Newly Adopted 1 yr old goes nuts!

We have had Bailey for about 4 days now and until yesterdsy he was perfect!
We got home from work and he had torn up a rug, some Blinds, and the door frame. What should I do to get him to not rebel so much, we do work a normal 8 hr day, but when we get off work we go strait home and go for about a hour walk, we play in the park across the street. He will not chew on a chew toy or a rope. Please help with any advise you can. I don't want to even think about taking his back to the shelter, He fits right in at our house, we love him greatly!

Hello sorry you are having a tough time right now. I am NO EXPERT. I am the loving Mom of 2 Golden Retrievers. Petals my big gal (65lbs) is just 2 yrs old *(Blossom is only 10weeks we have only had her for 2 weeks). She used to chew holes in the wall down to the sheet rock WHILE WE WERE LOOKING The way I see it.....2 choices. You either begin crate traiining Bailey who is (How Old??) (Potty Trained/Non Potty Trained??) or you need to have an unlimited account at a local home remodeling store You could also consider either coming home for an hour to let him out for a quick potty break and to stretch his legs or perhaps a neighbor would like to make a few bucks dog walking. Hope that helps. If you decide to crate train it isn't as awful as it sounds. It is the safest place for him when you are not available to watch him. Just be CERTAIN TO REMOVE ALL COLLARS AND LEASHES before closing that crate door. Save yourself some worry. Good luck.

Crate him!

Sophie would destroy my house if left alone in it for 8 hours unsupervised. She loves her crate and sacks out in it when there. She's in it when we're not home, at night, and anytime I can't generally watch her.

You'll both be happier with each other when he's not destroying your house and you have peace of mind that your house, and he, is safe.

If it weren't for crate training I probably wouldn't own a dog. I've worked too hard to keep a nice home and the dog is going to fit in that scenario on my terms, not hers.

And ditto on removing all collars before putting him in the crate, or use a breakaway collar (we use the Chinook breakaway collar). Get him a cushy bed that fits the crate (Sophie has a sherpa one), and pack it in with chew toys and the like. (Dogs love being packed in) I also put a little pillow in there that I got at Ikea for 99 cents. Sophie loves them and rests her head on them. I bought several so I can wash one while she's using one.

I also agree on perhaps hiring someone to come to your home midday to let him out to stretch and potty.

Crate train him. He will eventually think of it as his safe haven too. Brady goes in there when I vacuum. He goes in there all by himself every night when it is time for bed. if he is really tired and wants to definently be left alone and not have his mommy lay her head on him or stick her feet under him if they are cold, he goes into his crate and sleeps. Never use it as a punishment. Use positive reinforcement when you put him in there. I always still to this day give Brady a treat or a chew toy for him to have in there so he knows it is not a bad place for him to be. Expect for him to have a lot of energy when you let him out though. He will be ready for those walks and the park for sure. But eventually it will be no big deal for him to go in there. It may really help.

We got Serene at 11 mths old, and after about a week, I got home from work, and my husband told me I had to go look at something. She had jumped her baby gate and there was a path of mangled underwear, teddy bear heads, and chewed speaker covers from our surround sound for our big screen. Well, we hadn't caught her in the act so we couldn't discipline, so she got "demoted" to the porch ( still a large area!) and we left some of the chewed items out and scolded her when she went back to them. Personally, I think she was testing us as all shelter dogs have been abandonned at some point! Hang in there, and find a place to keep your pup when your not home so he and your belongings are safe. Good luck!

I dont know how you can deal with a dog like this. It is very hard on you and your family. This is why I don't get dogs that are old. They seem to always be bad. I would do one of 2 things. #1 I would bring it back to the shelter and demand a better dog. and #2 I would consider having him youthinized.

I find a lot of love goes along way so you need to win your pet over with unconditional love so it will feel guilty when it is wrecking your home! I usually just try to help people out but this is for Jim Petersen I hope your not serious about the Youthinzing the dumb animals that is a horrific statement to make!

