My dog ate my homework...

[Hammer]

I mean she ate my cycling shoes and shorts.

My dog is lucky that she has such a pretty face and good disposition otherwise...

A few weeks ago, I wake up to see that she chewed off two of three straps on each cycling shoe. Granted, they were a year old, but not worn out. Instead of getting a kick a** pair when I was good and ready I ended up buying a duplicate pair because they were last season and on sale for $60 instead of like $80 or whatever (working on moving and planning a wedding and paying for other puppy related expenses ).

Today I go for a bike ride, I'm only gone for two hours. I thought she'd fall asleep because she'd been running around outside for awhile already. She gets put on a leash and stays in the bedroom. I decided rather than wear my good pair of Pearl Izumis, wear my cheap pair of shorts for the short ride. Tossed the PIs onto the bed. The chain is long enough for her to jump on the bed... I get home and see that the shorts are now on the floor. I look at them and there's a hole the size of a quarter in the chamois.

DARN it!! An $80 pair of shorts, I only had two pair. I was thinking of buying a third because I'm always running them through the laundary anyway and I'm going on my first multiday tour, so I thought that 3 would be pretty good.

SERIOUSLY!! I didn't want to *have* to spend the money. I found a pair of the quest shorts (i think...). The shorts lost were the sugar or the short attack or something... I like that inseam. But the shorts I bought today nearly come to my knees... but they were only $50 and I did like the chamois, so I decided to compromise.

Ah man, I love the puppy to death. And we will keep her and possibly still spoil her just a bit, but she's costing us an arm and a leg! I just can't staple everything to the ceiling. I underestimate her reach. She'd probably actually get stuff off of the ceiling.

[makbike]

Have you considered a crate?

[oxysback]

Have you considered a crate?

+1!!

Frankie the Pug is sequestered in the kitchen with a gate whenever we aren't home. She's not destructive, but it's nice to know that if (and this never happens...I just don't want it to!) there are any 'surprises' they're in an easy place to notice and clean. Plus, we have 3 cats...and Frankie likes to surf for kitty roca in the litter box. Gross!

[Hammer]

We did try one when she was a little smaller. And at that time she was injured, we were supposed to contain her and limit her mobility. She fought that so much that we thought it did more harm than good. After that, she was really really good just hanging out on her pillow, so we didn't continue with the crate. Now she's too big for that one.

When she chewed on my shoes it was because we let her off of the chain too early in the morning. We went back to sleep, she didn't. Oops.

In a few days we're moving to an acreage and she can spend A LOT more time outside. We'll probably set up a doggy hangout area for her in an outside building when we're not home.

Ah well, it's tolerance training for kids one day. They're going to go through lots of stuff and possibly break a car.

[lauraelmore1033]

surf for kitty roca...
Now I remember why we don't want a new dog.

[oxysback]

surf for kitty roca...
Now I remember why we don't want a new dog.

ROFL!!

The baby gate stays at the laundry room entrance when Frankie is 'at large'. We have to put it high enough so the cats can scoot under it (dumb cats...you'd think they can't jump!) and low enough so Frankie can't.

We were looking at gates with the little door for cats, but since Frankie and the cats are similar sized, it doesn't work.

[mimitabby]

If your dog can't be enclosed in a kennel and he is destructive, he can seriously damage your house.
Love is nice but houses are expensive, even more so than clothing.
Buy a bigger kennel! We had a dog chew DOORS up when we left him home alone..

[SadieKate]

Crate training. Even if your dog is going to spend time outdoors soon.

If she's fighting you about going into the crate, she's winning the battle of dominance. And, how is a vet supposed to handle her is she won't go into a crate?

Currently, I'd say she's doing a fine job of training you.

[Trek420]

I'm very concerned about the chain/leash indoors thing. This can get caught on something, anything in your home while you're away. I'm sure you'd feel very bad to come home to dead or injured doggie.

Dogs in the wild nest in dens, once trained your dog will like the crate. My mutt heads there to rest, or any time there are stresses, noise like 4th of July. It's restful, like a doggie samadie (sp?) tank. When I want her to go to the crate a simple command of "into your box" is about all it takes, sometimes a cookie

All dog need and deserve safe comfortable places to rest.

At last count Mae has 4 indoor beds including the crate and a nice set up in the patio for her to wait for the dog walker when I'm at work.

I'm not a dog trainer, and my mutt is by no means perfect (eg: she has issues with other dogs, but oddly she likes almost any other animal even many cats) I took her to obedience classes, consulted a trainer, and work with her every day.

Yes, you have to "child proof" your home like having a 2 year old in the house. Chewing the Sidis is a drag but could be worse. Once Mae got into a whole box of TJ's chocolate Jo Jos. Luckily she was ok. Some things (like chocolate) are deadly to dogs so we have to be the adults and "puppy proof" the home.

To our dogs everything is about rank in the pack. And sounds like your dog thinks s/he's alpha. You need to be the leader of the pack, actually all people need to be alpha. Sigh, now I'm hearing 50's music in the background.

Doesn't mean being mean, punitive in anyway. But little things add up.

I eat first, I'm not talking about a full meal and then she eats. It's as simple as Mae sees me eat a bite of something then I feed her.

I go out the door first, all doors. Dog gets in the car last (well that's not possible if I'm driving alone).

Bottom line the dog has to earn everything she gets. But trust me she is "well paid" for all that good behavior, too well maybe.

Lastly you wrote "Today I go for a bike ride, I'm only gone for two hours". Remember we have our jobs, lives, our bikes .... our dogs only have us. And to a dog two hours is literally 7 times that.

That doesn't mean you can never leave but sounds like your dog needs a "job" while you're away.

