Dog is chewing my stuff, help!!

[nibbler100]

So my mom adopted a dog almost a year ago from our county animal shelter. When we got her she was scared out of her mind.. She wouldn't even walk (I had to carry her to the car/into the house/out side for pootie) she was a vary abused dog and has a vary high fear of men.. We had to tech her how to walk on a leech/get into a car/and trust people... Well after the first 4 weeks she started destroying things.. So we bought a cage to cage train her while we where away.. It all went well and everything. It got to the point where we could leave the house without locking her up. Well my mom recently got rid of the cage.. And she started again. The thing is she is only chewing up my things.. The dog knows I do not like her, and I know, I know, but when she chews up 2 ps3 remotes and a 20 doller pair of sunglasses and your homework.. You tend not to like that animal. She also happens to havemajor attain problems , when anyone gives my dog attion she gets upset. Sometimes to the point where she's aggressive. I won't lie she bite me hard on time when I was petting my dog and I docked her in the face out of instinct. She hasn't bit me since. I tryed at first to be kind to her and ever thing, I looked past her chewing up my tv remote, ripping up carpet, and even terrising my cat.. But I'm done making excuses for her, I need help on stoping this problem because It has gotten to the point know where I can't even look at her without hate... And I know alot of it has to do with the fact she know I don't like, but I don't think I know how to start liking her untill I know how to fix this problem. And advise at all would be greatly appreciated.

P.s I know hitting her was wrong, honestly it was the fist time I have ever put my hands on a animal in a harmful way, right know I need advise on how to stop the problem not to be cretized by a gun reaction to a dog the bit my shoulder that was aiming for my face.

 

[CavyMama]

Hitting a dog is never okay but hitting a dog that had been abused, even reactionarily, is...there are no words. You were trying to get her to trust people again and it's likely this set her way back to square one. I don't even know where to begin.

 

[nibbler100]

I know that. As I have said before.. I know it was wrong but I can't take it back, I just need to fix the problem. And she does trust people now. Even men, although she is still wary at times of people that look certain ways. I'm sorry I hit her. I know it was wronge.

 

[CavyMama]

First, you cannot CANNOT be angry at a dog with a history of abuse for chewing on your things out of anxiety. It's not her fault. Your things...are just things. It's SUPER important to get the dog to where she can trust people again. You not liking her, is not an option. How you feel about her, should not even register on her radar.

Second, you don't hit out of instinct. It was reactionary and about the worst thing you could do to an abused dog. You may not like what she does, but she deserves to be treated kindly. What she needs is some structure and some consistent training. If the crate was her security, then sure, taking it away probably would cause her to react in that way. Again, not HER fault. She should NOT be punished for that.

 

[Aleks]

Sometimes dogs chew on things when they aren't burning off enough energy. Maybe you should try focusing her energy on something else like taking her for walks a few times a day, teaching her how to play fetch, etc. When she chews on something that is yours firmly tell her "No" and take the object away and give her a toy of her own to chew on. Instead of getting extremely fussy when she chews something that shes not supposed to, you should praise her when she chews on something thats okay for her to chew on. Positive reinforcement is key.
You could also try not leaving stuff that you don't want to get chewed up lying around where she can get it. Find a safe place to keep your things and close the doors to rooms that have items you don't want destroyed.
It might also be a good idea to cage train her again when you aren't home. It seems to me like it gave her some security, give that back to her.

 

[nibbler100]

I don't do anything punishment wise to her other then get visibly upset when I find things chewed. I'm frustrated and at my wits in, she knows it. How do I build a relationship with her? She was really close to me when the incident happened, I realize that what I did set her back tords me. How do I get around her aggression and still be abile to give my dog attion? At this point my mom will not touch my dog in fear of getting bite by her dog. I don't want that in my case. Also, should we get another cage for her? Even if we don't actually use it?

 

[Aleks]

I don't do anything punishment wise to her other then get visibly upset when I find things chewed. I'm frustrated and at my wits in, she knows it. How do I build a relationship with her? She was really close to me when the incident happened, I realize that what I did set her back tords me. How do I get around her aggression and still be abile to give my dog attion? At this point my mom will not touch my dog in fear of getting bite by her dog. I don't want that in my case. Also, should we get another cage for her? Even if we don't actually use it?

