need HELP (this is gonna be long..sorry)

[Debi]

this is for my friend. her hubby found a puppy abandoned in the woods while he was fishing. he took her home...they love her to death. (they can't have children, this dog is their world). she is now a yr. old with a major problem...she EATS furniture, rugs, etc. obviously, she is bored...they both have to work. they don't have a basement, and putting her outside would cause problems with the neighbors cause she would just bark. they have tried confining her to one room, giving her kongs..toys...bones....she will still eat everything in sight. last week she actually ate wood spindles off their chair (she's gonna be ok...but you see the danger here, to her...destruction to them) she is so adorable..fluffy..not tooooo big. the vet said she is possibly a chow mix. how would she go about crate training at this age? is that a viable option? they are seconds away from giving her up, which is sooo sad not only for the dog...but for them. BUT...she has also chewed a brand new bed so severely that they had to throw it away. when they are home, she is a perfect angel. they've spent a great deal of time on training, and she is so great....until alone....then it's like she is totally crazy. could this be a medical problem? or inbreeding causing her to just be unstable? back to crate training possibilities....how would she go about it? sorry so long. my heart is just breaking after talking to her today...she really thinks of this dog as her child. HELP!!!! THANKS.

[Mindy Miller]

Crate training is a viable option and I would definitely recommend it. It sounds like they're going to have to make time to exercise her if they want to keep her. Maybe getting up 30 or 45 minutes early to walk her and then doing it again when they get home at night. Here's a crate training link:

http://www.dogtrainersearch.com/articles/amydunphy/crate.htm

I can't find the one I used...but this one has some good suggestions.

I have introduced a crate by gradually getting them in there. All meals are given in the crate. first in front, then just in the door, continue moving the bowls back. Then shut the door until the dog gets anxious. Gradually leave her in there longer, while they're in the room with her. Make it a fun place, treats, toys, etc. They'll probably need to get a strong crate. I've heard of dogs getting upset and collapsing more flimsy ones on top of themselves.

If they do decide not to keep it, I'm sure you're planning to encourage them to find a good home she'll be happy in instead of taking her to a shelter ;)

[Debi]

thanks, Mindy. I'll pass along the link and info. I've never heard of a dog eating things...chewing, yes....but this dog actually completely ate the spindles AND pieces of a braided rug. she wasn't like this when small (guess she was more easily entertained with her toys) sadly, they would take her to a shelter. :( they're really at that brink (well, her hubby is...she still wants help) I'm afraid if they come home one more day to find such mass destruction, he'll just scoop her up and take her to the shelter before having time to get emotional about it again. *sigh* it's sad. I wish someone could even come to their house during the day to walk her, but she doesn't really know any neighbors and her family all work. the crate is the only hope I guess. I can't imagine putting a dog that frenzied into a crate for 8 to 10 hrs, tho. (ok...gotta stop fretting about it, I'm getting a headache)

[Mindy Miller]

My brother's dog ate a 4'x4' area of carpet and the bottom half of a door when they left her for too long. She was a crazy dog. I helped them crate train her and they changed some of their behaviors to help her. She is now a fantastic dog. She shreds the bedding in her crate, but they don't mind that, considering the alternative.

[mojozen]

Putting the pooch in a crate may be EXACTLY what it needs. It sounds to me like it is really stressed out - NOT bored. Sometimes having to guard a house is too much for one dog to handle so they become destructive as a way to exercise their own stress levels. Putting the dog in a crate may give it a sense of comfort and security that it's not finding being loose all day. PLUS it gives the owner a sense of security because the dog is NOT destroying things.

You may also have them look into possibly treating her for Seperation Anxiety. They need to talk to a behaviourist for this... and if its a chow mix they definately need to exercise her more. Maybe get her involved in obedience classes again, and/or look into a dog sport.

Hopefully this also helps them regain their patience for their wayward teenage dog... It'd be better for the dog (at least) if she stayed in her home and her problems were dealt with by them than being bounced through the shelter system one or more times.

[Saje]

Why don't you email emma and ask her?

Actually, I'll get her attention for this thread.

[Renee750il]

Mojo sounds like she's on the right track to me. It really does sound more like anxiety than anything else.

[Zoom]

Between a good behaviorist and crate training, the dog should be ok.