Seven Months Old And Still Destroying Everything!

[IncrediJack]

Sorry about this multiple posting. Is there anyway to delete it?

Edited June 6, 2008 by IncrediJack

[Kavik]

7 months is still prime destructo stage - teenagers I had the most difficulty with Kaos regarding behaviour around 9 months. Now at 2 he is more settled (well, he is still a Kelpie nutter ;) ) and I have control and focus now to concentrate on our agility training. So with work, persistence and patience they do improve!

Move anything you don't want him to get out of reach and supervise!

[BJean]

All the trees in the backyard, countless numbers of matchbox cars, toys, balls, books, three bikes, a trampoline, a swing, a barbecue cover, wagon, scooter, two chairs, shoes, THE HOT WATER HEATER, a pigeon, and his own crate. The BBQ cover and the wires on the hot water heater, I sprinkled with chili powder. This did not deter him. Most of this destruction happens in the backyard, where I put him for an hour each morning, while I get the kids ready for school (or for a few minutes while I'm hanging laundry). If I'm going to be gone for a few hours, I lock him in the laundry room with his crate. And he always settles down. Last week, I put the crate outside for him when it was raining, and he dragged it into the middle of the yard and started chewing it! The kids have no bikes left! He takes any opportunity to destroy them, waits until you turn your back for a second and then goes for it. I have to keep him on a lead when the family is outside playing together.

I walk him. I train him. He's been to puppy preschool, obedience one. I buy him bones and Kongs, which he digs massive craters to bury!

He is constantly in trouble and is costing us a fortune! Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

incredijack, you have a jack russell terrier? no you have a golden retriever?

where do you live - suburban, rural -

if the dog is always 'on'

maybe you need to take the dog back to the breeder and get a dog more suited to your family's energy levels?

with young children and super puppy, you must be exhausted

Edited June 6, 2008 by lilli

[IncrediJack]

7 months is still prime destructo stage - teenagers I had the most difficulty with Kaos regarding behaviour around 9 months. Now at 2 he is more settled (well, he is still a Kelpie nutter ) and I have control and focus now to concentrate on our agility training. So with work, persistence and patience they do improve!

Move anything you don't want him to get out of reach and supervise!

Kaos! What a cool name! We call ours Wacky Jack, and he definitely lives up to the name.

[IncrediJack]

All the trees in the backyard, countless numbers of matchbox cars, toys, balls, books, three bikes, a trampoline, a swing, a barbecue cover, wagon, scooter, two chairs, shoes, THE HOT WATER HEATER, a pigeon, and his own crate. The BBQ cover and the wires on the hot water heater, I sprinkled with chili powder. This did not deter him. Most of this destruction happens in the backyard, where I put him for an hour each morning, while I get the kids ready for school (or for a few minutes while I'm hanging laundry). If I'm going to be gone for a few hours, I lock him in the laundry room with his crate. And he always settles down. Last week, I put the crate outside for him when it was raining, and he dragged it into the middle of the yard and started chewing it! The kids have no bikes left! He takes any opportunity to destroy them, waits until you turn your back for a second and then goes for it. I have to keep him on a lead when the family is outside playing together.

I walk him. I train him. He's been to puppy preschool, obedience one. I buy him bones and Kongs, which he digs massive craters to bury!

He is constantly in trouble and is costing us a fortune! Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

incredijack, you have a jack russell terrier?

where do you live - suburban, rural -

if the dog is always 'on'

maybe you need to take the dog back to the breeder and get a dog more suited to your family's energy levels?

with young children and super puppy, you must be exhausted

He's a Golden Retriever. I thought they were supposed to be mellow?! We live semi-rurally on a house block (not acreage) but can walk to the beack and the creek. He has a good life, and he better learn some self control!

