crazy!!

 

We take her to the dog park for 1 hour 3 to 5 times per week, and I'll take her jogging for a mile or so (she's not really cooperative yet) on non-dog park days, but afterwards, she'll spend the rest of her time at home clawing at the door to be let out, then clawing to be let back in, then out, then in. Both my boyfriend and I have basically become her door-men.

 

What do you guys think is a behavioral thing from the hoarding (she was kept outside) and what do you think is an energy thing??

What can we do about her crazy amounts of energy?? We both have full time obligations and can't spend all day with her (that's why we have greyhounds and not, say, a German shepard or husky).

 

And she chews everything to bits! We have some raw hides and an antler and some plushies but that hasn't prevented her from eating 3 phone chargers, an EXPENSIVE smart phone, clothing she found in the closet, shoes off the shoe rack, etc! Is this a puppy thing and will she grow out of this???

 

ANY wisdom is MUCH appreciated!! (ESPECIALLY the door thing, as she is doing it RIGHT NOW)

 

 

Thanks in advance!!

Nora

 

[krissy]

Get a flirt pole. If I only have 10 minutes to tire Kili out I break that bad boy out. She's nuts about it. Other suggestions... maybe she's not physically hyper... maybe she's mentally bored. If you haven't already trained your 3 commandments (come, stay, drop it/leave it) then get started now! If you have and they're solid then start doing fun stuff. I'm doing heelwork with Summit. It requires no equipment and you can be as creative as you want... and you can cater to your dog's needs, strengths, etc. Or just teach goofy tricks like high five, sit pretty, roll over, wipe your feet, pick up your toys... whatever strikes your fancy!

[Guest Rhea]

Sighthounds also have a long puppyhood, like many large breeds, so if she's only 1-2, she's either just finishing up puppyhood or half-way through it. So that's definitely something to keep in mind, and I've heard that greyhound puppies are like nitro-fueled rockets haha.

[Guest jetska]

Yes sounds like puppy behaviour. I have a gery who is almost 3 and she is still a puppy.

 

The whole let in/out thing is perhaps because she thinks it is a fun game. Try ignoring her and see how long it takes for her to give up.

 

I agree mental stimulation is necessary. I would also try frozen kongs etc to keep her quiet and to redirect her chewing. Crate training to give you some peace and keep your house safe as well.

[greysmom]

My greyhound puppy is only just now beginning to act like an adult dog at 26 months old, and she still will get a wild hair at least once a day and get into trouble!

 

Since your girl came from a particularly bad situation, I would contact a certified animal behaviorist to come in and help you with her specific issues. They can work with you and give you strategies to deal with anything leftover from her early years, as at least some of this sounds like behavioral problems.

[Sambuca]

Puppies need tons more excersize/stimulation than adults. Look for some puzzle toys to occupy her time and makes her use her brain. Also, stop catering to her. Never let her out when she's scratching at the door. If you think she really has to go, stand by the door and wait until she stops scratching, even for a second, and then let her out. Otherwise ignore her. I know its easier said than done, and it will get worse before it gets better, but it will eliminate the behavior. Distract her when she starts it up. Throw a toy or call her over, do some training, something, anything. Don't give a treat as she's doing that make her do something for you first even if its just coming when you call her.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

You might also consider Doggie Day Care. I have been sending my youngster, Bree, there once a week for about a year. She absolutely loves it and is exhausted when she gets home.

[BatterseaBrindl]

Puppies need tons more excersize/stimulation than adults. Look for some puzzle toys to occupy her time and makes her use her brain. Also, stop catering to her. Never let her out when she's scratching at the door. If you think she really has to go, stand by the door and wait until she stops scratching, even for a second, and then let her out. Otherwise ignore her. I know its easier said than done, and it will get worse before it gets better, but it will eliminate the behavior. Distract her when she starts it up. Throw a toy or call her over, do some training, something, anything. Don't give a treat as she's doing that make her do something for you first even if its just coming when you call her.

[Guest june]

I have an 18 month old. I'm quickly learning to put things up out of her reach, put shoes and clothes where they belong, close closet doors, keep all electronics up highand any time she gets something to call her to me and trade up with a favorite toy. At this age they need constant surveillance and diligence from us to keep them safe and not destroy the house. They also need lots of love and positive reinforcement when they are doing things we want them to do. Good luck and enjoy this puppy-time because before you know it her muzzle will be grey and her eyes cloudy.

[NeylasMom]

Dogs expend energy 3 ways:

1. Through their feet

2. Through their brains

3. Through their mouths

 

If you don't meet her needs for 1 & 2, she's only left with 3.

 

For feet, this means running, daily. Walks, or jogging with you likely aren't sufficient for a dog her age. On the days you can't get to the dog park, you need to exercise her another way, using a lure like mentioned above or playing fetch (or if she won't bring the toy back, enlist help and play the keep away game, tossing the ball back and forth so she runs between you). If you don't have a yard, you can use a long line attached to a harness for safety.

 

For her brain, puzzle games, training - tricks and basic obedience (enroll in a class if you haven't already FOR SURE), don't ever feed a meal in a bowl, make her work for it, whether it's through training or by hiding it around the house so she has to go find it, putting it in a treat dispensing ball, etc. If she's already got her basic skills down, something like flyball or nosework would be a great idea.

 

Then make sure she has ample appropriate chew toys available. Deer antlers and bully sticks are nice options. Nylabones are controversial so you need to decide based on waht you see, but they were a lifesaver for me with Skye. Anytime she's chewing on something inappropriate, distract her, call her away and then reward her for coming by giving her an appropriate chew item. Be consistent.