Does your dog have toys to play with while you're away like Kongs or other puzzles? We have to give our dogs a job to do....or they will make one up

[Tuckervill]

Doesn't mean being mean, punitive in anyway. But little things add up.

I eat first, I'm not talking about a full meal and then she eats. It's as simple as Mae sees me eat a bite of something then I feed her.

I go out the door first, all doors. Dog gets in the car last (well that's not possible if I'm driving alone).

+1.

If she gives you a hard time while she's in the crate, leave the room and don't listen to her. When she gets quiet, let her out. Don't talk to her if she's really loud, just leave her in there long enough to give up. The point is not to reward her for the bad behavior by talking to her or looking at her or giving her any attention. It can be heartbreaking until she adjusts so that's why you ignore her, but the crate is the best solution for her and for you in this situation.

I also question the use of the chain in the house. Chaining is harmful to dogs. http://www.unchainyourdog.org/Facts.htm Although this website refers to dogs chained for long hours (or permanently) outside, some of the psychological damage they note could be inflicted on a dog chained indoors.

Karen

[TrekJeni]

I'll second what Trek420 said. In addition to racing/riding bikes, I am an AKC hunt test and field trial judge. I'm also the secretary for the Greater Cincinnati Weimaraner Club and have devoted countless hours to fostering rescues while they were waiting for new homes.

I won't rehash what Trek420 said but she's right. This needs to be curbed now before she tests the waters again, to see what else she can get away with. Good luck.

I have a wonderful article I give all the new adoptive parents on how to re-crate train dogs. PM me if you're interested.

Jeni

[Trek420]

Thanks gals. Again, no professional anything or expertise like TrekJeni. Mae's a rescue and she's taught me everything I know that and I read a lot.

I just think if you "win" the little battles now you may not have the big ones. So start now while it's easy to fix with simple things.

What will your dog "work" for? Praise, squeeky toys, favorite treat? All three?

All dogs are great but a well trained dog is a joy. Your dog's a learning machine, s/he wants to learn. It's fun to see the progress, the new trick, better behaviour.

Hey we have an advantage here over others with dogs in that we like to walk, run, get outside so combine the two. Learning or reinforcing how to heal, walk on a loose leash that can all be combined with a workout.

And with a trained dog you'll be able to leave them with someone when you want to go on that loooooong ride.

[Hammer]

Dogs in the wild nest in dens, once trained your dog will like the crate.

I do think she'd adapt to something like this... She loves tucking underneath our computer desk.

I eat first, I'm not talking about a full meal and then she eats. It's as simple as Mae sees me eat a bite of something then I feed her.

I try to do this. But I want to reduce her begging... Though she is good, she just sits and watches you with her puppy eyes. She doesn't get forceful and waits until we offer.

I go out the door first, all doors. Dog gets in the car last (well that's not possible if I'm driving alone).

I usually hold the doors open for her so that I can keep the cats inside. But my fiance and I need to be better about keeping her in the car until we get out. She gets quite excited and bounds over us. I didn't really think about it as much of a problem until I was presented it as an alpha creature problem.

Lastly you wrote "Today I go for a bike ride, I'm only gone for two hours". Remember we have our jobs, lives, our bikes .... our dogs only have us. And to a dog two hours is literally 7 times that.

I understand this too... I let her out for an hour to play in the yard. I went out too to play fetch. I had thought that she would come in to nap, that's what often happens even when we are around. I did make sure that her favorite toys were near by to chew on.

I do agree that we need to figure out a better solution. Thanks for your advice.

Actually, if I could get her to ride in a pull behind trailer. But, I'll wait until I have children for that workout.

[KnottedYet]

A dog crate is a beautiful thing.

My dog was a rescue, and had major panic attacks over a crate that I guess felt too much like the cage at the pound. So no crate until he was about a year old.

He won't tolerate being shut into it when he's alone in the house, but if I leave the door open he's happy as a clam. It's his safe hiding spot, his little doggie cave, and he'll hang out in there for hours. Just having his own dog-sized space calmed him down a lot.

He also gets lots of good jobs when I leave the house. Kongs with treats trapped in them, a puzzle ball that dispenses treats when he rolls it along the floor, squeaky toys inside another squeaky toy (cloth cube with "x" cut into each side, you put the toys inthe cube and the dog has to work to get them out. Great toy! They also have ones shaped like logs with squeaky squirrels the dog can pull out, but it was kinda gross...)

He has the run of the living room and kitchen when we're not home, but the rest of the house is closed off with doors.

Edit: a dog bounding out of a car isn't just an alpha problem, it's a safety problem. A dog jumping out of a car before it's people could easily get hit by another car pulling into the parking lot. One of the most valuable things I taught my dog was "wait". It has come in handy MANY times!

[Trek420]

I usually hold the doors open for her so that I can keep the cats inside. But my fiance and I need to be better about keeping her in the car until we get out. She gets quite excited and bounds over us. I didn't really think about it as much of a problem until I was presented it as an alpha creature problem.

Or the dog dashes off gets hit by a car problem, or the dog dashes off gets into trouble with another dog or if you ever travel with the dog....lost.

Again, Mae's far from a perfect pet but this is one of her many good behaviors she doesn't dash in or out of the car. Into the car is directly on command "let's go" or "let's go shopping " and dog hops in.

Out of the car is more important.

Regardless of how eager she is to get going at her favorite park she does a sit for me, I open the door, dog still sits, and hops out on my "let's go" as I get her leash in one fluid (yeah right) motion.

It's really just three basic commands; sit, stay, then "let's go". Followed if I miss her leash by another "sit".

Does your dog sit and stay? Then you're there.

Your dog can do amazing stuff. Knotts dog is a mixed breed rescue pet and he has his Canine Good Citizen papers That dog's a jeenious like his Mom

Now, if I could ONLY get Mae to stay in the back seat of the car....