Scratching a hole in my wall

[pumpkins mom]

I am totally perplexed at my Pomeranian's recent habit of scratching holes in the sheet rock of the wall...I don't have rats..for sure and she's been doing it on more than one wall. During the day when we aren't home we pen her up in the kitchen...it's not a small area which is where she's doing it. It is certainly a whole lot larger than her kennel...although I think she scratches at the wall when I have to put her in there when I'm at home.

I can't fully trust her with the run of the house yet. I've let her be outside a lot with this nice weather. I was so upset about the other little hole I found this morning that I decided to leave her out all day (very good temp, no rain, privacy fence back yard) Is this OK? But even if I do leave her out during the day when I'm gone...there still will be a time when I need to put her in the pen (i.e. rain, too hot, too cold).

Is she digging b/c she's mad? Is she alone too much? b/c I can't not go to work! Or is this a puppy thing? I wish I could catch her in the act and punish her...then she would know it's an unacceptable behavior.

I've been working on letting her out around the house with me more...but we have more work to do...Any suggestions? I don't really like leaving her outside (she's a BIG pom btw...11 lbs. +) but I also don't want swiss cheese for walls.

 

[Gempress]

It may be a puppy thing, or it may just be boredom. I wouldn't leave her in the yard. It's very easy to steal a purebred toy dog. I would put her in a puppy playpen during the day when you can't supervise her. She'll still have plenty of room to stretch her legs, but won't be able to damage your home.

 

[Cessena]

Does she have any fun puzzle toys to play with? stuffed/frozen Kongs? Buster Balls? If she's bored these things might help.

Also, I vaguely recall hearing about dogs doing this sort of thing when they have separation anxiety. Does she get anxious when you go to leave? Big greetings when you get home? She may have anxiety issues that need to be worked on.

 

[pumpkins mom]

She has HUGE anxiety issues....when I come home she'd throw a parade if she could, poor baby. I've heard that poms can be bad about that, but I don't know what to do about it. I'm not one of those folks that will put my dog on medication....but I want her to be able to be on her own. She really loves our cat but I normally keep them separated when I'm not home b/c they do get rowdy and I don't want my house destroyed...but maybe they'd be good company for each other?

I did give her a Kong (which I supplement with some of her normal kibble), chew toys, squeaky toys, etc. What kind of puzzle toys are you talking about?

 

[lizzybeth727]

How old is your puppy?

Puzzle toys include food dispensers (like the buster cube, or treat balls), or toys that involve some thought - I like the I-Cube.

One thing you can do about the separation anxiety (if that is what it is), is make sure that when you leave and when you come home it's not a big deal for your puppy. Put her in the place she's going to stay during the day (I'd also suggest the playpen) about 5 or 10 minutes before you leave, and then just ignore her. When you come home, ignore her for the first 5 or 10 minutes (or until she calms down from the excitement of seeing you come home), and then calmly let her out of her spot and go about your business. Don't give her a ton of attention until you've been home for about 20 or 30 minutes - you can talk to her, but don't really gush over her and don't play with her.

You can also keep her with you in the house while you're home - put her on a leash and tie it to you so that she stays with you but she gets to explore too. You can also catch her if she starts doing something she's not supposed to, because you'll see it right away. I would suggest also putting her in her pen while you are home for a little while, so that she learns that not EVERY time she goes in there are you going to leave.

 

[pumpkins mom]

Pumpkin is about 7 mos. old, so she is still very young. I will definitely take your advice on not making my arrival a huge deal for her. I guess I'll just ignore her barking and whining for a few minutes and then let her out. She does go in her pen while I'm there, like if she is being too rowdy while we're watching a movie.

I think we've turned a corner b/c last night she was out downstairs with me off her leash for the whole evening. I had my eye on her b/c she was by my feet, but she went to her place to potty and was generally well behaved. She doesn't sleep with us...at least not until we are sure she knows where to go and where not to go.

 

[Cessena]

Here are a ton more ideas for stuff to put in her Kong.

http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/2006/02/dog_recipes_for_kong_chew_toys.php

My Dog goes absolutely batty for cream cheese, so we give him that when we leave him so it is his special treat. Plus if you freeze the kong it will take longer for her to get the yummies out of it and she'll be busy for longer, which will help combat boredom if that is what her problem is.

There are lots of articles on separation anxiety to help determine if that is the problem and to work on managing it without medication. Here's one from the humane society. It echo's LizzyBeth's suggestions and adds some more.
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/o...g_behavior_tip_sheets/separation_anxiety.html

 

[pumpkins mom]

Thanks for the links. I used one of those ideas today and I hope it keeps her busy for awhile at least.

I still don't know what to make of the wall thing. She was out with me the other night and she walked right up to one of the spots on the wall that I had just recently patched and started licking it and almost bit it...I caught her in the act though and punished her...so maybe that will stop it. I think it's a really odd fascination though...

 

[lizzybeth727]

Chewing on the wall probably started for your dog as a release of frustration/anxiety. Now, though, even when she's not frustrated, she's figured out that chewing on the wall is kinda fun - she gets to bite, rip, tear, etc. Probably the only thing to do is keep her away from the wall until you get it fixed (when it doesn't have the torn edges to grab onto, it won't be nearly as fun), and keep her occupied with other things to do so that she doesn't get bored and remember about the wall.

One thing I like to do is get a small cardboard box, and smear some peanut butter around the inside of the box. You can also put treats or pieces of biscuits inside the box or stuck in the peanut butter. Then close up the box (folding the top flaps so that it's not easy for your dog to open), and give it to your dog. They have no problem smelling the peanut butter and doing whatever they have to do to get into the box - usually they tear the box up. I think this would be good for your dog, to give her a good way to tear things up, and it's something that you don't mind instead of your wall.

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

This is a tiny dog that can do just fine in a larger crate when you are away. I see pleas for help and complaints all the time from people who ALLOW their dogs to relieve their anxiety in this manner.

This is a self rewarding behavior, meaning that once the dog does this destructive whatever (insert chew carpet, drywall, couches, shoes), and finds herself feeling better, she is exponentially more likely to do this AGAIN the next time you leave.

The ONLY way, in my experience, to STOP these behaviors once you have allowed them to start, is to prevent the dog any opportunity to do this.

Repeat after me: CRATES ARE GOOD....CRATES ARE GOOD.

Just because your dog is overjoyed to see you when you get home does not equate to separation anxiety. Altho I do understand that some dogs have overwhelming SA, I think it is quite rare. Most of the time what is called SA in dogs is a lack of proper confinement, supervision, and training on the part of the owner. I define SA as a dog who will injure itself in a crate if confined when the owner is away.

Get a good crate, a large one if you like, and you can put papers on one end and her bedding and toys in the other.

You can also use an exercise pen. (search Exercise Pen, they are not too expensive, and are larger than a crate).

Not only are these behaviors undesireable, and leaving unsightly damage in one's home, they can also be quite dangerous to the dog if they choose to chew/eat the wrong thing.