change in puppy's behaviour

[lynneylou]

Hi there

My puppy Tyler is 4 months old now. He has a large cage which is used if I am out and at night. It's big enough for his bed, a wee pad and his toys. I make sure that before I go out and before bed he goes outside to the toilet. However, the last day or so, even though this routine has not been changed, he has been messing in his cage and ripping the wee pad to shreds, causing even more mess to the cage, his bed and himself. Any ideas what I can change to avoid this every morning and when i've been out? He is never left for more than 2 hours.

[lisabeard]

You didn't say if you feed him in his cage if you don't i would suggest that you do, this will make the cage one of his favourite places. Also have you tried leaving the radio on to keep him company.

[drgnrdr]

What kind of dog is he? How long has this routine been going on? Has he always gone (bathroom) in his crate? If he is only left for 2 hours then he should be able to hold it, since you're 100% sure he went outside. The danger here is if you have allowed him to always go in his crate then he has not developed (muscles) or learned to hold it. Are you leaving water for him? then stop it, he can go 2 hours without water, any longer than that and he'll need water but if it goes in it's gotta come out.

Toys is not a sure fire way that he won't chew on other stuff they get bored with their same old toys, most are INTERACTIVE they need another to play with, you need things that he can play with on his own. Also he is teething, he needs to chew, get him a nylabone or a Kong and place a few treats in it. Make sure he gets a good exercise workout before you leave him, not too hard tho he is still young. If you go to ( if this is allowed)

http://orangedog.forumup.com/index.php?mforum=orangedog

and see the Behavior section, there is a thread about Potty training your dog.

If they do not allow this on here then go to http://www.ddfl.org/ and check out Pet Behavior advice, and see potty training and destructiveness in dogs. This might help you. Good Luck maybe I'll have more info later after answers, or someone may have time to give you a longer response..~/:\~

[acorn]

maybe the cage is too big for him. The idea is that they do not like to mess in their bed area. Perhaps there is enough room for him to mentally separate his 'bedroom' from his 'toilet'. Also if you have a pad in already he is under the asumption that its ok to use it. Have you tried blocking part of the cage off and only letting him sleep there? Our westie used to be similar although we didnt use the pads. He was always messing despite us taking him regularly to the yard but our vet suggested making the cage smaller so he became more used to it as a bedroom first.

[maggie01]

You won't like my answer, but would you like to be put in a cage. Sorry it's a personal thing. I have two dogs and would not dream of putting them in one of those things. I really hate them. If he's only being left for two hours surely he doesn't need to be caged.

I don't mean to criticise, I just do not like them.

[ruthann58]

hes probably just getting board as he is getting older better that he is destrutive in the cage when you are out then ripping up the furniture lisabeard is right about making it his favourite place we had one for our puppy when we first brought her home we never ever put her in when she had been naughtie or shut her in when we were at home only when we went to bed the only problem is she is now 4 years and still insists on sleeping in it the other night when we got to bed she started to bark which she never does at night my husband came down to find that we had not shut her door once he shut the door she laid down and went to sleep also if she is upset at any time she goes and lays in there when we go out we dont shut the door and always come home to find she has taken herself to bed in it

[Toureman]

I agree with Maggie 100%

Would you like to be put in a cage, and I do mean to critisize!

Get rid of it.

[drgnrdr]

You can not have a 4 month old puppy loose in your home. It's like leaving a 3 yr old home alone, what are they going to get into, things are dangerous to puppies, you may not think they are or they can't get to something, but a bored dog is a dangerous dog. Unless you can COMPLETELY dog proof your home and not care that they destroy your furniture or your drapes or anything, then let them out to be "free" and not in a cage. Dogs are denning animals they like small secure places. I never liked crates before but changed my mind when someone showed me how to correctly use one and showed how much dogs will go in by themselves if left to make a choice, as long as they have been :CRATE trained with positive reinforcement. You can not just throw them in and shut the door, they won't understand what is going on, you'll just scare them and it will be a bad experience and any trainer knows that any thing a dog finds a bad experience(fear) with a behavior the more likely they won't repeat that behavior. But if all you have is a crate then that's what you have to do, since it is 2 hours, allot of destruction can happen in 2 hours look what happens when he is confined, at least the destruction is limited to that small area.

Training is the key to being housetrained. Being loose in the Home is.. I'll say it again..a privilege. Learn the rules (they learn by you teaching them) and obey the rules you get more freedom, same as anything, driving, letting teenagers be home alone, going on a date...etc...dogs are able to be free, running loose when they earn it and prove they can be trusted WHEN YOUR NOT HOME, this has nothing to do when your home and supervising.

I know alot of people disagree about this...but.....

[maggie01]

drdgnrdr...When my dogs were pups, I used to leave them in the kitchen. Ok they were still shut in one room but it was larger than a cage. In most kitchens all the wire etc are way out of reach, so in my mind is the safest place for them. A dog has to learn from an early age what it is allowed to chew and what it isn't. My little one chews all her toys to pieces but she doesn't chew anything else. All the dogs we have had have always been kept in the kitchen when we were out and only left the run of the house when we were confident they could be trusted.

[acorn]

I use a crate for my dog and hes perfectly happy. When we are home hes out and has the total run of the place but if im going to do the weekly shop he sleeps in his crate with his soft bedding, toys and cuddly. He is never left in there for lengthly periods but willingly lies in there with the door open when he gets tired. We have a dog bed in every room including the kitchen (actually its a bean bag in there) but he likes the security of his crate. He sleeps in there at night and i shut the door after 11pm. I do not think its cruel and everyone is entitiled to their own opinion. No i would not like being caged but then im human - a dog isnt.

[drgnrdr]

Your right Maggie01, you have to keep them confined somewhere, lynneylou may not have a choice, she may not be able to dog proof her kitchen or a room to leave him in, so I do beleive that is why I said they have no choice, since your FIRST post held no other options it just said not to put it in a cage, now your second posting gave her an option, I just assumed she had no where else to put the pup, I think I also said to train them they don't know what is right unless you are there to TELL them not to chew on something unacceptable, and it has to be repeated over and over until it sticks in their head finally, but if she is not there to tell them they will chew on whatever they find and as they chew someone is not there to say "UH-UH.....NO...here chew on your toy...good boy" then they will chew on what they find. Every dog is different I had a few dogs that came in the owner said they chewed on the walls, climbed over their barricades or ate the baby gate, a crate and some ideals from a vet and behaviorist helped those, it was sep. anxiety, but every dog is different.

Your second post was more helpful which I guess so did she by the rating. Now I will go to her other posting and try to address the issue. Sorry....