Question:

Dear Julie,

I have a 3 year old rat terrier that I adopted from the humane society 2 years ago.He has eaten 5 sofas and 20+ bed pillows since I have had him.We crate when we\’re not home but,he will rip up the furniture even in front of us.Usually,there is a deer in the yard or a person and he just grabs and shakes whatever he can.My vet recommends medicating him which I do not want to do.How would you approach this.We love him so much and want him to stop. I don\’t know if he was abused in his prior home but,if we raise our voice to him,he just collapses on the floor and covers his face with his paws.So,scolding him isn\’t an option..Please help Stimpy! I know he wants to be a good boy! Thanks -Tracey

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Answer:

Hello Tracey!

Great to hear from you!  How did you find me?

I think it is wonderful you are looking for answers to help solve your problem and it sounds like you have been through a lot, so I am happy to try to help resolve your issues.  I think it sounds like you are saying that he rips up things when he sees a deer or another person-like those things set him off, is that correct?  If so, I would say that he is experiencing some sort of anxiousness when he sees those things, as if the sight of them excites him and over stimulates him and his way of handling it is to rip things up.  Panic and discomfort can be at the root of the problem of destruction. Dogs have different ways of relieving that pent up stimulation; some bark, jump, or dig, and others may rip up furniture.  Knowing why he feels this way isn’t necessary to resolve it though.  And, luckily the things in a dogs past can be left behind when new, positive experiences replace them.  There are several things I would suggest to correct it.

1. The very first thing is that he needs to feel really tired out every day, more than once a day, through a lot of exercise; enough to the point that he lays down afterwards because he is tired.  This will be the first step in correcting the problem, because if he hasn’t drained his pent up energy through daily exercise, it will be much harder to fix this issue.  Is there a way for you to get him to a doggy day care or be walked by a neighbor, friend or teen in the neighborhood while you are away?  If he spends very much time in his crate without enough exercise, these types of situation can be harder to correct.
2. He should leave the house and view different scenery and people every day to build up his tolerance to different stimuli.  So take him to a different park, down a different street on your walk so he sees a variety of different experiences.  I am not sure based on the information you gave me but dogs that get to go out of the house to different experiences, smells, and sights do better overall because they have been exposed to many different things which “opens their minds” so to speak, so that they aren’t so panicked or excited by stimuli they see from home.
3. I would also recommend having the dog on-leash, attached to you while he is in the home for a couple weeks so that the timing of stopping the behavior is improved as well as giving the dog something to do (he will have to pay attention to whomever has his leash and follow wherever they are going).   Just attach the leash to your belt and the dog has to go where they go.  If you do this consistently for two weeks you will be amazed at the success of this.  When your dog begins to show signs of ripping something you can immediately stop the behavior and replace it with another behavior.  Timing is most important here, if you wait even a few seconds to stop the behavior you’ve waited too long to correct it, so when he is on leash with you, you’ll be able to stop the behavior immediately.  If for example he is starting to rip something and you call him over to you, then you have now lost your chance because he will believe he is being corrected for coming to you because that was the last thing that happened in his mind. 
4. There are two ways I would replace the behavior:  One, is to distract the dog with something else, either a toy he is allowed to have or a bone to chew on (here you are showing him what is allowed in his mouth) and also, practice some obedience, like sits and downs with your dog when he is experiencing this anxiety.  It will build his tolerance to the circumstance as well as his confidence.  Use treat training, not physical punishment training.  If you are not familiar with this type of training I offer it in my training program and would be happy to work with you throughout the process.  When you use good obedience during a stressful time for a dog it can change the way they see that stressor.  So instead of it being a stressful event for him, you will have re-taught him that he CAN handle it and it will make him feel happier and save your furniture in the process!

I am confident you can improve the behavior with consistency and a mindset that you CAN do it!  I can see you care a lot about him and I believe you will put forth the effort to resolve it so you can have the best life possible with your dog!  You AND your dog will be happier!

