Suggestions For Living With A Destructive Bull Breed Pup

[ruthless]

Yeah, it's Petey. I know, it's hard to believe. Photos can be very deceptive!

His list to date includes:

chewed on deck

chewed on wooden outdoor furniture

destroyed kennel mat and crate mat

chewed holes in office bed, living room bed and crate bed

chewed edge off plush blanket on sofa

stole and destroyed too many socks to mention [all my husbands, unfortunately he still hasn't learned not to leave them lying around!]

ripped up astro turf "toilet" in the dog run

chewed edges of plastic kennel

chewed through printer cable and fan cable under office desk

caught just in time with a slipper, a runner and a flip-flop

We were given a cone when his leg was bandaged and I thought we wouldn't need it, but when I discovered that having a fresh bandage applied because he'd eaten the other one costs $20 he started wearing the cone in his crate at night. He doesn't have a bandage on his leg anymore but he still has to wear the cone to stop him from ripping up the bed. The thought of muzzling him outside of meal times has crossed my mind

Our previous foster was bad too but at her new home where she gets plenty of training and one-on-one attention so she's not quite as bad. She has her destructive moments, but nothing like as bad as she was here. I'm hoping Petey will be the same.

[Chezy]

i had a dog like that , she was atrocious ,bottles work well they try to get the treats out , whch takes some time , bottles are a very cheap , long lasting attention diverter . make sure the lid and ring are removed ,

I know someone that started a dog digging after tossing treats all over the yard , but thats only 1 doh I know of

Edited November 21, 2011 by Chezy & Chopper

[ruthless]

And I should say, Petey doesn't get free reign. Those things all happened when we weren't paying the usual amount of attention to his whereabouts. I dread to think how long the list would be if we didn't have dog runs, crates, baby gates, etc.

[Polgara's Shadow]

Hi there,

We got our young SBT an oversized chicken flavoured nylabone to chew while he's inside on his mat this is the least messy inside chew toy I've come across. Note: I never let him have it unsupervised and always check its integrity.

Definitly recommend freeshaping with a clicker I got this book to help us and loved it...When Pigs Fly!: Training Success with Impossible Dogs by Jane Killion

Starting the foundations for loose leash walking is a good idea. You don't need to go very far or fast while the leg is still healing.

Once the leg is healed..I'd recomend a staffy ball from aussie dog toys.