hubby wants to get rid of his dog. 3/4 chow 1/8 german shep and 1/8 pit TRAINING ADVICE???

[greenbriar]

very cute dog, just a little over a year old and neutered but...


in the last 6 months he has torn up 2 hot tub covers 350.00 each and chewed up the wires/conduit to the Air-contitioning unit 300.00 and the cable/phone wires. We thought that by having him fixed it would solve the issue but alas we lost another hot tub cover

Any suggestions


if we can't give him away, we will have to put him down and we really don't want that.

[LeftyMom]

1. Obedience training. Stat.

Rehoming the dog won't fix the issue. And killing the dog over stuff is horrifying to even consider.

[Book Lover]

2. Ditto Lefty Mom

Obedience training is available nearly everywhere, and can be effective very quickly, depending on the trainer, teh dog's temperment and your home environment.

Please, please, please do not kill this dog because he does not behave "correctly" when he has never been given training. Don't even let it be an option.

[greenbriar]

3. we have a smaller dog and she is trained perfectly

this dog is just very stubborn


I believe that some of my students would love to have him so I don't think we will have to put him down


but the fact that he has 1/8 pitt in him makes him a hard give away

[pitohui]

7. it ain't the 1/8 pit, it's the 3.4 chow that is scary in my humble view EOM

,

[Debi]

4. Training and time

He's still a baby - but give him another year - year and 1/2 he'll start mellowing out.

Don't give him up, just get him trained.

And ask hubby to be patient.

[Maine-ah]

12. heh, that's what everyone said about our dog...

lol, she's nine now. You can't leave anything paper or plastic lying about when you leave. She'll eat it.

To the op....

have to tried redirecting the dog into chewing something else? Like a hard bone? Our beast even chews through kongs, and those are supposedly "unbreakable".....They also make spray repellants that might help out.

[greenbriar]

13. yea, he has all kinds of chew toys and huge bones

someone told us to put hotsauce on things

before we tried that we had him lick some to see if he would like it...he does, he drank a whole bottle of hot sause..so...that didn't work

[Maine-ah]

53. I guess I'd recommend crate training too.

[Debi]

34. Our Ozzie was that way until the last year of his life

Oz was 1/2 Shih Tzu and 1/2 God knows what with a LOT of energy. Even w/12 acres to run he was still a constant busy-body. But through last winter into this spring he finally started settling down.

[flvegan]

5. In other words, he was left unsupervised around shit he could destroy.

So what's the situation that he's able to tear so much stuff up?

[pitohui]

8. well it sounds like he was in a fenced back yard w. a nice hot tub and AC unit doesn't it?

the dog is in the yard, many people keep their dogs in their yard, it's not TOO odd, is it?

be that as it may, instead of chewing out the person for not knowing everything about everything, then why not just suggest that the dog be penned and not allowed run of the entire yard, patio w. hot tub, A/C unit and all?

as i said in my other poster, a nice pen worked very well for a friend's (mostly pit) -- he was not a bad dog or a violent dog but just a super hyper hyper hyper dog and it is an irony that having a little less area to roam -- but an area all his own -- made such a difference for him

even more than the doggie prozac

[Name removed]

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[greenbriar]

9. no, he was guarding the BY which is huge and fenced in

he has lots of toys and big bones and chew things. He chooses instead to chew the corners of the house, the hot tub steps and the vinal covers

[flvegan]

14. "Guarding the BY"

in which there are things that he chooses to chew upon, and can because nobody is watching him.

I stand corrected. Shame on him for not going after the bones and chew things left for him.

So, for how long was he out there?

[pitohui]

26. dude

don't be mean to the poster because you dislike me

i bet you have to go to work every day too

not too many landed gentry types who ain't gotta work on DU

[flvegan]

27. Not being mean, and sorry to upset you, but

it has NOTHING to do with you.