When you can't supervise, crate, tether, or x-pen. Management is key for success! If you're not able to watch and she's chewing away on somethign (or otherwise getting into "trouble") the behavior is being reinforced because most likely whatever she's doing is rewarding. Which means it will happen more often.

 

As far as the scratching, I would use management there too. If she's not engaged in something and likely to do it, put her in a crate with a stuffed frozen kong (you can layer her kibble with something softer like pumpkin, yogurt, or PB and then freeze it) to keep her busy. Then when you let her out, give her ample time to potty and play some tug or fetch to burn off some energy, then bring her in and ignore her if she does it. You can tape some padding over the door for the time being if you're concerned she'll damage it.

Good luck!

[Scooby172]

Lure pole is a great exerciser for a pup, as other have pointed out, obedience and socialization with other dogs all helped my puppies during their growing years. Jack, my most recent puppy, now almost two has been going to doggie day care twice a week since he was young, he looks forward to going, plays hard and then sleeps hard. It has helped a lot with socialization as well as training. Good luck.

Linda, Jack and Keeva

[kathleenmaeve]

I recently went through this with our 2 year old galga. She has tons more energy than our greyhound and is so smart it's scary (we joke and say it's like having a velociraptor in the house given how good she is at figuring things out). She was found on the streets in Spain before coming to the US so we have no idea of her background. She has some trust issues with new people and can be a little nervous/shy but there was no destructive behavior until we moved into our new house (it was a cross-country move so quite a change). It wasn't long before she started chewing everything in sight when we were away from the house. I also thought it was energy-related and made a point to walk both her and our greyhound immediately before leaving for an extended period of time.

 

However, when she started going to the bathroom in the house in addition to the destructive behavior, I began to wonder. She received a clean bill of health from the vet which lead me to think it was anxiety-related, specifically separation anxiety when left alone. Even though she has our greyhound to keep her company, she has become very attached to me. So, upon the advice of our adoption coordinator, Petra, I tried the Adaptil collar (or DAP- dog appeasing pheremones). It was like a miracle. Turns out, her destructive behavior wasn't energy-related at all and as soon as she had the collar, all of the destruction stopped. I was very skeptical that it would work but it is great for her. Of course the effects of DAP collars will be dog-dependent and I am continuing twice a day walks plus obedience training with her. However, it might be worth looking into whether that could help ease some of your dog's destructive behavior, especially since she came from a high-stress/less than ideal situation.

 

They're $20 on Amazon so I thought 'what the heck- it's less than replacing another rug!'

 

Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Adaptil-Appeasing-Pheromone-Collar-Medium/dp/B000HPVH78

Edited November 20, 2013 by kathleenmaeve

[sobesmom]

I don't have a lot to offer - other than - I had a 2 year old greyhound foster once - and only once. Sighthounds have a LONG puppy phase. 2-3 years. A 2 year old grey is nothing like that same dog will be at 4. I only take fosters over 4 now. That's just me - I don't have the time and patience for puppiness. (BTW - the crazy 2 yr. old foster is the only one I ever adopted - cuz she's an amazing dog, my Diana). LOL! But I won't do it again.

 

Your dog is half Wolfhound - gorgeous dogs - but I'd suggest you do research on that side too. There are some folks on here that have Wolfies that can help you out. They may be (probably are) generally more active than greys by nature. Have you hit Wolfhound sites for advice too? There may be Wolfie people that can help in the WWW.

 

Do you have a fenced yard? Can you?

 

ETA: Can you post a picture? I think Wolfies are so cool - and of course I love greys - what does a mix look like?

Edited November 21, 2013 by sobesmom

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

I pretty much agree with what everyone else has said. My boy was 2.5 when I adopted him and he was ROWDY! Training is the only thing that exhausts him. Make the sessions short and fun, and gradually increase the length and activity as you discover what his threshold is. My dog has a very short attention span, so we started with very quick 5 minute sessions, but around 5-7 sessions a day. I would love to do agility, but no resources to do so (no yard, and my dog is food motivated and we can't go to a dog park with treats) so instead I made agility type sessions inside my small apt. I will run him around the living room, make him jump on and off couches, chairs, whatever, crawl under objects, and do down stays and such. It works out very well It also helps with the bonding process. It's fun for both of us!

[cleptogrey]

sounds like adolescence to me. exercise, exercise, exercise and training will pull you thru this. routine, limitations. positive reinforcement and exercise. 2-3 games of soccer(for the dog) / walkies and training were what kept me sane during the long erratic adolescence of felix. my salukis were pretty difficult and destructive during their awkward years, but i didn't have the wisdom nor experience that i had when felix moved in at 7 weeks.

[Guest laura150]

I second the doggy day care suggestion. Ernie sleeps the rest of the day when he gets home and he has so much fun!

[Guest Norzy]

Thank you all for the advice!! I have implemented some of them and life has become a little stressful for us, and probably for her as well! Here's a photo for you guys!

This is when we first got her and she JUST figured out the couch. You can really see the difference in her coat here.

 

Thanks again!

 

[Guest jetska]

ADORABLE!!! that face and cute fuzzy coat

[NeylasMom]

Oh my, she is so cute!

 

I'm hoping btw that you meant life has become *less* stressful?

[Guest Norzy]

Haha, I did mean "little less stressful"! Thanks!

[sobesmom]

Thank you all for the advice!! I have implemented some of them and life has become a little stressful for us, and probably for her as well! Here's a photo for you guys!

This is when we first got her and she JUST figured out the couch. You can really see the difference in her coat here.

 

Thanks again!

 

Gorgeous! She looks like a fuzzy grey! Is she the size of a grey or a Wolfie? Looks like a grey build to me.