I Truly Need Advice About My Dog

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 2:18 pm

Odie is a year old standard poodle. He's very loving, housebroken, understands no, doesn't run off, and comes when called.

BUT...

He ruined my old loveseat months ago. He pulls the cushions off, and chews/eats the stuffing, and foam rubber insides. NO amount of positive training has worked. No amount of harsh punishment has worked. I only whip him when I catch him at it.

He also steals, and eats napkins, paper towels, and other targets of opportunity.
I'm not sure I can tolerate this anymore, but I hate to send him down the road.
Any ideas??

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:30 pm

Not sure if this might help. You said he knows "no", but it seems he does not know no.

Did you teach "leave-it"?

Can you put a treat on the floor and tell him, "Odie, leave-it", and he leaves it until you release with something like "OK, take-it".

Then for something like "no-no", plus a tap across the top of the snout will reinforce that you're serious (this time).
It's just a tap, it's a very sensitive area.

And finally, for when he is caught in the act, the stern message is to grab under the throat and physically shake his head side to side while saying "leave-it", or whatever is needed. This tells the dog that you are the pack leader, and pleasing you is the best course of action he can take.

Been through some of this with Chico. He was into paper towels and toilet paper and dryer softener sheets, and I used my advice on Chico and now he is much better at knowing what we don't want.

Odie is still very young and sometimes he just wants to wrestle. And it takes several years for the bonding process to mature.

Every day is training day . . .

I hope someone who knows a lot more about it than I do will help out here . . .

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 3:46 pm

Grizz wrote:Not sure if this might help. You said he knows "no", but it seems he does not know no.

Did you teach "leave-it"?

Can you put a treat on the floor and tell him, "Odie, leave-it", and he leaves it until you release with something like "OK, take-it".

Then for something like "no-no", plus a tap across the top of the snout will reinforce that you're serious (this time).
It's just a tap, it's a very sensitive area.

And finally, for when he is caught in the act, the stern message is to grab under the throat and physically shake his head side to side while saying "leave-it", or whatever is needed. This tells the dog that you are the pack leader, and pleasing you is the best course of action he can take.

Been through some of this with Chico. He was into paper towels and toilet paper and dryer softener sheets, and I used my advice on Chico and now he is much better at knowing what we don't want.

Odie is still very young and sometimes he just wants to wrestle. And it takes several years for the bonding process to mature.

Every day is training day . . .

I hope someone who knows a lot more about it than I do will help out here . . .

When I catch him, I'll grab his collar and shake the stuff out of him while applying a strop to his backside. He does "wait" pretty good.

For now, I have the coffee table on the loveseat. If it's just his attachment to this particular loveseat (he does NOT mess with my (his) recliner, I'd to down and get a hotel-sturdy, metal frame love seat with that nearly indestructible covering on it. This particular loveseat is about 30 years old.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 4:18 pm

There's a little detail . . .

Grabbing his jowels around his throat is dog-talk. it's how his momma disciplined him.

the collar and belt, not so much. he's a pup. he's testing you to see if he can really trust you.

that's my read anyhow, and I don't know nuthin' !

crs · Post by **crs** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 4:53 pm

Some years ago, a friend of mine went to work and left four half grown Weimaraner pups loose in his house.
He returned to a disaster with several pieces of furniture destroyed and poop scattered about. He calmly put them out and then shot them all. After that, no more pets in the house.

When I was growing up, Dad never allowed a cat or dog in our house. We had a fenced yard and they slept under the house. If one came in, one of we three brothers received a good strapping with his belt and never broke that rule again. Of course life was not PC back then we were better off for it.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:06 pm

crs wrote:Some years ago, a friend of mine went to work and left four half grown Weimaraner pups loose in his house.
He returned to a disaster with several pieces of furniture destroyed and poop scattered about. He calmly put them out and then shot them all. After that, no more pets in the house.