:rofl: for thinking it did

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[pitohui]

21. no i got it, the "BY" is huge and fenced in, it's a safe space but...

it frustrates me sometimes that i am so poor at expressing myself on the internets

i knew this was what you were saying, my friend's dog, the same, he had a HUGE BY to guard and somehow always got into trouble chewing things, picking fights

it seems silly and counter-intuitive, because as humans we like more space and we don't like being penned in, but what solved the problem for my friend's dog was a smaller pen, within the yard

he was still able to guard the yard by barking, but he felt more secure with that area "all his own"

shit, i'm explaining this so poorly

try the doggie prozac first because it's cheaper than a pen to try and it may do fine, but it may be your dog, like SOME pets, actually feels more secure in a smaller space

i don't doubt you treat him well, it's just that their psychology can be SOOO different from ours when it comes to "territory"

[Critters2]

10. Good point.

When the beag was at the "tearing stuff up" stage, she spent quite a bit of time in her crate, with a peanut butter-filled kong. At least when I wasn't home. She was happy, and had something to do. And few things were destroyed.

[pitohui]

6. oh dear, giving away a problem animal is really not fair to the next person

that genetic heritage and still not trained after a year, it would not be right to give that dog to someone else, i think you have to either find a way to deal with it yourself or put him down

that doggie "prozac" worked awhile for a friend, ask the vet if he has samples if price is an issue, so you can try and see how it works

my friend still has the dog (it's mostly pit bull) and ironically what has really helped him most of all is having his own pen that he does not have to share, for some reason he just does better with his own space, my friend felt bad penning him and didn't do it for years, just the drugs, but he is actually happier now...i think he may have needed that feeling of having his own territory

however, 3/4 chow...i don't know, that's bad, i have a terror of chows so i can't judge but it just seems irresponsible to pass this on unless and until the animal is trained

[greenbriar]

11. I didn't realize a Chow was a problem?

I myself never had dogs growing up. We always had cats.

we have one mutt we have had 8 years. Potty trained in 2 weeks, stays off the furniture knows her place and guards the inside house perfectly.


Tank...had a little over a year, could NEVER house break him...and he tears up everything...and is very stubborn. Runs at me and likes to bounce off of me ... almost knocks me over.

My 4 year old nephew hates the dog cause he knocked him over


We tried the same way with Tank that we did the other dog...

just not workign

[Name removed]

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[pitohui]

22. i'm totally scared of chows, don't worry about that part of it

it's a phobia of mine and i think it's pretty well known here so i just threw it in for shits and giggles

the real advice is talk to the vet about prozac (they have a kind for dogs) and/or consider caging/pen in a smaller area within the back yard when you are not there

[MonkeyFunk]

54. I don't like 'em either

I watched one jump up and bite my niece on the face, for absolutely no reason. It was lying near her, she wasn't interacting with it in any way, didn't step on it. It just leapt up and bit her.

Nasty fucking dog.

[Demoiselle]

17. Have you used bitter sprays on the things you don't want him to chew?

The sprays taste pretty foul. You might need to keep reapplying the stuff for a long time.
There's also crating, fencing in a smaller area for the dog...electric "correction collars (but you must be supervising him for these to work)
Have you tried hanging something tempting from a sturdy rope and letting him play/leap at/hang from it?) It all takes expertise, considerable patience and time. Is he getting enough exercise? Some dogs really need to be" worn out" to stay out of trouble. Is he healthy? Could he be chewing to ease some problem/discomfort?
Please don't give up on this dog without trying everything!

[driver8]

18. You are going to put down your dog for chewing up stuff??

I don't mean to sound judgemental, but Jesus H. Christ -- a dog is not something you dispose of when you get sick of it.

I have a suggestion -- Find a home for this dog and don't get another one.

[greenbriar]

23. no, we can not give him the time he apparently needs and with the Pitt in him

are afraid no one will take him.

we don't want to put him down, we want to give him to someone who will love him like we do

[alittlelark]

33. OK, I'm gonna be the bitch here... "love him like we do"...

... and you are HONESTLY considering putting him down ie:KILLING HIM because he chews stuff up??!!??

You have posted here for a very long time - you are not stupid or mean.... I've seen you on this board for years.


I would suggest putting some of the good suggestions here to the test first.


My 1/2 Chow 1/2 Rotweiller had many behavioral issues and by 2 years old was a stellar and beautiful girl. Euthanized at 5 years old due to uncontrollable epileptic seizures- but that is soooo sadly beside the point.


