BIG TIME PROBLEMS

[ilovebabe]

i need some advice about my 1 yr old female english mastiff.. my fiance and i have recently started letting our two dogs run free during the day while we are at work instead of staying in kennels all day ,our lab mix is also a year old and she is fine being free. our mastiff on the other hand is AWFUL she chews everything ruins anything she sees! but she also chewed up things in her kennel or anything she could pull threw the kennel to chew so the destructive behavior has been going on non stop . we have tried so many different things to try and help her and we are to the point know were we just don't know what to do anymore..... does anyone have any suggestions as to how to fix this problem ?

thanks a bunch
marissa

[doggylover]

Being out unattended is a HUGE privaledge in our home, it is only to be enjoyed by furbabies who have proven over a long period of time that they will not do shenanagins if left alone.  Badger was crated for the first two years, every single time we left the room at first, and then, only when we left the house.  Now we can leave him for 10 hours in the house and he won't do a single thing wrong...
I would personally go back to crating when you aren't there.  Only put stuff in the crate that is safe, I would maybe try filling a Kong with PB or some other yummy.  If you have to, put the crate somewhere where the dog can't pull anything through the bars. 
I think its partly a separation anxiety thing, so I would downplay your entrances and exits.  Like don't gush with excitement when you first get home, and try not to make an issue out of leaving. 
Good luck!
 

[doggylover]

We had to crate Gweck till just recently (like 3 weeks ago) and he is 21months.  I think some pups just have that bored destructive thing in them a little longer than others.  I have some ideas of things you can give here's one that sounds interesting,

http://www.dog.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=311002A+MD&Cat=

that timed kong releaser sounds cool! I know it's pricey BUT if it saves stuff in your home it could be worth it in the end.  You can put peanut butter or yogurt and treats in them and freeze them overnight and then in the morning put them in there. 

Good luck!!!!!

Julie

Wow Julie, how cool is that!  I wonder if big paws ever eat the dispenser?  If they don't, I can see that being WELL worth the money!

[MafiaPrincess]

Some dogs will never been fine being free, or may take years to work up to it.  If the dog is destroying stuff, it isn't ready for the giant privilege of freedom and needs to be crated.  Loosing personal stuff sucks, but if it's a live electrical cord or having eaten something that causes an obstruction you'd feel horrible since it is preventable.

[Magnus]

I agree.  Some dogs do really well in a short period of time.  I have heard than OEMs like AMs dont always do well with long periods of time away from their pack and will chew when bored or upset. 

[Boyle]

I agree that she should still be crated.  Or, you may want to think about restricting which rooms she can access.

Nola, who is now 16 months, has always been crated when we are out of the house.  Just recently - like starting this past Monday - we have been giving him access to the kitchen, hallway and bathroom but only for a few hours at a time.  My thought is there is very little that he can destroy in those rooms.  He may have run of the house one day but not until he has proven he's not destructive when out.

Good luck.

[navarre1316]

I agree with everyone above, she should still be crated, and definitely down play your exits and entrances.  As to the kong destruction... the red kongs which are the most durable to buy in a pet store, can be destroyed by a BP.  I bought a neoprene (?) blue one from my vet that is more durable than the red and my GSD did well with that one, it was his favorite toy even without treats in it.

[Newf Lover]

Buy LOTS OF CHEW TOYS!!!  This is also a young dog and will grow out of it at some point.  Just weather the storm if you can and just don't leave out anything you can't afford to lose.  Drake chewed up a few of our remotes and a door frame or two when he was a pup, BAD BOY!!!  We were so mad at him, but he outgrew that behaviour and now never chews anything but bones or his toys.  I bet the same will happen with Babe.

[MafiaPrincess]

Red kongs are normal strength.  Black ones are the extra durable.  Blue vet kongs are actually red kong strength.  The only plus to the blue kong is that the pieces are xrayable to be able to spot a blockage if eaten.. But they are less durable than a black kong..

[Saint and Mal mom]

I have two 1 year old big dogs, both who are very destructive when left home alone! So when we are gone, they stay in their pen, which is roomy and they are together so they have each other to play with plus some toys. I wish I could tell you an exact age when you can trust them, but my 2 for awhile would be fine home by themselves and then all of the sudden ruin something major! So now we just assume they will chew and kennel them when we are gone all day. Sorry I'm not being of much help! It's a battle, I'll tell you. But don't give up. Yours is still a puppy like mine and she will settle down someday. For now, I would leave her in the kennel like you did while you are gone and let her out when you can supervise her. Oh yeah, my name is Marissa too!

[Imani's Mom]

It does sound like separation anxiety- mastiffs NEED to be with their people so much, having you gone for long periods of time is very stressful. There are ways to fix it,   but it takes time and patience, and if you punish bad behavior when you get home, it will only compound the problem.  I went through a bad case of this with my first mastiff, so if you need help or ideas on how to help, PM or email me and I will give you a bunch of links to pages that helped me alot.

[seaherons]

If you have a chance would you mind posting the links regarding separation anxiety.  I have read a lot regarding this issue however I am always interested to learn more.  Our eighteen month old Pyr, Cirra has separtion anxiety which begin last Spring when I returned to by seasonal job.  It is a long story however we were advised to not leave her alone...well how does one do that and work???  It seemed impossible however hindsight tells me that would have been the best approach.  After about a month of trying what seemed like absolutely everything we ended up hiring a college student to stay with her.  Although she crates fine in the car and at night she would not crate or stay confined to the kitchen without trying to kill herself when home alone.  Prior to my returning to work she would crate while I would go grocery shopping and run short errands.  I am not working this season.  Currently, it seems that she is ready to start the slow process of learning to stay by herself.  There has been enough time since last summer and she is older which will hopefully be helpful.  Separation anxiety is a tough and complicated issue.  Any one else have any comments?

[longshadowfarms]

Here's a link to a site with TONS of articles, including articles on separation anxiety.  I have not read all the articles but the ones I have read have been excellent.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

[Imani's Mom]

Here ya go- hope it helps!

http://www.vetinfo.com/dsepanx.html

http://www.ddfl.org/tips.htm

http://www.canines.com/library/sepanxiety.shtml

http://home.gci.net/~divs/behavior/bemod_relax.html

http://www.naiaonline.org/body/articles/archives/resc95gc.htm

http://dogs.about.com/cs/behaviorissues/p/sep_anxiety.htm

http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/sep-anxiety.pdf

http://petcaretips.net/dog-home-alone.html

http://www.dogproblems.com/separationanxiety.htm

http://www.petplace.com/dog-behavior-library.aspx#

[ilovebabe]

thanks you everyone for the feedback.. i put her in her kennel and she FLIPPED out ! she cut open her leg somehow and broke the latch of the kennel door.. i am so worried about the issues she is having..we are the third family to have her and i just dont know how to help her out we have two dogs her and a mix and we are getting ready to move into to bigger house with more space land and we will be getting another mastiff probally a male but i worry about doing all those things with the anxiety she is having and i spend more than 75% of the day with her so i just don't understand were all the bad behavior is coming from... our other dog has none of these problems... will it be hard on her to move and us to add another addition to the family also...