Destructive Golden Retriever

[Tashnsw]

Hi everyone

I really need some advice. My GR is 1yr old and is really becoming a problem. She is getting in to hubby's greenhouse and destroying his cutting and today she got under the house and broke a house plank in the process. I'm pretty sure she is frustrated as she is by herself and an outside dog. Getting another dog for companionship is not an option and I take her for walks most days. I didn't envision having these problems as I researched before I got her. Any ideas how to stop this behaviour and to keep her entertained? I've tried kongs but she's not interested.

Looking forward to getting some much needed advice.

Thanks

[Toohey]

I'm pretty sure she is frustrated as she is by herself and an outside dog. Getting another dog for companionship is not an option and I take her for walks most days.

Yep , she sounds pretty frustrated. How often does "most days" mean? Is she an outside dog? How much time you spend with her in general?

Does she get to go for car rides, do obedience training, go swimming, play with other dogs... stuff like that?

You'll probably have to securely block access to the things you do not want destroyed until you can work out a way to keep her happier and more satisfied.

[Nekhbet]

by the sounds of it she's bored and lonely. GRs are an active, intelligent breed that cant just be left alone in the backyard all the time. You should take her for two walks a day, get things like Kongs, a sand pit, big marrow bones etc to keep her interested and do obedience with her at least a couple of days a week to keep her mind stimulated.

Any dog will do this if left alone. You cant walk most days, you should walk every day. Why did you get a dog if you only walk it sometimes and never let it indoors?

[Toohey]

Never mind...

Edited January 7, 2007 by Toohey

[Bubitty]

Hi Tashnsw,

I also own a Goldie. One thing that I am certain is that they cannot be an outside dog. We work 8-6 and he is outside when we are away but the moment we are home he is inside straight away. It prevents him from feeling left out and trying to seek attention. When we are not there we have kongs, other treat toys, bones, buried pigs ears, sand pit. We also hide his kong and treat toys around the yard so he needs to work at actually finding them before he can try and get food out of them.

He is also walked for approx 1 hr in the morning and another hr when we get home from work.

On rare occasions when I get home early I always find him asleep in the laundry.

Like Nekhbet says the two walks a day is pretty vital.

You should also do some training with her once a day and also have some "cuddle time" at night.

I havent had too much trouble from mine (probably jinxing myself as I type) but I have never dared to keep him just in the yard. The goldie next door is a yard dog and is a complete nightmare! I honestly think that they cause more trouble outside than inside. We keep ours inside when we go out to dinner at night and we come home to a much cleaner dog than if we leave him in the yard where there is dirt and plants involved.

Please try and see if you can allow your dog some "inside" time.

I find that once he gets too much attention he will actually just find somewhere away from us and go to sleep. Its when they are craving attention that they cause trouble.

[Tashnsw]

Hi

Thanks for that advice. I usually take my girl for a walk once a day (unless hubby is working and I'm at home with the kids). She has a sand shell as her pool and a sandpit to play in. I give her chews and bones and she is always with a toy in her mouth. As for letting her inside, it's just not an option. Too much dog hair and a partner who has never had animals inside. I agree they are alot more settled when they come in. I'm going to try and take her for longer walks and spend more time playing and training her. I think she needs some TLC. I have also arranged a play date with a friend who has large dogs! Any hints on how to train her not to pull on the lead? She actually takes the lead in her mouth and pulls me along!

[Nekhbet]

I think obedience classes are a great idea. Socialisation, mental stimulation plus you can make some great friends along the way. You would be suprised how much more settled dogs are after a training session and they actually look foreward to it!

They dont shed that much. if the kids are old enough make it their job to brush her every day before she comes inside. Grab a crate and train her to sleep in that, and to use the crate as 'her' area. Dogs inside dont have to run riot, thats not the point. I dont allow my two on furniture, in the kitchen or near the dining table, but they have their mat in the living room and then they sleep in my room (spot the single girl) but will have crates so they dont bother my ex in his room at night. Apart from that there is no sign, hair or smell from the dogs. She would be happy just to be near and part of the family.