[BJean]

He's a Golden Retriever. I thought they were supposed to be mellow?! We live semi-rurally on a house block (not acreage) but can walk to the beack and the creek. He has a good life, and he better learn some self control!

yep read previous posts and realised you had a GR

GRs can be very very active dogs -

self-control is hard when the dog has a lot of energy it needs to expend.

did you pick the puppy yourself, or did the breeder choose him for you?

an active GR will probably never really be 'mellow'.

Edited June 6, 2008 by lilli

[Monah]

I have an 18 month old who would still do exactly what you are saying if she could! Out of sight = IN TROUBLE. You just have to supervise or he is shut away somewhere safe. Sorry! Think of it as how you would watch a toddler and how they can get into trouble. Hopefully it will improve. Just remove anything (well, not the garden!) that can be destroyed, we've 'lost' 2 whole new lawns (turf) and are on our third, and this is with supervision all the time! She is very fast at ripping up chunks of lawn. We had to do it bit by bit this time and fence off!!! Good luck, patience and perseverance and lots of ARRRRGGGHHHHHHs!!!! as soon as he touches something he shouldn't!!!

PS. please don't lose your cool or smack etc. He's pretty normal! There is a photo thread on here somewhere with pictures of our dogs doing the most awful and destructive things, very funny You do need a good sense of humour with a pup!

[Monah]

Hi again, have a look at Busted!!! in Photos photos photos, on DOL. Might make you feel better and less alone, and hopefully give you a laugh. Maybe you could also post some pics of your monster??

[IncrediJack]

Hi again, have a look at Busted!!! in Photos photos photos, on DOL. Might make you feel better and less alone, and hopefully give you a laugh. Maybe you could also post some pics of your monster??

OMG, that couch!

[poodlefan]

He's a Golden Retriever. I thought they were supposed to be mellow?! We live semi-rurally on a house block (not acreage) but can walk to the beack and the creek. He has a good life, and he better learn some self control!

I've said it before and been flamed for it.. adolescent gundogs can be incredibly destructive.. if bored and under stimulated. Who told you GRs were mellow? They might be when fully mature but he's not the first demon child GR I've heard of. Where did you get him from? They can be demons but they shouldn't be constantly hyper.

Do you still train him formally eg. at a dog training club? You may think you're giving him enough stimulation. He appears to be telling you otherwise. Obedience training at this stage is as much, if not more important than as a baby puppy IMO.

Sounds like you need better boredom busters. I think you should also consider building a safe secure run. Ultimately, if you are unable to meet his needs and he to fit into your family, you may wish to discuss it with his breeder(?) but you're now at the stage with him that I consider the most trying in puppy raising.

In the interim, if you don't want him ruining stuff, you have to keep him from accessing it.

Edited June 6, 2008 by poodlefan

[GoldD]

He's a Golden Retriever. I thought they were supposed to be mellow?! We live semi-rurally on a house block (not acreage) but can walk to the beack and the creek. He has a good life, and he better learn some self control!

Welcome to our world - Diesel is 9 months old exactly and is back is search and destroy mode.

It's just a stage I figure.

Go to the local op shop and buy hundreds of cheap stuffed toys which of course he will destroy. And you will pick up tons and tons of stuffing - that stuff can spread more than a wildfire!! LOL

If you are anything like me, we have kongs, treat balls, he is walked at the beach and river & park, trained, has another dog for company and still he destroys.

We come home nightly to stuffing, leaves, roots, twiggs, everything imaginable on our back deck....all part of owning the best breed IMO

[First Time Puppy Owner]

Benson is almost 16 mths and loves killing soft toys (from the Lifeline shop), pillows and Beds - I will post a photo tomorrow as I am sure he will have destroyed something over night It's just GR's

[JulesP]

I reckon they are worse at this age!!! As other people have said just remove anything that you don't want destroyed.

Here is what I came home to the other day. Courtesy of my 7 month border collie! The 2 older dogs in the pic are looking horrified! Some one called it 'slash & destroy' which I thought was spot on!! Same day she chewed the door frame in the kitchen!

[Monah]

I reckon they are worse at this age!!! As other people have said just remove anything that you don't want destroyed.

