Advice please on Woody the adolescant!

As you all know I started work last week, for three full days a week at The Blue Cross. Up until then Woody has been left on his own for up to 4 hours in his crate if I've gone out, or the kitchen with the childgate to lock him in, same amount of time. Also, just before Christmas I did a full week temping 9-5 and crated him for 4 hours in the morning and kitchen for 4 hours in the afternoon.

He has never had a problem with being left alone, until now! Can you please have a look at our routine and let me know if there is anything different I can and should be doing with him on the days I go to work? I got home last night and he had chewed through most of the wall, ripped a plastic wire cover off the whole wall and chewed right through a thick, insulated cable (which was luckily not live!!). Monday it was the whole door mat and the week before that he had gnawed the corner of the kitchen wall off.

This is the usual routine, Mon-Wed -

6am - 20 minute walk (on slip lead - training)

7.30am - breakfast in bowl

8.30am - out for a wee then popped into the crate with water and a few chew toys (kongs)

12.30pm - out for a wee, 20 minute ball game (fetch), 10 minute training session

12.50pm - locked in kitchen and hallway by stairgates and left with lunch in bowl, kong with frozen kibble and gravy, chew toys, bed and water.

5.10pm - I'm home to mass destruction and a VERY hyper puppy who jumps up, bites and zooms about.

5.15pm - ball game in garden

5.30pm - dinner in bowl

5.40pm - training session

5.50pm - Dad comes home and Mum finally gets a glass of wine and some relief ;o)

Are there any changes we can/should be making to ensure that he is not being destructive in the afternoons? Should we maybe crate him at each session? We're limited to the amount of chew toys we feel happy leaving him with safety wise and I can't really exercise him anymore at lunch as only have 40 full minutes with him.

Any advice would be great x

Will reply later - about to get ready for work. Remind me his age again Em.

The hyper is him pleased to see you and mine are the same - I get mugged to be honest - but I ignore until there is calm (takes a while!!) and not easy when you have 4 setters all over you.

When you say mass destruction what are we talking about here?

Can he have a walk at lunchtime (hence the age question) and when you get home?

How is the job - still loving it?

I gotta get ready too.

OK, he'll be 6 months on the 5th of March. Mass destruction is chewing the plaster off the walls, chewing and destroying anything he can find. Trouble is, all the toys he loves to play with are ones I daren't leave with him - Mo (a fleece sheep that is now limp as the inside has all gone), Wilson (his favourite tennis ball - a Kong Flyer thing) and Monkey (same as Mo but with innards).

He can have a short walk at lunch but I thought taking him to the park to play fetch for 20 mins would be more fun.

I ALWAYS ignore the hyperness in him, in fact I don't even say hello until about 10 minutes later when he's relaxed, but then he's off. That's why I do some calming training with him to help settle him.

I'm sure it's normal, I just want some advice to help keep him under control.

What about getting him a dog walker when you are working . Although you are paying for an hours walk they are generally out for much longer as the dog walker picks up and drops off a few dogs . I know he is getting walks and out to the toilet but it would brighten up his day .
Although you would have to pay the dog walker it would probably work out cheaper than repairing your walls etc .
Don't know if you have it where you live but here they also have doggy day care here which I think is great for working people . It is also very reasonable

Just a thought but it seems to me he's getting training and playing (all good) but, what about an off lead walk, is this possible?

Whilst the ball playing is excellent, it may be stimulating him so that he finds it hard to then wind down. This is only a suggestion obviously as I don't know you or your doglet

I think I might try an off lead walk in the morning, if poss, and perhaps less ball throwing at lunchtime (leave that for weekends maybe??) and try teaching something that will leave him both mentally and physically tired - searching for toys, retrieves, finding things - springer like stuff Also leave with an ingeniously stuffed kong for him to work on in the afternoon.

This may be of some interest also:
http://www.apdt.co.uk/dog_training_tips.asp

I do agree with Catrinsparkles, it's best, if possible, not to leave young dogs for longer than a few hours a day esp. active breeds - maybe a reputable, good dog walker might be best?

Its not always easy to find what suits and it may take some trial and error, good luck!

Wys
x

I think you should look into getting a dog walker - personally i feel that even adult dogs should only really be left for a max of five hours once a day. With a puppy i wouldn't think of going beyond three hours......more than that and i think the results are detremental to the puppy..........as you are seeing.