When I was growing up, Dad never allowed a cat or dog in our house. We had a fenced yard and they slept under the house. If one came in, one of we three brothers received a good strapping with his belt and never broke that rule again. Of course life was not PC back then we were better off for it.

I appreciate your input, but none of those options are being presently considered.

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:48 pm

Whatever you don't want your dog to touch or mess with.....
take him over to it....do the no thing in a stern voice while you have him pinned to the floor with
you hand around his upper neck and squeeze very, very gently with your thumb....
when his eyes start to get big....
he will submit and hopefully get your point.....
repeat it if he's a little stubborn...

This is pretty much how wolves get their point across...

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:04 pm

Get a kennel

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:06 pm

Two books. Both by the Monks of New Skete.

You have to think and act like an alpha dog.

The neck shake is good. Pop under chin and roll him over and climb on top work too.
No second chances for him. He won't harbor any ill will from these actions.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:38 pm

None of these compulsion methods are going to work. Poodle is tied for smartest dog. Standard poodle is a high energy working dog, used for both police and protection. A 1 year old standard poodle is like having a hyperactive genius 10 year old boy. Leave them alone for hours unsupervised and only one thing will happen, they are going to get in trouble and its your fault. Get a large wire kennel, feed him and give him treats in it while goving a command like "kennel up". When you leave tell him "kennel up" and close the door. When you return give him treats and play with him. Soon he will just go there on his own just to hang out.

jdad · Post by **jdad** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 7:12 pm

He's not getting enough exercise. He's bored.'

The two of you need to go on looooong walks.

FWiedner · Post by **FWiedner** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 8:25 pm

Kennel him when you leave the area.

Get him a lot more exercise.

He's a smart dog and bored sh*tless.

Hawkeye2 · Post by **Hawkeye2** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 11:46 pm

As most everyone has said you have a young strong energetic dog and to top everything off he is extremely intelligent. Attempting to dominate a dog by physical means isn't the best method though it works for some. One thing you never want to try is to force the dog on his back and then hold him down, you will come out the looser for that. Sore shoulder probably has the best suggestion, a wire kennel. Google crate training and take a serious look at that. I'm hardly an expert but we have had 4 dogs that we have taken through Obedience, Rally and Agility training with a little Tracking thrown in and all 4 have gotten their Canine Good Citizen award and have become working therapy dogs. This is not a quick solution which is what you want now but I suggest that you enroll in an Obedience class and I don't mean one of those Saturday morning classes at the big box pet supply store either. I'm talking a 6 week course followed by at least one more. You'll actually find that the classes are more about training you to deal with the dog than the other way around. I've lost track of how many classes my wife and I have gone through in the areas above but you may find it very enjoyable to be able to work with you dog after you have gotten him past the frustrating chew up everything in sight stage. They are wonderful creatures that deserve all the love, care and respect that we can give them and they will return that 100 times over and even give their lives for you. The world would be a far better place to live if it were run by dogs.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 12:06 am

Except for the classes, I've done all of the above. He's in a crate all night, he gets positive, and negative corrections, I play with him all the time, and when it's dry I take him out and let him run full bore in circles until he's too tired to do it any more....All that stuff^^^^^

rossim92 · Post by **rossim92** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 2:35 am

my soninlaw has a half chocolate lab and half austrilian sheepdog. very hyper but very smart. The whole family has taught her a lot of cool tricks. She stays penned during the working day and my wife takes her out at lunch time for potty break. If she is left out she will chew things up, hopefully she can be trained enough to roam later on in the house. She is only eight months old. He use a shock coller on her to try to break her of jumping up on people and other things. That being said, she really is a sweetheart though. You had to watch out when she was a pup, she would get between your feet and stay there to play.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 7:14 am

One thing i use on pups who start chewing things they shouldn't is when i catch them, I use a distraction such as soda can with pennies in it thrown near them (or just make a sharp noise, not the word "no"), then offer the alternative such as a tasty bone etc and positive reinforcement. Distract and reward has far better and longer lasting benefits than yelling and punishing, and works faster in most cases. Odie stealing stuff is making me chuckle.