[spoilt lab lives here]

My advice to you would be, take her to obedience class, you have a very smart girl who sounds bored and as a result is being destructive. Also at 12months old for a goldie is around the same time they become defiant and very testing. Now is the time to show her who is boss with the lead. What you can do to get her to stop pulling is, start walking her normally like you do everyday, the second her shoulders past your knee turn in the other directon. Do that everytime her shoulder passes your knee, you will probably get nowhere for the first week or two but it is definatly worth the work to be able to walk a dog on loose lead. Having a labrador i know hair can be an issue. When Ramses comes inside for a few hours at night i vaccum when he goes outside in the run to bed. He only comes in after all the kids have had baths and are in bed (i am the eldest of 5 the youngest being nearly2). Brushing daily will reduce shedding as well, but defenatly look into obedience school it would do you and the dog the world of good!

[Dogsfevr]

Okay im going to get flamed but your reserach would have told you GR thrive on human compainship & being a gundog breed they work with there masters for long hours.They are a breed that luvs to please there owners,there not recommend for being outside 24/7 to amuse them selves

Unfortunatley the behaviour will not change unless big changes are made in the way the dog interacts with the family,she is only 1 now she has 14 yrs to go & if she continues on this path you need to ask yourself what will be the dogs future in 2-3 yrs??

It isnt her fault she acting this way,she has obviously got to the point where she craves the attention of being told off,amny dogs will act out as they get more human time for the bad behaviour than when there good.

[poodlefan]

No flames from me Showdog. I was wondering what Tashnsw's research into GR's had led her to believe a 12 month old dog kept isolated from its family, underexercised and seemingly with not much training would be like. The odd gundog I've known kept in such circumstances has done a fair bit more damage than this - whole irrigation systems have been removed for a start.

Where did you buy your girl from Tash? - I can't think of too many breeders who have been happy selling a dog into such a home. Most are pretty insistent on a dog being obedience trained and having plenty of time with the whole family.

Take her to obedience classes - she'll soak it up like a sponge..

I'd recommend you buy a crate and set it up inside your home in one place where she can see her family. She can have time inside in her crate. As Nekbet said, an inside dog doesn't have to be let run riot.

Your OH might be a bit keener to have her spend more time with you inside if it will save his Greenhouse.

Edited January 7, 2007 by poodlefan

[mita]

Tashnsw, the point made by showdog is a very relevant. It's all very true what she's said.

A lot of us have had to relook at pets we've had...their needs & what we can provide for them.

I hope it helps you think thro' where the problem is coming from.

Edited January 7, 2007 by mita

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

As for letting her inside, it's just not an option. Too much dog hair and a partner who has never had animals inside.

Too much dog hair? Are you serious? It's a DOG, and a long-haired breed at that...of course it's going to shed!

As for your partner "who has never had animals inside", why not? And why wouldn't you want to start now? It's as good a time as any...would he rather have the dog inside, or lose the remainder of his greenhouse contents?

[goldielover]

Have to agree with others here. Goldens are real 'people' dogs. Personally i would never sell a golden to anyone who keeps them outside 24 hours a day. Not to flame you tashnsw, but this is where researching a breed really is important. Goldens are high energy puppies, they dig, they destroy (as most puppies do), and they shed a lot, all of which your breeder should have informed you about before you purchased a golden.

Sounds like she has plenty of toys. Perhaps try walking her in the morning before you leave for work? Also go to obedience classes if you don't already do so, and so some obedience exercises with her at home... even 5 minutes a day is better than nothing. If she's outside during the day, consider blocking her off in a certain area eg a puppy run... large enough for her to have a good play, and obviously she'll need shelter/shade. As for the pulling on the lead... it takes a lot of patience. There are some old topics about this in the obedience forum that you can check out.

Also worth brushing her daily with a slicker brush, comb and undercoat rake if needed, which will minimise shedding hair inside.

[Miranda]

You are having problems because you have a highly active intelligent breed who is bored and frustrated, the destructive behaviour is simply an outlet for all her excess energy. GR's are gundogs, they were bred to work and run, they are not the sort of dog happy to spend most of their time alone in a backyard with little exercise and limited human interaction, all the toys in the world won't compensate for lack of quality time spent with their owners.

The dog needs training, exercise and something to do. Definitely take her to obedience classes, goldies excel at obedience and if you can train her to recall you will be able to give her some off leash running which IMO is vital for every gundog breed. Half your dog's problem is lack of exercise and training and the other half of her problem is lack of attention, none of these problems are the fault of the dog.

Unless you change the way you are managing this dog you will see no improvements and the unwanted behaviours will escalate, probably to the point where your OH will want to dispose of the dog. I suggest that you and your family all read this topic and then sit down and decide what you want to do, either implement the recommended changes or find a more suitable home for the dog, it's up to you

[Benji's Mum]

Hi,

I hope things are getting better for you and your family.