You have a highly intelligent and active working breed, as you know, the only ways he can entertain himself when alone is playing with any toys you have left and chewing. Chewing the walls etc is probably more stimulating as it isdifferent and challenging.

It took me a long time to find a dog walker i was happy with as i wanted one who was as passionate about positive training methods as i was.

Luckily this lady does doggy day care too, so, when Tonks was younger and i had to work away from home once a week Tonks was left alone for three hours in the morning and then picked up by the dog walker/sitter who walked her and kept her at her house until i went to get her.

OUr dog walker charges ten pounds per walk or 12 pounds for a full days dog care. The other day we needed Tonks to have a really long walk as we would be out all day and then driving to wales with her. We payed £20 for a three hour romp in the forest with some other dogs and then another hour while the other dogs were dropped home and Tonks rode around in the car. Perfect.......she was shattered, had been stimulated as was very happy.

I don't think the problem is adolescence....i think woody is bored, full of energy and lonely, entertaining himself the only way he can when left.

I think this is to be expected in a youngster from a working breed - sorry. I`d be more concerned if a young dog were content to sleep all day TBH. He does need more to do and possibly company. If left he will find his own amusements. How about a dog-sitter?

Just reading the routine again, as well as getting a dog walker there are a couple more things i would change too.

1. definately an off lead walk.....he should get one at least once a day, i can't see one there.

2. rather than leave his food in the bowl, which takes no effort for him to find at all.......scatter it around the kitchen and hall so he can spend time foreging for it and sniffing it out. As wys said, you could also hide it in kongs, buster cubes etc (buster cubes are excellent for this). obviously you would need to use dried food.

I don't think he should b in a crate anymore, as although it would solve the distruction i think it would make woody even more frustrated. The signs he showing would be shown at any age by a frustrated dog, not just beacuse of adolesence, however he is growing up and getting far more energy so needs an every increasing amount of exercise and stimulation.

Hi Pidge Woody will be chewing a lot just now, this is connected to teething and the teeth settling in to the jaws, some dogs are worse that others when it comes to chewing . I have been surrounded by puppies recently, all have been very bad chewers.

Millie Zak Purdie and Chloe (mine and family puppies) have chewed even when left for a moment, both Millie and Chloe chewed the same wall in the kitchen (where there was an angle in the wall so it stuck out making it easy to get jaws around).
Zak the springer has been the worst, even with my son having an office in his home Zak chewed the moment no one was looking and I mean anything and everything, walls skirting boards you name it.

It does get better as they grow older. Chloe still has her moments and if I am busy and she has had enough of entertaining herself and gets bored she will find something, the latest thing is the telephone directories off the bookcase in the hall, I heard her so rescued and removed them and gave her something she could chew.

I don't think people should get cross with a puppy for chewing, (i'm not saying you are) it is natural dog behaviour and they need to find something to do to occupy to themselves and if you are not around they will find something. Gundogs seem to be particularly bad chewers.

As I said things do improve with age. So what can you do about it. Prevent access to things you don't want chewed and give a puppy something to occupy itself.
I blocked the kitchen wall with stools, because it wasn't accessible Chloe chewed her toys instead and she eventually she forgot about the wall (I have re plastered and painted it since).

You could invest in a puppy play pen, or an outside kennel with a run or some room with chewable things removed and leave things to chew like kongs and puzzle balls but chewing anything unsupervised isn't without its dangers. Being alone in a small confined area can increase frustration though and result in other behavioural problems.
Can you take Woody to work? Luckily I was able to take my dog to work with me ,(this includes Chloe last year when she was small) and had it in a crate next to my desk . Have you asked if you could take Woody. As I said he will get better with age.
Zak the springer has progressed to chasing dust motes

Ps Just noticed while I was posting everyone else has been posting similar advice When I was working and taking a dog to work with me I made sure it had a good run and a play before I started and at frequent intervals , a tired dog is a contented dog.

I assume he wasn't crated when he went on a destruction spree? I can't speak for every dog, but there is NO way mine would have been ready be loose (even in a single room) at 6 months. So, I think what you are seeing is pretty normal for a dog of his age and breed -- I would expect exactly the same of my breed, too.

I would cut out the ball games and training sessions, too. Or at least reduce the amount of time you do them for. Sadly I think it is a case of him being over stimulated.

I would also make the morning walk off lead if possible. No ball throwing, training, etc. -- just fun time where he is aloud to sniff and run around.