Be careful using the dogs name before telling him no, and using no too much. I've gotten to the point I rarely use that word at all to train a pup.

gcs · Post by **gcs** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 10:16 am

Like was said, he's smart and he's bored, and tough enough to take the punishment. The only thing worse for brain power are Border Collies, and we used to rescue them, some were real nut cases.These dogs NEED something to do, work is best, you CAN'T wear them out with walks or playing frisbee, they CAN think and reason to some extent, and will figure you out quick.
Some are worse/smarter then others of the same breed and unfortunately you got one of those.
All day cooped up is a recipe for disaster, If you keep him, you have to be the alpha, constantly, no regressing, keep him with you if you can and give him "work",otherwise you have to kennel him, which is like a prison sentence for these types, behavior may suffer. I'd take him in a heart beat, but I have stuff to keep them occupied
We've had dogs that were smarter then a LOT of people, and I can no longer tolerate a dumb dog, but you have to understand them, and they're not for everyone. There's no shame in moving him on if he doesn't fit your lifestyle.

mikld · Post by **mikld** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 10:39 am

Not an expert, growing up we only had junk yard dogs, but I do occasionally watch The Dog Whisperer (

). As others have noted boredom and "separation anxiety" probably play a major part in his behavior. Can you make him a "take along pal"? Can he accompany you more, or is he a totally stay at home dog?

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 10:44 am

mikld wrote:Not an expert, growing up we only had junk yard doge, but I do occasionally watch The Dog Whisperer ( ). As others have noted boredom and "separation anxiety" probably play a major part in his behavior. Can you make him a "take along pal"? Can he accompany you more, or is he a totally stay at home dog?

I'm retired, and he gets rides fairly often. Have to be careful here in LaLa Land. So many peeps go Bat Guano if they see a dog locked in a truck.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:31 am

BlaineG wrote:
mikld wrote:Not an expert, growing up we only had junk yard doge, but I do occasionally watch The Dog Whisperer ( ). As others have noted boredom and "separation anxiety" probably play a major part in his behavior. Can you make him a "take along pal"? Can he accompany you more, or is he a totally stay at home dog?
I'm retired, and he gets rides fairly often. Have to be careful here in LaLa Land. So many peeps go Bat Guano if they see a dog locked in a truck.

\

I'm in the same boat. I love taking my dog(s) along, but over about 65 deg it gets iffy about how hot it can get in the vehicle if left for long. Ive seen where people have devised ways of adapting a small window air conditioner to their vehicles, for camping or whatever. On vans or a suburban, they've either removed one of the rear door windows and mounted the AC unit in the hole, or cut a hole in the lower part of the door, then used a very small generator on a hitch type cargo carrier. One guy had solar panels on top that produced enough power. The ac/generator idea was my plan, but I'm not driving a suburban any longer. Thinking of a way to duct the air into the inside of the vehicle without doing any permanent mods to the vehicle. May run a duct similar to or adapted from an air intake snorkel to one of the small triangle windows in the second door of the 4runner, with the ac unit and generator on the rear cargo carrier. Will have to build a small cage around it to keep it secure and maybe out of sight. The little Honda gens are very quiet and probably wont attract much attention. I used to travel only in winter, the dogs werent an issue. I now have to travel in the summer some, its an issue to even stop and go in a fast food joint and eat. I do the drive through window or carry out and eat in the vehicle with the dog.

Have considered placing one of the large face outdoor thermometers in the vehicle, along with my cell number in case anybody decides they have to rescue my dog when it isn't necessary. One of the thermometers that register highs and lows and keeps track of that may be good also. I had a discussion with a police officer in a small town in the mountains about my dogs in the vehicle. They weren't overheated, but somebody had called it in and he had a probe that he stuck in the partially opened window to check. The laws have changed in many places. It isn't legal in some places just to leave the vehicle run with the AC on, as Ive done before if not going to be in a store more than a few minutes. I had an extra electric fan installed in front of the radiator to help with cooling when parked.