I agree with Muggsy, that is a horrible statement to make

I work in a zoo and I can tell you your getting some of the worst advise I have ever heard in my life! DO NOT CRATE train him this is why I think it is bad that some people own pets but the main thing is as long as the dog has a nice clean warm and loving household you can't go wrong! Crate training may work on only certain breeds such as the Chupacarbra which is like a Mexican Pit Bull also found in parts of Peru and Brazil the translation roughly means Blood Sucker but they are a pretty laid back dog!

My Afgan hound was a good dog for the first week till he found out the neighbor had cats. now everytime he sees them he goes nuts. I guess he doesn't like the cats. I guess my dog just needs love. Tho getting back on track you need to be premeptive on disciplining your dog. make him tow the line.

I do not make rugs I am a man of god spreading allah's glorious word to the west

Mr peterson, I find your post very offensive. If I had your attitude, I would not have had the last 2 glorious years with Serene. I would have taken her back and "Demanded a better dog" when to me there is no such thing. I thought in your intro you said you loved dogs!?! you don't just kill the imperfect ones and get a better one...They are like people and NO ONE IS PERFECT!!!!! You take patience, love and understanding, and help them become wonderful additions to your family...YOU DON'T KILL THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE EATEN A FEW MATERIAL POSSESSIONS!!!!!

Well said, Kathy! These creatures teach us many things; one of the most important is patience. My Shiva is a wonderful, glorious, loving creature . . . and she forages. That's a polite way of saying that she takes spells where she rummages all over the kitchen helping herself. The peanut butter has taken up permanent residence on the top of the refrigerator - the only place she can't reach. She loves it and will steal the jar any time she gets half a chance, unscrew the lid, eat what she wants, and hide the rest of the jar for later. When she starts this behaviour again she has to stay in the laundry room when we're gone. After a few days, she's ready to rejoin Bimmer and Kharma in the house when we leave.

Shiva a sneaky one isn't she Renee!? And clever enough to hide the jar for later! What a smart girl!
It just made me sick to hear euthanizing a dog given as a suggestion as opposed to training. Personally I think rescue dogs DO test you at the beginning..."What are you going to do to me, now that I've done bad?!" They've been dumped, or abused, in Serene's case we were at least her 4th home in 11 mths, that we KNOW of! She changed who I am though. I had to develop patience that I never knew I had...and it's worth it! I wouldn't trade 1 Beanie kiss for a thousand pairs of shredded undies...They're replaceable, she's not!

ROFL - Kathy, I hope you don't get those kisses AFTER she's done shredding! I went through that with Bimmer when he was a pup. Kharma and Shiva carry off socks and hide them - among other things. Kharma hides everything; any of Shiva's toys she gets hold of, plastic water bottles, but her favorites are electronics. She loves remotes! I wonder if she does it because she senses my frustration with Charley the Channel Surfer?! The wild thing about Shiva hiding things is that it is a learned behaviour for her. Before we brought Kharma home she never hid anything. She's one of the most linear dogs I've ever seen. Kharma, on the other hand, is Diva Devious and the Brat Princess.

Well, to me a dog that destroys my house is a bad dog and a dog who doesn't is a good dog. Thats why I buy my dogs as puppies. So I can train them to not destroy my house. You have to make them understand that you wont stand for your stuff to get ruined.

I can honestly say that I've never had a problem with any of the adult dogs I've adopted destroying anything at all or causing any problems. "But," to quote Brett Favre, "that's just me."

Well then I guess you have all the luck. To me buying a used dog is like getting married to a prostitute. They both were already payed for and used. Now it is your responsibility.

I usually have my negihbors watch my dog I live in rural Texas 49 miles outside Houston it is called Gavelston Texas it is a Farm community so there is plenty of running room for them to play!

Well, Mr Peterson, you keep buying your perfect purebreds, and I'll keep adopting them out of shelters after IDIOTS dump them for being "BAD DOG"!!!
"buying a used dog is like getting married to a prostitute", come on, they have been thrown away by uncaring people. So do you also believe that children who end up in foster care THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN should never be adopted to loving families who want to give them a better life!?! I read in your intro that you breed your dogs, well, any caring breeder SHOULD ALSO RESCUE!!!