As some of you know,we have now had bella for 7 weeks,we have sorted  the house training,she is now clean,but she has now started chewing and trashing the house when left for a couple of hours,anything and everthing she is having a go at,she is walked before we go out,a toy box is left out for her,she can go into the secure garden through the dog flap,also she is mouthing my 8 year old lab very roughly and making her yelp,poor Annie puts up with this I put Bella behind the baby gate till she calms down to give Annie some peace,privious owners had not time for her thats why she was in the rescue,any ideas what I can do,she is damn hard work.

Sheila

Hi,sorry to hear about your problems,my friend breeds labs,and they are lovely dogs,but bouncy and strong,I find the younger ones very hard work,yet she has brilliant control,feeds them all next to each other,they have to sit(and wag)till she says they can eat,they go out for walks and arent allowed to pull,or indeed,even set off until everybody is calm and sat,its lovely to see.
As Im certainly no expert,I hope someone will be along to help you with more detailed advice,but all I can suggest is plenty of brainwork,as well as legwork,teach the "watch"exercise(hold a treat between your eyebrows,say the dogs name and"watch",the instant you get eye contact,the treat goes in,you can have the treat in your pocket once the dog gets the idea-sorry if you already do this!-try hiding toys and sending her to find them,anything to make her think,also,lots of recall,and other basic training.
also,itd be hard anyway,at 8months,I always site my Gwen who was literally the perfect puppy-till she hit 7 months,grew horns,chewed my settee,and anything that came through the door,if I was out-just after Id packed her crate away! I do wish you luck!

What do you leave her to actually do?  Just leaving a toy box isn't enough - toys are pretty dull unless someone else plays too!  Try leaving her with interactive stuff - a treat-dispensing ball, stuffed kong, that sort of thing.  I use empty hooves and those little sterilised filled bones - let the dogs empty the original filling out and then stuff it with my own stuff and freeze it.

Also walks are great but mental stimulation is better - do you do any training with her (by which I mean more than just the basics - tricks, retrieves, that sort of thing)?  That will tire her out much better than a run.

Sounds like every puppy I have had, and they are not a breed known for being as mouth oreintated as a retriever.

Prevention is the only way. Put all items out of reach and contain her.

I would recommend a crate. 

Dogs don't know what is a dog toy and what isn't.  They have to create the habit of playing with the right objects.  To do that, they need to have inappropriate objects removed or shut away as Brainless says and only appropriate objects left within accessible reach.  A crate is best, especially if you are only leaving for a couple of hours.

Bella is from working lines,slim built,so she is more hyper than show lines,they are a different ball game,I am a experienced lab owner and yes labs like any pup are destructive,she has had 2 previous homes the last one she was confined to a crate all day whilst owners worked,she is up at 6am and only settles down at 10pm at night,we cannot keep her any more ocupied than we do,3 walks,swimming,training,ball games.With her past history,not sure if a crate would be the answer,my other labs at 8 months had stopped all this chewing buisness lol,they just liked gardening.

Sheila

Is this not about the time when teeth are coming through?  I'm sure that's right? Molars or something? Dunno, my old brain is taking a while to waken this morning!lol. I would get some knuckle bones from the butcher to keep her occupied and give her chewing instinct some outlet that is not your kitchen!
I find working lines in any breed(springers and cockers are my experience) a lot harder to amuse.  I've got 2 show lines that would sleep their day away on the sofa and wouldn't care if they never went for a walk again and a worker of the same breed that would run round in tiny circles if she missed 2 days in a row walks! She is just major high energy.  Even when outside, she needs something to keep her brain working so I hide dummies and stuff on me to keep her watching and just as I feel she is about to blast off in every direction, I toss something.  In the house, she hates games other than find it stuff.
My other breed, I have a worker.  She has needed a lot of exercise from a young age to keep her calm in the house.  She loves to do Something, anything! and she watches me even when I have no idea where she is! So I will give her a command, anything, every now and again and she is so happy with this that she almost explodes.  She needs bones! I still get her a knuckle once a week from the butcher and she loves it.  I moved some bushes in the garden last week and found a stash of toys, chew and bones under one of them!  Her spot!  My idea would be loads of jobs for her.  Anything that makes her use her brain!

Hi Yes Bella also has a spot in the garden,i find all and sundry there,even our underwear ha ha,she is kept busy all day and night,its when we go out,she is destructive,going to order a load of marrow bones from butcher on tuesday,so at least once a week she will stop for an hour or so.Will she settle down in a couple of years?Annie is so chilled,sleeps after walks she just loves her routine,all my labs have been like this a absolute pleasure,but as you say working lines are much harder to amuse,of course any 8 month old are hard work,but Bella is ten times harder,poor girl,she must think shes died and gone to heaven living with us.

Sheila

> my other labs at 8 months had stopped all this chewing buisness

I have generally found with my own pusp that thsi is the secodn chewing stage, and my current 14 month old decided to start on the framing in the kennel, that they use for sleeping in at night, .

Had never had one do this before except for her Mum who has chewed the beading around the weldmesh openings (covered by shutters outside, for summer extra ventilation) so I had to put a crate on the bench for now.