You can get a temperature guard widget that will call your cell if the temp gets too high, such as if the gen or AC quit for any reason.

A few people have had the idea of a cooler with ice and a fan running through it. In actual tests, it doesn't work very well. AC is the only thing I'm considering at this point. Most in the pics look carpy, some look well done.

https://www.google.com/search?q=window+ ... gQ_AUIBigB

Ben_Rumson · Post by **Ben_Rumson** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:43 am

Put a few cocked Victor type Mouse traps upside down on the love seat so it is well covered. When he jumps up and triggers one it will startle him. It worked for us with a dog that liked to sneak up into an easy chair after my wife & I had gone to bed. He knew he wasn't supposed to be in the chair and would bail as soon as he heard one of us. Talk about the hang dog look on his face

the first morning after I tried it! Dunno about the targets of opportunity. Good Luck

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 1:30 pm

Grizz wrote:There's a little detail . . .

Grabbing his jowels around his throat is dog-talk. it's how his momma disciplined him.

the collar and belt, not so much. he's a pup. he's testing you to see if he can really trust you.

that's my read anyhow, and I don't know nuthin' !

This.

If absolutely necessary, grab dog by the throat, body slam to the groun while holding throat, stare into its eyes and GROWL... with teeth.

This is Alpha language to a subordinate... "you done screwed up boy..."

If he/she piddles... you got the point across and you win.

Alpha dominance is no joke in Canid mentation... (says the guy who had a Malmute/Collie cross as a rescue... and had to teach him to behave... when I was 14...)

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 3:22 pm

Ok, I've been silent about this long enough. No qualified professional trainer would agree to the pinning down and growling technique, or any other use of force in training. And most of the "alpha" stuff relating to dogs is just that. Animal behaviorists have recognized for some time that dogs have diverged from their wolf ancestors so far that you cannot blanket apply wolf pack mentality to most breeds of dogs. Use of force in training dogs is simply being lazy, and unintelligent. Just like hitting your kids.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 3:26 pm

Old Ironsights wrote: This.

If absolutely necessary, grab dog by the throat, body slam to the groun while holding throat, stare into its eyes and GROWL... with teeth.

NOT this.

Hawkeye2 · Post by **Hawkeye2** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 5:06 pm

I'm 100% in agreement with Sore Shoulder regarding force and brutality to train a dog. Would a person use the same methods to train his/her spouse, children and friends? (Unfortunately there are people who do and I work in a place where we have to deal with the results.) A dog responds to love and treats but will become far more likely to attack his owner and others who attempt to dominate him. I watch our dogs as they lunge and parry in play but they understand that it is play and they respond accordingly even if it appears to us that it gets quite rough. A dog understands true aggressive behavior directed toward them from humans and other animals and may become violent if pushed. If he bites as a response VA law requires that he be put down and who would be to blame, the dog or the human?

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 5:26 pm

I hope no one misconstrued anything I said as condoning or suggesting brutality. I don't use brutality in training anyone.

I do believe that dogs are pack animals, as in running in packs, not carrying packs. I believe what I've read about the pecking orders that exist in dog society. And one of the main points is that it provides security and reduces anxiety for a dog to know that there is a boss looking out for him, and HE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IT. The flip side of that coin is that the dog will try to be the boss if no one else will.

Bonding and trust grow through the relationship. If this is misinformation then I stand misinformed. However, I maintain a pack relationship with my two dogs and they seem pretty well adjusted to me. Perhaps THEY are misinformed

Batman1939 · Post by **Batman1939** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 6:07 pm

jdad wrote:He's not getting enough exercise. He's bored.'

The two of you need to go on looooong walks.