Here is what I came home to the other day. Courtesy of my 7 month border collie! The 2 older dogs in the pic are looking horrified! Some one called it 'slash & destroy' which I thought was spot on!! Same day she chewed the door frame in the kitchen!

The one looking at the camera is definately saying " See what we have to put up with when you're not here!!!!! DO something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[charli73]

I feel your pain. Our GSD just turned 1 and she went through a bad destructive phase also. She has destroyed hundreds of dollars in new trees, our new BBQ, the cover for the bbq, outdoor setting, hose, underground irrigation, list goes on.. it gets a bit better, try a deterrent spray. perhaps?.

[IncrediJack]

He's a Golden Retriever. I thought they were supposed to be mellow?! We live semi-rurally on a house block (not acreage) but can walk to the beack and the creek. He has a good life, and he better learn some self control!

I've said it before and been flamed for it.. adolescent gundogs can be incredibly destructive.. if bored and under stimulated. Who told you GRs were mellow? They might be when fully mature but he's not the first demon child GR I've heard of. Where did you get him from? They can be demons but they shouldn't be constantly hyper.

Do you still train him formally eg. at a dog training club? You may think you're giving him enough stimulation. He appears to be telling you otherwise. Obedience training at this stage is as much, if not more important than as a baby puppy IMO.

Sounds like you need better boredom busters. I think you should also consider building a safe secure run. Ultimately, if you are unable to meet his needs and he to fit into your family, you may wish to discuss it with his breeder(?) but you're now at the stage with him that I consider the most trying in puppy raising.

In the interim, if you don't want him ruining stuff, you have to keep him from accessing it.

Jack is our second Golden. Our last one was very mellow and had a great temperment, always tried to please. I got Jack from a reputable breeder. He's a pedigree from a champion bloodline. I do still train him formally. We are just in between classes at the moment.

[indigirl]

He's a Golden Retriever. I thought they were supposed to be mellow?! We live semi-rurally on a house block (not acreage) but can walk to the beack and the creek. He has a good life, and he better learn some self control!

I've said it before and been flamed for it.. adolescent gundogs can be incredibly destructive.. if bored and under stimulated. Who told you GRs were mellow? They might be when fully mature but he's not the first demon child GR I've heard of. Where did you get him from? They can be demons but they shouldn't be constantly hyper.

Do you still train him formally eg. at a dog training club? You may think you're giving him enough stimulation. He appears to be telling you otherwise. Obedience training at this stage is as much, if not more important than as a baby puppy IMO.

Sounds like you need better boredom busters. I think you should also consider building a safe secure run. Ultimately, if you are unable to meet his needs and he to fit into your family, you may wish to discuss it with his breeder(?) but you're now at the stage with him that I consider the most trying in puppy raising.

In the interim, if you don't want him ruining stuff, you have to keep him from accessing it.

Jack is our second Golden. Our last one was very mellow and had a great temperment, always tried to please. I got Jack from a reputable breeder. He's a pedigree from a champion bloodline. I do still train him formally. We are just in between classes at the moment.

I feel your pain! I have a 2.5yr old GR bitch called Karma and she's a world class digger! I sectioned off part of the yard, built fences, laid crusherdust and had it compacted down. Two days later she had dug thru the crusherdust and was tunneling underground like some possessed beast. So ordered in road base.. compacted that down.. less than a week later.. she had dug thru this and dug up a water pipe! Thanks for that Karma!!! After almost 24 hrs of No water, plumber has been and fixed said Pipe. So this time i go out and buy rolls of dog wire.. i lay this in dog yard, then cover this with 3 inches of compacted road base. she STILL gets thru the wire! The dog yard looks like a nuclear bomb site! She has dug up (and out) the computerised watering system i had installed shortly before she arrived I think 3 times now. Lawn man loves me Im one of his best cunstomers! Most people only have a watering system installed once!