I am told this is when the back teeth fianlly settle and can be a cause of hard chewing.  Containing ehr in a small room (Utility, bathroom) with everything out reach might be the way to go rather than crating.

Thanksfor your help,will try containing her in a smaller room,hubby has taken her for her morning run,she has been good this am she only woke up at 730am,going to pets at home for a big kong today,going to have to have our tele put on the wall,as this is the next thing to go.{knocked over ect}

Sheila

If you have a pup from a younger age you can model their behaviour so by the time they get to serious chewing age they know what is theirs and what isn't but taking on an older pup you don't have that opportunity. I collected an 8 month old pup a few weeks ago (my second silken - woooohhoooooo!!!) He was mainly an outside dog and although he is a real sweetheart he just doesn't understand that some things are not toys :-) So he'll be lying chewing a bone and then just casually go to chew the sofa next to him. Because he's new and we're still bonding I don't like to give him a row so simply distract with a more interesting toy.

I've found that 5 mins brain training before work does the trick. He has had two walks earlier in the day, and raced around like a mad thing so he is physically tired but a short training session means I leave him mentally tired too. Combine that with treat toys, marrow bones and stuffed kongs and so far so good :-)

>going to pets at home for a big kong today,

Unless it's a very small shop it'll be shut today (Easter Sunday opening hours law).

Thanks will ring to see if open,it is a small store.
Yes the issues  with Bella are she does not know,as I have had my others at 8 weeks,they are much easier to deal with,When I look at her I feel sorry for her as I really dont know much of her past,taking her up to my sisters log cabin in the lakes next weekend,lots of nice clean safe water for her to swim in.

Sheila

"she is kept busy all day and night". If you don't teach her that she has an 'off' switch, she will find it hard to settle when you are out, hence the destructive behaviour. Crate her to give her time out, to chill and rest. A young dog should have periods when they are allowed to sleep and grow. You do not need to entertain her 24 hrs a day, nor should she be on the go for long periods. Get her into a sensible routine, with time out periods, and she will be a more settled dog.

When I say busy at night ,I mean evening sorry,its her thats busy not us,we live in a quiet home,no kids to excite her,we do put her behind the baby gate so my other lab can get some peace,we went out this afternoon thought she would of slept most of it ,but there is evidence to say she hasnt,

Sheila

Maybe do some brain work with her before you go out - teach her tricks, scent games etc. I don't expect mine to sleep when I'm out but then they're collies lol. Yours is also a working breed (Lab?) and probably the same.

PS A covered crate may also be helpful.

I was reluctant to get a crate,but going to have to do ,I work ngts hubby left for work 730am this morning,I got in 830,she has wrecked,my leather chair,a dog walker has her out this am,its either a crate or she will have to go back ,she is the most destructive puppy I have ever had and they should not go to pet homes in my opinion,unless you know what your taking,yes Marisa she is from working lines,my others are how labs should be,shown in the summer worked in the winter nice and stocky and very laid back,these are hyper

Sheila

Most of the working labs i meet are very calm, but they have a job to do. My lab re-designed my staircase with her teeth and made the daytime kennel was made open plan by her lol. Brain work is required :) its worth thinking about the 5mins/month of age rule for walking etc.

Hi Sheila

It is a very difficult thing to address and lots of good advice so far.

The difference between show and working lines should never be under estimated and also some rescue dogs given over often have a 'version' of the truth which them come with which is far from the problems a dog and the previous owner had . Often because people think the dog won't be taken by rescue unless they paint a rose coloured glasses view.

Assessments can be done but a full assessment can really only be done by foster homes as alot of rescues do have to kennel dogs and so very difficult to give a proper assessment. If the world was full of foster carers then it could be done but these resources are very limited.
Keep in there and don't be afraid to ask for help either from rescue or even with a behaviourist as sometimes the stress of a destructive dog can often distract you from a planned and supported approach which is sometimes needed and seems to be in the case with your little minx. Not a sign of failure at all just a difficult dog that needs more focus and retraining to stop the destructive cycle.

Hi Liz,she does have good points,doesnt Jump up at people she is quite good on the lead,I know youngters are very bouncy ect,but shes like a racing greyhound,do you think i am horrible getting a cage,it would only be for a couple of hours in between hubby going out and me comming in,

sheila

"do you think i am horrible getting a cage" - far from it. You are trying to preserve your relationship. Hopefully, when you come home and the dog is safe and sound in your crate - and your belongings untouched - you will be able to greet her happily, not wondering what damage she has done in your absence. It is possible for dogs to chew even more frantically when their owners are due home because they have been chastised in the past for chewing/barking etc. This sets up nervous tension which can lead to even more chewing. Not saying this is what has happened but, with a crate, you can eliminate this unwanted behaviour.

Sheila no I don't think you are horrible at all as some dogs and circumstances do better with short crating.

I have never used a crate but it doesn't mean I don't agree with them so long as they are used in the short lengths of time and not as a way of restricting a dog for hours.

I still think however if she is showing separation anxiety then be careful on the introduction of the crate as she will need to feel it is a safe haven and not a punishment as it could make her behaviour worse if not introduced slowly .