I've got a young French Brittany--she's 9 months old and full of energy, so I try to take her on "simulated" hunts in some pastures near where I live. This is a good way to keep her from getting bored. She's loose in the house with other dogs for much of the day--we're retired so she gets watched a lot, but she is now pretty trustworthy and doesn't chew anything she is not supposed to. We do give her knotted socks and a couple of toys to play with in the house. About once every 10 days the dogs get a large bone chunk from the local butcher; I think this helps. I work hard to train and discipline my dogs because I want good birddogs, as well as good "citizens" in the house.

This pup spends all night in her crate with no problem; she was never difficult to housebreak, nor did she mess her crate.

I think the old-fashioned ways of "showing the dog who is boss" can be overdone and whaling on them with a belt is not going to do much towards building a good bond with your dog. Guess it depends on how you want your dog to be--my dogs know I'm the Boss, but they don't "fear" me.

Blaine, you really need to watch (as I know you are trying now) about what your dog tears up and eats. My granddaughter's new dog (a rescue dog) recently ate some socks and got a digestive blockage. The family didn't know it--the dog came down very sick and the vet said they needed to operate. $3100 dollars later the dog went ahead and died the day following the surgery. My son is presently working a lot of overtime to pay that bill. Again, maybe a crate (or an outside kennel) would allow you to prevent unwanted chewing when you're not around to keep an eye on the dog. Likewise, a neighbor lady recently lost her elderly dog when it ate part of a plastic purse and got impacted.

Like Cesar Milan says, "exercise, discipline and then affection" --too much affection without the other things is not necessarily good.

Hope these suggestions give you food for thought---don't get impacted though.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 6:52 pm

I"m getting some good suggestions.....Sadly, I'm aware of most of them....

For now, I've got a "throw" on the loveseat, and a small coffee table on the top of that, and two gun chests in front of it....

Let's see the little bastage move THAT. Some other things, I'll have to keep picked up mo better so he can't get to them.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 9:05 pm

Blaine,
I'm no expert but my wife is. My daughter is a vet. My in laws are breeders

After consulting with the know it alls, I'm told that your dog is extremely intelligent and intelligent dogs, like smart people, need interaction with people...all the time. The reason they chew up stuff is because they get bored.

Your alternatives are a fenced in kennel......which because of his intelligence will drive him nuts...unless the kennel is big. Smart people kill themselves with imprisionment, stupid people (like the kind that jails are full of) take it in stride.

Stay with the dog a lot...which is not easy.

She also told me that giving the dog a LARGE RAW BONE......several or a half dozen is better........no rawhide or other pet store junk. A local butcher will easily handle this. Remember....raw bones.-----6

mark · Post by **mark** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:51 pm

I keep very busy dogs, Australian cattle dogs and kelpies.

I use raw sheep necks to keep them busy, a large mesh enclosure outside when I am not home, and as much interaction as possible.

They only come inside when I am there and/or they are trustworthy.

Only trouble with sheep necks is that it can make them very smelly on occasions.

You do have good ventilation in the Mustang??.

Cheers Mark

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 1:19 am

mark wrote:I keep very busy dogs, Australian cattle dogs and kelpies.

I use raw sheep necks to keep them busy, a large mesh enclosure outside when I am not home, and as much interaction as possible.

They only come inside when I am there and/or they are trustworthy.

Only trouble with sheep necks is that it can make them very smelly on occasions.

You do have good ventilation in the Mustang??.

Cheers Mark

Odie will ride in the truck. He'd prolly mess up those cloth seats in back.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Thu Jul 14, 2016 9:31 am

Blaine, get Odie a pal or two and make sure there are plenty of toys around. We currently have four dogs in the house (daughter is home for the summer), but our two pups keep each other highly entertained. One, a Shih Tzu/Javanese mix, is 9 months old and the other, a Poodle/Pom mix is 4 1/2 months. I have given up on physical correction as largely unnecessary. A good, loud, startling NO! and a squirt of water accomplish more.

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Fri Jul 15, 2016 9:27 am

jdad wrote:He's not getting enough exercise. He's bored.'
The two of you need to go on looooong walks.