Honestly if it's to the point where you guys are so afraid of getting bitten that you won't even try to pet her or anything and you just can't stand her chewing up your things then you should re-home her to someone who knows how to handle these situations better. I don't know if you've ever watched Cesar Millan but he works wonders with dogs that have aggression problems and other things like that. Finding a dog trainer that uses tactics like he does might be beneficial.

 

[nibbler100]

@Aleks thanks, I never thought of replacing stuff. And unforcantly all the doors in the house can be opened by dogs so even shutting doors won't help. She has also been know to jump on counters and dressers to get get things. If she can't physically reach it then she has been known to movie things so she can. She's vary smart and highly trainible. She knows. Sit, stay, shake, roll over.. And learned to play dead from watching my other dog doing it. She also knows alot of lech commands in German.

 

[CavyMama]

It sounds like you have a very smart dog on your hands. The idea is to harness that intelligence into positive behavior. Intelligent dogs (all dogs, really) need to be mentally stimulated. Give her tasks to do or something to figure out like a toy where she has to figure out how to get the treat out. Or send her to agility training.

 

[nibbler100]

@Aleks she only bits my mom when when she pets my dog, she's vary territorly , re-home her is not a option for my mom, if it where up to me I would have done so along time ago. Her and mom are vary attached.. To attached if you ask me.. It's to the point where mom treats her like a child not a dog. Witch I don't think is good for her self estem what so ever.

 

[Aleks]

@Aleks she only bits my mom when when she pets my dog, she's vary territorly , re-home her is not a option for my mom, if it where up to me I would have done so along time ago. Her and mom are vary attached.. To attached if you ask me.. It's to the point where mom treats her like a child not a dog. Witch I don't think is good for her self estem what so ever.

Again, a private trainer might be a good idea. Or maybe you should make sure that her and your dog are always separated as to avoid her getting jealous of your dog getting attention from your mom.
Animals are part of the family it is not unhealthy to treat them as such.

 

[nibbler100]

@CavyMama I have thought about agility training before for her, I was doing it with my lab before he developed hip problems. Ill look into it. We tryed problem solving toys, but she's not food driven what so ever it's praise she is after, I actlly did get her evaluated by a trainer and she scored higher then my lab did over all, she wants to please. When I put her training coller on she becomes a diff dog. Self confidence booest, and she turns into a working dog.

 

[nibbler100]

@Aleks I'm not saying she shouldn't be treated like family... But only drinking water out of a water bottle, or only eating when the food is wet, allowing her to jump on you, eat food off your plate... Uneceptible behavior ... Yet mom allows it because that's her "baby". She treats her like a human not a dog that's my problem.

 

[nibbler100]

We have had her teeth and mouth checked and nothing is wronge with them. Just like to state that.

 

[Aleks]

Well... The water bottle IS a bit much unless it's necessary. Which i'm guessing it isn't. But my aunt's ex wife who I lived with for a while always wettened their pug's food, so I don't really see a problem with that. I also don't see that much of a problem with letting a dog jump on you. If she doesn't mind then why should you? We have 2 pit bulls that are 'family pets' and we let them jump on us while we're playing with them and giving them attention. And if we don't want them to jump on us at the moment we just firmly tell them no. At first they wouldn't listen but they have gotten better about not jumping on people when you tell them not to.

As far as eating food off her plate goes, some people really don't mind that. It's her dog right? So if she wants a dog that begs for food and tries to sneak some off the plate or anything like that, then let her deal with that. With that being said, my aunts ex wife's dogs begged for food all the time and we would give them some occasionally. They are (usually) very well behaved dogs, though. I mean sure if you leave the room and you still have food on your plate where they can get to it, theyre going to try to eat it, but most dogs are like that.
I don't think it's really unacceptable. It just isn't what you're used to or how you would treat a dog. But it's your moms dog and she is free to baby it as much as she wants. I treat animals more like humans than animals. I don't see anything wrong with that.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that just because it's not necessarily how you would treat an animal doesn't mean that it's wrong or unacceptable.

 

[Carissa6729]

Their is a whole host of issues here and you guys certainly have your work cut out for you.