I have actually found her BELOW ground level several times she has dug so deep! I live in fear the ground above will cave in and smother her! At least i now know EXACTLY where my sewerage pipes are! yep she dug them up as well.. it was beyond gross.. the muck was overflowing.. and she was thrilled with her achievement "look what I did today mum!!". I would have the dog yard concreted but its hotter than the fires of hell here in summer and the dogs would blister their feet (I live in Broken Hill), also I don't think concreting over sewerage and water pipes is the best idea. She is walked, played with, has a wading pool and a yardful of toys, is never without the company of other dogs etc.. she jsut loves to dig.

Apart from her digging obsession she is no longer destructive. She is just very intelligent and very determined to dig! But I live in hope that one day in the distant future she will outgrow her digging fetish!

[IncrediJack]

If you are anything like me, we have kongs, treat balls, he is walked at the beach and river & park, trained, has another dog for company and still he destroys.

Yes, I hate thinking of Jack as an accurate depiction of my dog-parenting style. Truly, it's not me. It's him.

[IncrediJack]

He's a Golden Retriever. I thought they were supposed to be mellow?! We live semi-rurally on a house block (not acreage) but can walk to the beack and the creek. He has a good life, and he better learn some self control!

I've said it before and been flamed for it.. adolescent gundogs can be incredibly destructive.. if bored and under stimulated. Who told you GRs were mellow? They might be when fully mature but he's not the first demon child GR I've heard of. Where did you get him from? They can be demons but they shouldn't be constantly hyper.

Do you still train him formally eg. at a dog training club? You may think you're giving him enough stimulation. He appears to be telling you otherwise. Obedience training at this stage is as much, if not more important than as a baby puppy IMO.

Sounds like you need better boredom busters. I think you should also consider building a safe secure run. Ultimately, if you are unable to meet his needs and he to fit into your family, you may wish to discuss it with his breeder(?) but you're now at the stage with him that I consider the most trying in puppy raising.

In the interim, if you don't want him ruining stuff, you have to keep him from accessing it.

Jack is our second Golden. Our last one was very mellow and had a great temperment, always tried to please. I got Jack from a reputable breeder. He's a pedigree from a champion bloodline. I do still train him formally. We are just in between classes at the moment.

I feel your pain! I have a 2.5yr old GR bitch called Karma and she's a world class digger! I sectioned off part of the yard, built fences, laid crusherdust and had it compacted down. Two days later she had dug thru the crusherdust and was tunneling underground like some possessed beast. So ordered in road base.. compacted that down.. less than a week later.. she had dug thru this and dug up a water pipe! Thanks for that Karma!!! After almost 24 hrs of No water, plumber has been and fixed said Pipe. So this time i go out and buy rolls of dog wire.. i lay this in dog yard, then cover this with 3 inches of compacted road base. she STILL gets thru the wire! The dog yard looks like a nuclear bomb site! She has dug up (and out) the computerised watering system i had installed shortly before she arrived I think 3 times now. Lawn man loves me Im one of his best cunstomers! Most people only have a watering system installed once!

I have actually found her BELOW ground level several times she has dug so deep! I live in fear the ground above will cave in and smother her! At least i now know EXACTLY where my sewerage pipes are! yep she dug them up as well.. it was beyond gross.. the muck was overflowing.. and she was thrilled with her achievement "look what I did today mum!!". I would have the dog yard concreted but its hotter than the fires of hell here in summer and the dogs would blister their feet (I live in Broken Hill), also I don't think concreting over sewerage and water pipes is the best idea. She is walked, played with, has a wading pool and a yardful of toys, is never without the company of other dogs etc.. she jsut loves to dig.

Apart from her digging obsession she is no longer destructive. She is just very intelligent and very determined to dig! But I live in hope that one day in the distant future she will outgrow her digging fetish!

Oh Karma!

[IncrediJack]

Benson is almost 16 mths and loves killing soft toys (from the Lifeline shop), pillows and Beds - I will post a photo tomorrow as I am sure he will have destroyed something over night It's just GR's

At least they're good looking.