Destructive When Not Home.

[Guest Lulublue]

We need some help.... We adopted a 19 month old greyhound 1 month ago. She is fine when we are home and will stay outside if need be.

 

When we are not home she's is very destructive. I'm sure not if she whines I have asked the neighbours to let me know if she does, I will go an speak to the, tomorrow.

 

She has ripped all the fly wire off the windows and 3 doors. She has totally broken the cat door on the laundry door. We have had to put up a temporary gate to keep her away from the laundry door as she was getting inside. Oh and she has also opened the back fridge twice and eaten all the food, which wasn't much thankfully. I did increase her food in case she was hungry but it hasn't made a difference.

 

Everyday when I leave for work (3 days a week and home by 3:30) I give her a chicken carcass. She has a Kong with a denta stick in it, a raw hide bone, her bed and her toys.

 

I don't know what else to do.

 

She gets walked a minimum 30 mins every afternoon and then some days we take her to dog park. I tried walking her in the morning but that made no difference. I found that hard as I had to get up way too early.

 

We also have a small dog and 2 cats. They do have access to the house. I wonder if that is adding to the situation.

 

Any suggestions would be great.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

Is there a reason you are not using a crate, or at least a muzzle?

My Wash is a year old, and while she's not generally destructive, she's more prone to just being a naughty puppy and getting into things when we leave. The crate prevents her from being able to get into any trouble when we leave.

 

Kaylee needs to be either kept in the dog room where she can't reach anything I'm not OK with her having, or have her muzzle on when we leave, because she will eat non-food items.

 

 

 

She is fine when we are home and will stay outside if need be

 

Please do not leave your greyhound outside if you're not home.

Edited June 17, 2016 by Wasserbuffel

[GeorgeofNE]

I have a feeling this is not a US person? Could you please let us know where you live? Fly wire is not an expression I've ever heard, but I assume you mean window screens?

 

I would never leave my dog would bones to eat when I'm not home.

 

I'm think you're not in the US as it doesn't sound like you've got a muzzle or a crate.

 

Exercise her BEFORE you leave her, not after!

 

There are baby proof latches that easily attach to your fridge, but I think to start with, put her muzzle on. Sounds like she has separation anxiety.

[RaineysMom]

just a question, is the chicken carcass raw or cooked? I hope it's not cooked as cooked bones are extremely dangerous for dogs to eat and yes, I would not leave even raw bones with a dog alone

[Guest Lulublue]

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks for your replies. I am in Australia.

 

Yes the flyscreen are the mesh on the window. She has shredded all of them jumping up and clawing at them.

 

Why I would use the muzzle when not home? If it's to stop her chewing that's not the issue. I am going to baby shop today to get a latch. Not sure what you mean about a crate.

 

The chicken carcass is raw and specifically for pets only from the butcher.

 

I think we were not given all the information before adopting her. We were told she would sleep all day whilst away and all she needed was a walk in the afternoon. Also we were told to give her bones whilst away to keep her occupied.

 

Don't get me wrong we love her to bits, I just wasn't expecting all this destructive behaviour. On the up side I have lost 5 kilos walking her. Looks like I will shed more with an added morning walk.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

Why I would use the muzzle when not home? If it's to stop her chewing that's not the issue. I am going to baby shop today to get a latch. Not sure what you mean about a crate.

 

I think we were not given all the information before adopting her. We were told she would sleep all day whilst away and all she needed was a walk in the afternoon. Also we were told to give her bones whilst away to keep her occupied.

 

 

The muzzle would be to prevent chewing. "Very destructive" often comes with chewing, but if that's not an issue for you, that's fantastic!

 

Crate: http://www.mypetwarehouse.com.au/life-stages-training-crate-with-double-door-36-p-22058

 

Confining the dog in a crate would prevent her being able to access gates and screens to destroy. I don't know how Australian greyhounds are housed, but the US ones are kept in crates when not in their turnout pens etc. If she was fostered she may have been crated if she was in a foster home too.