Your PUPPY is doing it's 'puppy thing' and NEEDS DISCIPLINE.

[zonkers]

43. A tired dog a happy dog.

[grasswire]

19. I know what the dog whisperer would say

He would say that this dog needs to be walked in "pack" style every day, and he might say that the dog needs to be carrying a pack loaded with some water bottles on the walks.

Did you say that this dog is knocking you down? Is he aggressive toward humans or animals in any way?

[pitohui]

25. well the dog whisperer sounds like a pretty sharp cookie

is there really a dog whisperer? because that's too cool!

the trouble arises when you don't have time to go on these long walks w. the packs, but yes, if you have that space in your day, this is something that really does help! i guess you can tell, my friend and i tried EVERYTHING

[grasswire]

29. yes, there is a dog whisperer

His name is Caesar Milan. His television show is on National Geographic channel, and he has a book and some videos and a web site.

He says that the problem many people have with their dog is that the human needs to be the pack leader and treat the dog like a member of the pack.

Dogs learn to be part of the pack by walking together in a calm and submissive state. So a new dog must be walked with the family and any other dogs. Not pulling on the leash or running, but walking calmly behind the pack leader. Then they can recognize the authority of the pack leader.

A tired dog in a calm and submissive state can more easily be trained.

I believe in his philosophy and techniques.

[Blue Diadem]

38. Here's the link to the dog whisperer show. Video clips, information etc.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/dogwhisperer/

[driver8]

30. Our dog carries a pack loaded with water bottles.

It has totally changed his attitude on his walks. It's almost like he thinks he is working when he has his pack on.

[dropkickpa]

20. Exercise him.

A tired dog is happy dog, sounds like he's bored and understimulated. Neutering doesn't cure boredom.

[mentalsolstice]

24. Training, time and patience

I'm used to pugs (I've had my share of muts, and loved them unconditonally, however, certain breeds come with certain expectations), and pugs don't really get out of adolescence until they're 2-3 years old, if ever. We were adopted by a yellow lab pup (possibly mixed or poorly bred) a couple of years ago ...she has shown classic lab traits...and again an adolescence that lasted up into the second year.

All I can suggest is training, patience and possibly segregating/crating. Whatever you do, please don't put him down...if y'all don't have the resources to deal with him, perhaps your vet can suggest other owners who will (and this isn't a put down on you, you can only do so much).

[alittlelark]

32. He is destroying things in the backyard I assume he is contained in....

Try WALKS. Out of the environs, into the real world. He will likely be hyper after the first few, but will settle down and CHILL.


Dogs kept in close quarters tend to do damage - they are social animals.

[MrScorpio]

35. Take all the dogs I would never want in my house and mash 'em up

You got something I would never want to deal with

[Wcross]

36. Have you tried alternative chew toys?

My pups ruined a leather jacket, decided to see what was actually inside a mattress, chewed power cords (once), and tore up a lot of stuff. At about two years old they stopped. Could you keep him in a crate when you are not home? He is just chewing as play so you just have to get him interested in rawhide bones? Use bitter apple spray on everything else?

[skygazer]

37. You have a bored puppy

You're leaving him in a back yard to "guard it" with a bunch of tempting stuff. He's not old enough to understand what you want and he's acting out just as a child does.

Sorry, but the ones who need training are you and your husband. The dog is only doing what comes naturally. Take him for walks, play with him, interact with him and get him some obedience training. Quit treating him like an alarm system.

[zonkers]

42. And the first bit of training these owners need is in breed selection -- Chow/Shepard/Pit Mix? What

do they expect it to do. I have not read every post on this thread but if the OP is serious about putting a dog down that she is abandoning --that is wharped. I could not have that on my conscience.

[China_cat]

39. Sounds to me like you have an intelligent dog

who is bored stiff. And just like a kid who is bored, he will find ways to amuse himself. Ways that aren't likely to amuse you. I remember when Dot was a pup and I left her alone in the yard for an hour. I came back to find a 25 ft. garden hose chewed into washer sized pieces...nothing over an inch long. (Which, of course, ended up with us having to have her x-rayed to make sure she hadn't swallowed a lot of it)

This dog sounds like a candidate for agility, flyball, lure coursing...any of the activities that will use that energy, drive and intelligence.