I would really love to hear about your success afterwards so please write back and let me know how it goes!  Also, please let me know that you received this email, I will feel better knowing it got to you and not in your junk mail for example!

Take care and the best of luck with this. 

I look forward to hearing back from you!

Julie

“No Chew!” Article for Bay Woof Newspaper, published Feb 2008. http://baywoof.com/2008mar_gooddog.html
By Julie Bjelland Lokhandwala
webDogTrainer.com

In the world of dog behavior, destructive chewing of your furniture, shoes, and other belongings is a big no-no. Though the problem is equally bothersome whether your dog is young or old, the solution is a bit different for puppies than for adult dogs.

Puppies

Chewing is a normal part of growing up, because all dogs explore their environments with their mouths and because pups are teething. Just like human babies, pups have to gnaw and chew on objects to help cut the new teeth through the gums. Until your puppy has learned what he can and cannot chew, simply keep things away from him that you don’t want him to have, and don’t allow him into areas of the home that are not puppy-proofed unless you’re there to supervise.

It is important that you offer your puppy appropriate chew toys to help him through this phase and that you train him to use them. Keep a suitable chew toy near you at all times so that when you catch your puppy mouthing something he shouldn’t have, you can quickly redirect his chewing to the more appropriate item.

You must actually catch your puppy in the act to train him successfully. When you see him chewing on something he is not supposed to have, use a command such as “no chew,” take the item away, and replace it immediately with the toy. Offer lots of praise when your puppy takes the toy.

NEVER yell, hit, or spank your puppy for chewing or for any other reason or he will lose trust in you and is likely to develop more serious behavioral problems.

Prevention, good timing, redirection, and genuine praise are the keys to successfully preventing destructive chewing in your puppy.

Adult Dogs

In adult dogs, destructive chewing has different causes. It is usually the result of boredom, loneliness, separation anxiety, and/or lack of sufficient exercise. Dogs require plenty of time with their humans, including lots of physical exercise and mental stimulation. If you need to leave for work for the day, make sure you’ve exercised your dog well before you leave and do so again after you get home.

Dogs love to be active and busy and are not meant to be at home alone every day. If you simply cannot give your dog the time he needs, try a doggie day care center or hire a dog walker to come by a couple of times each day. How do you know how much exercise is enough? Your dog should come home and lay down to rest because you have worn him out! Practicing obedience training daily is a great way to mentally stimulate your dog.

Also, get your dog involved in activities you can enjoy together, such as hiking, biking, pet therapy work, search and rescue, agility, fly ball, herding, etc. Find out about your specific breed’s natural interests and try something new.

As with puppies, punishing your adult dog for destructive chewing will only add to your problems. If you catch your dog in the act of chewing something inappropriate, simply redirect his behavior onto something he is allowed to chew. Make sure you have appropriate chew bones and toys available at all times and praise your dog when he uses them.

Here are a few general pointers:

• To give your dog something good to chew on while you are away from home, there are specially-made chew toys that can be stuffed with kibble.
• NEVER punish your dog after the fact. If you come home and find something destroyed, there is no effective correction. Yelling or spanking the dog will only confuse him and deteriorate your relationship.
• Remember: Your dog isn’t destroying things to “get back at you” or because he is angry. This isn’t how a dog’s mind works. Dogs want to please us. If you meet your dog’s physical and mental needs and show consistency through appropriate leadership, you can successfully eliminate destructive chewing.
• Whatever his age, spend a lot of time with your dog and provide lots of love and guidance. This is how dogs learn right from wrong.

There are lots of options to improve your dog’s life and the effort will be well worth the reward of having a happy, healthy dog who isn’t destructive.

Julie Bjelland Lokhandwala is a Bay Area Dog Trainer and freelance writer. Her insightful dog-training book is featured on her interactive Dog Training Web site: http://www.webdogtrainer.com/, which allows dog owners to ask Julie questions about their dog through live chat consultations. Julie shares her home with her German Shepherd, Fax.