 

The biggest thing to remember is that she likely has never been alone in her life until now. The adoption group may have had no idea she would be destructive when left alone. I recently placed a dog and had him returned for pooping in the house daily. He had never pooped in his foster home, and now after a week in his new adoptive home hasn't had a single accident there. Sometimes they act very differently in different environments.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

It sounds to me like your adoption group was talking about adult greyhounds (3 years and older). You have an adolescent and she is behaving like one. There is a reason why people call them "land sharks".

Edited June 21, 2016 by Scouts_mom

[Guest Lulublue]

We don't tend to iron them in crates over here after adoption. I've spoken to a few people and for the days I'm at work it's too long.

 

We tried inside and that didn't work. She's doesn't chew anything that's not hers so that's ok. Ice started doing some alone training and today was better.

 

We will see how how go 😄

Scouts mum - yes i spoke to the adoption lady and she said that whoever told that would have been meaning an older dog. So now we just have to do everything we can..

[Guest Noosh]

We don't tend to iron them in crates over here after adoption. I've spoken to a few people and for the days I'm at work it's too long.

 

Interesting the differences one finds in responsible dog ownership, between countries!

Basically, if you say you crate your dog through the day here in Australia, you would be considered to be the most cruel dog owner one could come across! It is just not done. A crate is for transportation, or at a pinch, for sleeping dogs through the night.

Most likely it's the general climate, and most people live in a separate house with a fenced garden.

Here, if you don't live in a house with a fenced yard- you most likely wouldn't consider owning a dog.

I have lived in the U.S. for a couple of years, and yes, expectations are quite different.

It's worth considering also that personal safety is less of an issue here, as our laws have taken guns out of the hands of all but hardened criminals. It's ok to leave your dog out whilst at work.

[greysmom]

Two things.

 

One: Your dog is still baiscally a puppy in an adult dog body. She WAY MORE exercise and mental stimulation. Our puppy continued her very puppy-like behavior until she was nearly four years old. Now, at 5 years old, she is *finally* acting like a normal adult greyhound. And a 30 minute walk is not long enough. You need to really tire her out and that will take time. If she's up for it, you can jog with her. Do you have access to a dog day care? Is that even a thing in Australia? Or someplace to baby sit her while you're gone? If she's food motivated you can get food puzzles to leave for her to work on. I seriously doubt if she hungry - she's getting into stuff because she's bored.

 

Two: she probably has a pretty good case of separation anxiety. You can do a search here on the forum for many, many, many threads about dealing with it. Alone training is key. Securing her in a completely puppy-proofed area will also help.

[sobesmom]

I'd just like to say good luck to you. Also, please remember that most members are from the US, so things are done differently here. Please don't be offended if someone on here doesn't understand the things you do that are "normal" to you but "odd" to us.

 

I'd suggesting gating her in some way so she can't get into things. Babygates or boards across doorways, etc, and baby-proof everything in the area she can access. Lots of exercise! LOTS!!! This is going to be a fabulous shape-up program for you! LOL!

 

I had a destructive dog once. Smart, too. It was a mess. I also didn't crate (not an option for him). We managed, but it took making sure that the areas he could access didn't have anything he could get into (including the refrigerator which he could open) and a LOT of exercise and alone training.

Interesting the differences one finds in responsible dog ownership, between countries!

Basically, if you say you crate your dog through the day here in Australia, you would be considered to be the most cruel dog owner one could come across! It is just not done. A crate is for transportation, or at a pinch, for sleeping dogs through the night.

Most likely it's the general climate, and most people live in a separate house with a fenced garden.

Here, if you don't live in a house with a fenced yard- you most likely wouldn't consider owning a dog.

I have lived in the U.S. for a couple of years, and yes, expectations are quite different.

It's worth considering also that personal safety is less of an issue here, as our laws have taken guns out of the hands of all but hardened criminals. It's ok to leave your dog out whilst at work.

Good info, thanks for posting that. Just as a side-note, the US reason for not leaving dogs outside alone isn't danger from people. (Well, maybe in some really nasty areas). Mostly it's concern about the dog jumping the fence, getting into a tangle with an animal, or heat or cold issues.