Sixgun wrote:...My daughter is a vet. My in laws are breeders...your dog is extremely intelligent and intelligent dogs, like smart people, need interaction with people...all the time. The reason they chew up stuff is because they get bored....

These are the most correct answers. Some of the others may be helpful in alleviating the symptoms instead of curing the problem. At least, concerning a full-sized, intelligent dog like yours.

Is he working some loneliness and/or pent up frustration by attacking something that holds your scent - consciously or unconsciously sending you a message?

Exercise - stimulation - attention. Just like almost all of us human folks.

My daughter adopted two dogs. Her friend is a recently retired, extremely knowledgeable dog groomer who has a striking way with all dogs. Her advice was that the primary way to keep dogs from misbehaving and especially from tearing up things in the house is to give them attention and daily walks. Dogs are social animals, needing interaction and exercise.

One of my daughter's dogs was kenneled in a pound for a very long time. Her other one was a problem dog that was abused by the previous owner. The change in their behavior, since they were adopted by my daughter, is astounding. She loves, them, spends time with them, throws toys and plays with them, walks or runs with them every day that she can and they are happy, loyal, now well-adjusted.

It is a shame that so many people get a dog and then lock them up in the house or yard - especially with the bigger and more intelligent breeds. The happiest and most well-behaved full sized dogs I have seen were the ones raised on ranches or in the mountains (where I once lived) who could run the hills with their masters, or the ones in an urban setting who are given attention and exercise with another dog and/or especially with the owner.

Even with my grandchildren - when we watch them, we always try to find an activity that drains their excess energy a bit to keep them happy. And if we ignore them while doing a project, they become irritated in various ways. Kids and dogs seek approval and attention.

I've learned an awful lot about dogs from the dog groomer mentioned above. For instance, just watch a well adjusted dog that walks with, or even is around its owner. Every few seconds, it is watching what the owner says or does, even a change in posture. They are absolutely keyed to human interaction, and the full size dogs MUST get exercise along with attention to be healthy and happy.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Fri Jul 15, 2016 1:18 pm

good stuff. working dogs, and most were at some time workers, need jobs to do. not just running, but problem solving. some dogs can differentiate a couple hundred different toys and bring them on request...

my springer was well along with some number of toys that he would fetch by name.... until he got bored with that and began testing me by picking up some toy other than the one I asked for and looking at me like, "this one, right?" and I'd have to say, "not that one, the blue one" before he would bring it. All the time laughing and high-alerting with his flag.

I would have enrolled Chico in a machine language coding course but couldn't afford the tuition

.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Fri Jul 15, 2016 1:24 pm

It's hard finding toys for him....a couple days ago, he ate half a ballcap....Toys don't last long.

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Fri Jul 15, 2016 4:14 pm

BlaineG wrote:It's hard finding toys for him....a couple days ago, he ate half a ballcap....Toys don't last long.

They don't last long in my house more than an hour or so. Sixgun's suggestion of large, real bones works really well.
I'm also in total agreement with Sore Shoulder about a show of force/ body slamming and or beatings. Not doing anyone any good. I learned a lot from a boxer/ Dane mix I had. Very smart and incredibly strong, she ruined couches, chairs and just anything with any kind of stuffing or fill. I was told it was separation anxiety and boredom. Brought home a pile of bones and rawhides. She loved the rawhide but would swallow large chunks and throw them back up again. The bones worked really well, just watch the sharp edges and the bigger the better.

jb

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Fri Jul 15, 2016 6:01 pm

Grizz wrote: I would have enrolled Chico in a machine language coding course but couldn't afford the tuition .

Oh yeah? You think that YOUR dog is smart?

Well, my daughter advised me Jacques doesn't read her books only because he was raised to read Mandarin. And he's a pretty good strategist, too; although I have have bested him in chess 7 out of 10 games so far.

The other dog prefers to meditate.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Sat Jul 16, 2016 8:06 am

Nothing like a cow femur to keep a dog busy trying to get the marrow.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sat Jul 16, 2016 8:44 am

Blaine, it just occurs to me that real Levergunners don't have no truck with love seats anyway. Problem solved!

