Dogs

[byddy rock 6]

my dog is almost 1 and he likes to reap up stuff. what do i do

[newtron]

Make it very clear to the dog that you do not approve of him ripping stuff up (personally, I would spank him). Then give him a toy that he can rip up and remember to praise him when he is chewing on his toy.  Also, I don't know how much you walk him or how much exercise he gets, but generally, a tired dog is a good dog.

[PurplePixie]

I would give him stuff that is safe & acceptable to chew & destroy, it sounds like he is entertaining himself because he is bored. Make it clear to him...NOT by physical punnishment, just by saying NO in a firm voice & removing whatever it is you don't want him to chew & replacing it with something that you are happy for him to chew.

Praise him when he is doing something you approve of & try to treat him with indifference when he is misbehaving. Please DO NOT follow newtrons bad advice & hit your dog, your dog is relient on you & if you hurt him...how is he going to trust you. It's a very poor dog owner who raises his hand to his dog, it just shows complete ignorance on the owners part. There are a million ways to solve behavioural issues without resorting to hitting an animal.

Good luck.

[liljoolz]

your dog is, in your 'pack' the lowest of the low, in his eyes there is nothing for him to do, so he either tries to get your attention by eating things or is bored and eats things too. in the wild the higher up 'pack' dogs will use intimidation to put him in his place and will eventually resort to violence if the annoyance persists. so yes a good firm NO would work and praising him when he chews the new chew toys you have bought him, but if it goes on, a light clip round the back end will show him you are serious. you are the alpha in the pack, then your partner, kids and so on, he is the lowest. dont let him get the better of you. this is when you get an unruly dog that is no good for you or a family. and i agree with newton a tired dog is a quiet, sleepy teddy bear, who wants a hug. but as to the ripping stuff up, if you cant stop it, buy a cage that when you leave him alone you can put him in, big enough for him to 'make' a bed - with the soft stuff you have given him to sleep on - and have water and a bowl of biscuits in there, this way he wont get to chew. i do it to my dog, its his bed and he goes in there voluntary. hope that helps. if its unclear post again and i will try and explain better.

xx

[mcmaza]

make sure you tell them that it is wrong, every time, my dog has so far chewed my holiday tickits, countless cds, dvds, teddys, brushes, glasses and everything you can imagine, but slowly we have confined her to the  (large) kitchen when we are at work (as this is when she tries to eat the house) with only her toys on display and she has got better but still hasnt stopped. make sure you tell them off EVERYTIME it happens and they will eventually get the picture, also make sure they have a wide selection of toys with different textures and noises etc and they dont get as bored with them as quick.

[newtron]

<P>I did not tell byddy rock 6 to hit the dog.&nbsp; I merely suggested what I might do.&nbsp; I said that he/she should make it very clear&nbsp;to the dog&nbsp;that he/she disaproved of the dogs behavior.&nbsp;&nbsp;A firm "NO" is the accepted method, as suggested above.&nbsp; The sectret to having a good dog is constistency and communication.&nbsp; When training a dog, it is important to use both positive and negative reinforcements.&nbsp; When my dog was young, I would, when I felt it was necessary, spank him as a negative reinforcement, but I would also make sure to use positive reinforcements when he was being good.&nbsp; By consistently using these different reinforcements, I was able to effectively communicate to my dog exactly what was expected of him, and&nbsp;I rewarded him when he was good so that he wanted to be good.&nbsp; I assure you that my dog trusts me fully and everyone who meets him comments on how happy he is.&nbsp; He is a very good dog, who responds to verbal commands and does not require a leash in any situation.&nbsp; He is my best friend.&nbsp; As long as you have a good relationship with your dog, where you can effectively communicate with eachother, having a dog will be a delightful experience.&nbsp; This advice is purely based on my experience.&nbsp; I do not claim to be an expert, but&nbsp;every dog that I have had has turned out to be&nbsp;very good and usually better behaved than most other dogs that I have met.&nbsp; So I must be doing something right.</P>
<P>Also byddy rock 6, your dog is still young.&nbsp; I suspect he will improve&nbsp;as he gets older.&nbsp; Good luck!</P>

[newtron]

I don't know what's up with the wierd notations.

[PurplePixie]

Point taken newtron...fair enough! The most important thing is that the dog's happy, whatever way you do things. I might have sounded a bit more crochety than I should have...sorry about that.