Can ii have some doggy help please? (for a friend)

[freekygeeky]

My friend has a doggy...
He is a little but of a chewer, he has eaten a few pairs of shoes, cables etc, today he has eaten the sofa..

Any tips to stop this behaviour, im guesssing (but im not a doggy person) that its bordem?

[Reaper941]

Is it a puppy? What kind of dog? What hours is it on it's own? Must be on it's own for some time to destroy a sofa.

[freekygeeky]

Originally Posted by Reaper941

Is it a puppy? What kind of dog? What hours is it on it's own? Must be on it's own for some time to destroy a sofa.

i think he is a year ish old...
collie cross ger,an shepard
i know he works from 6am - 2


from 7 he is by himself till 2 (so 7 hours?)

when he ddoes shift work he is alone for 4 hours.

[KathyM]

Basic questions would be:

1. What breed, gender, age, history (got bits on the post but more the better)?

2. What exercise this dog is getting daily - what type and how long?

3. What training the dog has been through, what mental stimulation or training the owner already provides?

4. How long is dog left alone and what provisions are made/conditions (eg. not crated, but someone comes to break time up and walk him, etc?)?

Sounds to me like the wrong situation for a dog of that cross - both breeds are very high energy working breeds and need an awful lot of exercise and mental stimulation. I do not know of a dog of that cross that can cope with such a long stretch alone and bored out of its mind. Should be out in the fields or doing agility/obedience training daily at least.

[freekygeeky]

ill answer the, teh best i can ive only met the owner recently

Originally Posted by KathyM

Basic questions would be:

1. What breed, gender, age, history (got bits on the post but more the better)?
collie cross german shep
male
about a year old
he has had him since a pup


2. What exercise this dog is getting daily - what type and how long?
he gets a few walks, the few ive been on hae lasted about 30 mins.. ish.. lots of throwing balls running etc

3. What training the dog has been through, what mental stimulation or training the owner already provides?
no idea.. i know he can sit lay down etc..

4. How long is dog left alone and what provisions are made/conditions (eg. not crated, but someone comes to break time up and walk him, etc?)?
he is left alone either 7 or 4 hours. (depends on what shift he is on)

i have said i would help him, and in mornings walk him. (woudl this help?)

Sounds to me like the wrong situation for a dog of that cross - both breeds are very high energy working breeds and need an awful lot of exercise and mental stimulation. I do not know of a dog of that cross that can cope with such a long stretch alone and bored out of its mind. Should be out in the fields or doing agility/obedience training daily at least.

thankyou

[Tomcat]

You can get a spray to stop them chewing, dont know if it works though.

Maybe a long walk in the morning would tire him out long enough to stop him chewing?

[freekygeeky]

Originally Posted by Tomcat

You can get a spray to stop them chewing, dont know if it works though.

Maybe a long walk in the morning would tire him out long enough to stop him chewing?

yes ive suggeste di will take him out ~((if he wanst em to ) in the mornings (before uni)

[sophs87]

Try a stuffed kong, put in some spread, fave treats ect should keep him busy, theres always the crate option but only a happy tired dog will stay in them happily

[phatboy83]

As a rule all my dogs stopped chewing when given a suitable durable toy. The best bet would be a long walk, 45-60 mins before leaving the dog with a toy and see if the dog settles. Dogs I've had also liked the T.V or radio left on for a bit of background noise. Hope this helps

[KathyM]

Sounds like there are a couple of potential issues. The first is that he is not getting enough exercise. A dog of his age and breed/s should be getting at least 3 hours a day depending on the type and quality. Half hour bezzes in the park are ok for short term but GSDs and collies have huge amounts of energy and if that isn't channelled properly, this is the type of one you end up with, if you get me.

They need constant occupying mentally too, so the next big problem is that huge stint alone. No dog in that situation can possibly be properly mentally stimulated - some will cope better than others but not a young dog of that cross. He needs at the very least someone to come in half way through that stint every day and spend an hour with him doing something tiring and stimulating, whether that's a good walk with some training, or whether it's mental games at home. I am not convinced that will be enough for him, but if the situation cannot be changed (eg. by him going to a dogsitter or family member through the day for company and stimulation) then it's better than nothing.

Then he also needs things to occupy him when he's alone - there could be an element of separation anxiety here, but it could just be boredom. Either way, his time needs filling (Kongs, and other safe toys) and he needs to be taught what is acceptable to chew, and restricted from areas where he can do the level of damage he has already carried out. It's quite simple that if they don't want him chewing their shoes they shouldn't leave them lying about, but when it comes to bigger chews like the sofa, he needs to be away from things like that. I would not crate him personally because I think that will lead to a very stressed dog in this case, he is simply being left for too long and is bored shedless.

I still think the best bet would be some form of doggy daycare, they've picked a difficult cross to have as "just" a pet, and he will need a job himself too in the long run - whether that's a weekend agility or flyball class or just the same at home/out and about, he will need something. And an awful lot of dedication on their part.