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sat Jul 16, 2016 10:22 am

Bill in Oregon wrote:Blaine, it just occurs to me that real Levergunners don't have no truck with love seats anyway. Problem solved!

Thread Drift: I love that Ram EcoDiesel. Almost 20,000 since last Aug, and it's about perfect. Averages 26-30 mpg of diesel. An Oil change really bites you on the butt, tho.

11qts of Syn, and a fifty dollar filter.

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Sat Jul 16, 2016 11:20 am

BlaineG wrote:...I love that Ram EcoDiesel...

Only YOU would hijack your own thread!

octagon · Post by **octagon** » Sat Jul 16, 2016 12:41 pm

Had a good pointer years ago, kept eating the wire outside for TV service. Over and over, till I drenched it in tobacco sauce. Worked like a charm.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 10:11 am

JohndeFresno wrote:
BlaineG wrote:...I love that Ram EcoDiesel...
Only YOU would hijack your own thread!

Hey, the other guy said "truck".

model55 · Post by **model55** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 10:25 pm

Crate training is great, your dog will have his own space,you will have a place to put him.After a while he will look at it as his. Kong balls,these are chew resistant and you can put peanut butter or other high value (to the dog ) treats in them. Dog has to work for every treat but if he doesn't get what you want done after a while give him a little so he won't get frustrated.There are sprays to keep dogs off things.No calling a dog to a confrontation with you.You may even want a travel crate because if you are in an accident your dog will be safer.Just my .02 and that may be over priced.Get a cheapo nail pouch from home depot to carry treats in ( cut up hot dogs ,chicken,cheese............) Reward,reward,reward ( you can reward verbally too. )the good behavior, sharp verbal no or tug on the leash Maybe both or use the crate for short time periods for bad you be the judge. Lot of dogs chew till they are two,he is still teething.Biting off a piece of a treat then passing it to him helps bond.I quit for now.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 10:36 am

Dogs often chew things up because they either bored, or don't get enough time with their owners. Sounds like your dog needs to get tired out, so maybe a lot of time outdoors with whatever he likes to fetch or play with. My Springer used to enjoy chewing things up, so I'd wear her out playing each day, and she just wanted to sleep, instead of chewing. The time together and exercise, both made her a good dog.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 12:02 pm

Have to agree with Griz on the discipline technique. Also when scolding talk in a low grumbling tone it mimics a growl which is dog for "Boy you really screwed up now". As too poodle's they function on they same level as a smart 3 year old person boredom is your worst enemy. Most of his behavior sounds like a cry for entertainment. Lots of exercise will help but he also needs something to wrap his head around. The Kong toys that you can put treats in will give him something to do with that over active brain of his.

model55 · Post by **model55** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 5:24 pm

A game you might try since dogs have such a great sense of smell is hiding high value treats in a room then have him find them,may have to see it done the first time or so but it will get it.

gak · Post by **gak** » Mon Jul 25, 2016 12:39 pm

These are all (mostly) good suggestions. I do agree sometimes it takes a sit down father-and-son chat. I had a Springer male who, though neutered, challenged me a few times I could only interpret as an Alpha-challenge with "unwarranted" growl, and I had to make him understand with a man to man talk--straight on, grasp of neck (loose skin up front) and eye to eye (they hate that) "you will never, ever do that again." No yelling, just very firm assured, I am not kidding voice. Never challenged me again. We'd always had Springers--never had one do that, but he was a rescue from unknown (to me) circumstances and I think a little touched in the head/complex or at least chip on his shoulder that needed knocking off. Both he, a 5 year old, and his kennel (as in pound) mate a 2 yr old Springer both did have excellent house manners--never touched a single thing that didn't belong to them, including getting into an inticing smelling kitchen trash can, so someone learned them right on those accounts. They were so good in fact I sure wish I knew exactly what they did!