I have a lot of opinions on this but honestly, I'm going to keep it to myself for now. It's just a very sad situation and I really hope something can be done to fix it.

The only advice I can offer is that this dog needs consistency, good training, more exercise and YOU need to work around it. Pick up your stuff, put it where they can't reach it. Your mother is obviously not going to change how she interacts with the dog, so you are going to have to compensate for it. If you can convince her to give the dog her kennel back, do it. That is the dog's home, safe place, and for an abused animal, that may be her place she needs to relax and get away from stress. I would highly recommend using the kennel for them as a safe place and consistent place, every night or when you leave. The consistency is what will be key here. I have a puppy that isn't kennel trained, and I've had dogs that were, so I've seen both sides of the fence. Difference being, she is taught with consistency by ALL members of my household. She is expected to act a certain way and we are expected to compensate for her lack of will power in other areas, like chewing, especially while she is teething. My puppy is also on a raw diet which helps to stimulate her brain and give her a mini workout while eating plus the added benefits of her being able to chew something not plastic. She also has gone through a type of "short lead" training, I don't know the exact name for it, but she stays with me, in the house, on a lead to learn appropriate behaviors. This has worked wonders for her to know her place in the family. My kids also had to be taught that they are higher in the pack then she is, and she needs to respect this. That is still an ongoing battle, but as they get older and she does, it will work out.

If you don't want it chewed, don't leave it where the dog can reach it. Shelves, drawers, top of fridge are all great places. Plain and simple.

You have a smart dog, it needs to be simulated, more walks, games, agility are all great options. Doing these with the dog will help build the bond between you two and a tired dog is a good dog. Boredom is the leading cause of a dog causing destruction to property.

I hope it works out for you, there is so much inconsistency going on that this poor dog doesn't know where it belongs in your "pack" and with being severely abused, it's mental state will get even more confused.

I had a pit bull/lab mix that was also severely abused, he was one of the best dogs I ever had, but I had to do the same thing. Consistency, a kennel (although towards the end, he didn't use it), and a firm place in the hierarchy of our house are what made him comfortable and secure. He unfortunately had to be put down this past year due to severe hip dysplasia, probably caused by the abuse he went through as a pup, but he was 8/9 years and never bit, never snapped, and just wanted to be loved.

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

There can be issues when you treat dogs too much like people, they start to see themselves on our level and may try to take on the roll of pack leader which leads to all sorts of problems. Anyone who has worked with dogs is probably familiar with "little dog syndrome" as a classic example. A dog that is eating off your plate (or mom's) at dinner on the table is taking on a role that Mom should have as leader of the group or at least leader of the dog. That is not ok. It is one thing to sneak a dog a tid-bit under the table it is another to let the dog eat off your own plate. If the dog behaved better before the crate was sold it may have just be a visual reminder of the consequences of misbehavior. You may need to bring the crate back. Other than that I think this is too complicated, especially with Mom indulging bad behavior, to solve over the internet. When your mom is ready to help the dog be a dog and not a person she should hire a good trainer that will come into your home and help change the dog's and her behavior.

 

[CavyMama]

Agreed. A dog can be treated as a member of the family but not as another human member. The dog has to know that it's not above any human in the home. The dog insisting on eating off of plates and your mom allowing it, is telling the dog that she (the dog) is the leader in the house. If the dog is going to obey, she needs to know who is in charge (and that it's not her). The dog needs (and wants) to know what the boundaries are. And everyone above is correct, there needs to be consistency in that. It's confusing to a dog when sometimes it's allowed up on the couch and sometimes it's not. When sometimes it can eat from a plate and sometimes not. She doesn't know English so she relies on a consistent response from humans to tell her and will feel way more secure once she knows the rules. She wants to be a good dog and she wants to obey but she can't if she doesn't know what the rules are.

 

[kltohlman]

I have to agree with everyone here,I have a pit bull that was abused and kept in a kennel/cage 12+ hrs a day,(we've had her for about a yr and a half now) she really didn't know what to do with herself when we weren't using her cage so we got it out and it's like her room she feels safe there. Exercise is very very very important for high energy dogs with anxiety we have a few kongs and several different bones for her. As for bonding with your dog why not try a walk(even a 10-15 min,around the block) at the same-ish time every day