We bought a pound pup of a working breed last year and had similar problems to you at first but the issues have really died down since we implemented similar recommendations to the above.

Our garden fences are 7 foot tall, and if they are breached we are philosophical and I have heard OH say 'she didn't do that much damage'. Our 2 working breed dogs chew every power cord in sight (explosions within 24 hours of arrival) - we do not leave power tools in the backyard anymore and they are watched like hawks when inside. Just yesterday he told me to 'move Benji's bed closer to the children, he's such a loving dog'.

I suppose what I am trying to say is that prevention is better than cure and to save our sanity I built a large enclosure as well (but only use it when I let the chickens out).

I really hope things work out for you.

[rar]

I think that you have already received many great responses- and yes, they may seem a little harsh perhaps, but it is true- it is essential that dogs receive exercise, and time with the rest of their pack- what happens in winter when you are less inclined to run around the backyard with your girl? The interaction would certainly be limited I imagine.

If you are serious about fixing the problem, IMO, I really do think there will need to be a lifestyle/attitude change for you and your partner- otherwise the issues are not going to go away, and you may have to end up re-homing her. Look at the options that people have suggested- brushing the dog regularly will help with hair, and allowing the dog to have it's own spot in the lounge room will mean that your pup won't be running riot around the house. Training will certainly help to create structure in your pups life, and more exercise and interaction with you will help to minimise the boredom that she may be experiencing when you are at work. As an example, we have a rotti x, and a GSP- the second is a very active dog, and unless he goes out for a walk everyday, and gets time playing inside, he goes bananas. We both work, but find that as long as our dogs get the interaction in the morning and night, and plenty of time inside with the ‘pack’ they are fine- and we check with our neighbours to make sure that they aren’t barking or causing problems.

Training an older dog CAN be done- it really depends on whether you want to put the effort in- but 6 months of hard work now will reward you with another 15 years of a good natured, well balanced family member- Promise.

However, (and yes, this will sound patronising), both you and your OH have to be committed, and be on the same page re: training and time with your girl. If your OH really isn't a dog person, and he doesn't change, he won't participate in your efforts, and therefore this will create less successful training, and, possibly, a strain on your relationship.

[SparkyTansy]

I agree 100% with all the recommendations above. To make this work you have to make your dog part of the family. Gundogs thrive on human company and your research should have told you that. no good reading about a GR being a great family dog if you don't involve it in the family activities. No matter what people say I do not think it is necessary to keep a dog outdoors all hours, otherwise what is the point of having a companion... canines are a pack animal afterall.

I have a young puppy of 7 months who is starting to go through his destructive, defiant stage. It happens a lot of people, but you can minimise the damage by doing much of the above. I think it is great you have given your dog a lot to do to keep her entertained, but mental stimulation in the form of obedience and extra walks would be great for the dog, and yourself. Having your companion indoors with the family for part of the evening would be great too.

[musik]

Hiya Tashnsw,

I know you've had so many replies but just want to add some about the inside v's outside dog thing. When I was growing up our dogs were always outside dogs. Looking back now I could cry at how we didn't make our past dogs more a part of the family, we really wasted them and their beautiful personalities.

We've just got a golden retriever pup, a boy - this is my first inside dog. I thought I would be more paniky about him being in the house, but I really am enjoying it despite the adjustments we've had to make.

If you feed your dog a good brand of dry food their coat will be much easier to manage, and I see the brushing routine as really good bonding time.

It takes a lot of patience to train a dog (as I am finding out myself!!)

I loved the post from someone else who has their dog outside while at work and then inside and fussed over when they get home.

Walking too is not only great for the dog, but your health too

I really hope you can talk your partner around on allowing her more time inside the house with the family, it'll be so worth it in the end and then she won't end up having to go to the pound because she's become too out of control...

Best of luck with it!!

[kamuzz]

When I was growing up we always had outside dogs.

Now I let my dogs into the kitchen area, which is tiled. We use baby gates to stop them accessing the carpeted areas of the house. This worked well for us - the dogs can still come in and be part of the family, but there isn't hair from one end of the house to the other.

We have a Springer x Golden and a GSD, so we know all about hair.

What make of vacuum cleaner do you own? Be careful, or the DOLers will be converting you to a Dyson

[musik]

ooo yes!! for sure you will need a dyson for a hairy dog. I love my dyson worth every penny we spent on it!!!