In the meantime, the crate is your best friend. Use it when you can't supervise.

[Ellen Forradalom]

40. You're not alone. My dog destroyed $2500 in furniture

belonging to the landlady.

I was so livid that I debated whether to send the dog or my husband (who left the obviously-anxious dog uncrated) back to his respective breeder.

Although we had done obedience training we called in Barkbusters home dog training, did exercises in each our respective homes. As a result, he is a much calmer and happier dog.

There's a happy ending to the furniture too. It was reupholstered by a local craftsman and is better than new. Ok, so we are out a wad of money, but we can always earn more; our dog is still in our family and our reputation is intact.

Absolutely, call Barkbusters or another trainer. It's worth it.

[Wcross]

41. You guys are great!

MANY people would have "gotten rid of" the dog. Bless you for your understanding. Now I don't feel so bad about losing the 250 dollar leather jacket my pooches ate! (BTW- I didn't even scold them for it, it was my fault)

[Ellen Forradalom]

44. Oh, I wouldn't say that

You have no idea how close I came. The only difference is, had we decided to do that, I would've driven him personally back to his breeders.

I was also furious with my husband, from whom I was separating at the time, for leaving an obviously-hysterical dog unattended and uncrated, then playing dumb about the consequences. Talk about a masterpiece of passive aggression. However, his breeders won't take him back and I can't get him put down :evilgrin: so I had to grit my teeth and deal.

In the end, cooler heads prevailed...but it was tough.

[Wcross]

45. Well, you did the right thing.

Bad situation but you did the right thing. I know people that go through dogs like others go through hairstyles. I never understood the mindset that dogs are disposable. Right now I have an older dog I adopted who just doesn't get it as far as "marking" his territory. Anytime I bring something new into the home he has to give it a quick squirt to make sure everyone knows its his. I deal with it.

Here's the guy.

[Ellen Forradalom]

46. Handsome feller, that puppy

Has some quirks and odd habits, but don't most of our family members?

I still want to return the spouse to his breeders :-)

[Wcross]

47. I still want to return the spouse to his breeders -ROTFLMAO! n/t

[Ellen Forradalom]

48. They're having none of it

They fed and trained him, now he's mine.

[Wcross]

49. You could always drive the old guy out to the country...........

Just kidding! Thats how I got my two kittens. A gift from a stranger who "set them free" in front of my farm.

[Ellen Forradalom]

55. There's an idea.

I'll set him on a doorstep with a note.

[Wcross]

56. Just remind him to be very submisive towards the other pets.....

They don't care for a new dog or cat that doesn't fall into the pack order at the very bottom. BTW, anywhere on the road works and no note is required as I get refugees all the time.

[BlueIris]

50. Ew. You want to abandon a pet because you didn't train it properly?

That can do a lot of damage to an animal's psychology. Especially one that is part Chow. (Chow's can be easily wounded.)

And I can't believe you'd consider killing it because of your failure to train it. That is terrible.

I hope that you will decide to keep your dog and care for it appropriately, or find some human beings who will do the work you have been too lazy and irresponsible to do, including treating the animal with compassion.

Good Lord.

This is one of the worst things I have read all month.

[driver8]

51. That is exactly how I felt.

Just dispose of the dog when there is a problem...hell, aren't animals supposed to be disposable?

[Peregrine Took]

52. We had problems with our second dog and a therapist told us something he

had learned himself with his own dog - a tired dog is a happy dog and when your dog is happy the whole house can relax.

We run our little dude (7 lbs) several miles a day and he loves it - the bigger the dog - the more invigorating the exercise. Running is the best. If your guy is goodly sized, and it sounds like he is, work up to 5 miles a day over a period of a few weeks.

It sounds like a lot but it will be wonderful for you and your pet - you will all live longer and be happier together. Start off just walking but extend it every day. Good luck and God bless you for trying to do the right thing.