My 9 month weimaraner bitch has recently found a couple of ripsin the old lino in the kitchen where she lives during the day. Presumably as a consequence of boredom, she has managed to rip it and pull up an entire area. She has managed now to make a hole in the kitchen floor. I have put cribox around the edge to try and deter her although this has not alwasy been effective.

Anyway, my concern is that if we re-lino the floor will she try and do it again? I think that she only ripped it because there were tears in it and new lino wouldn't have any tears but I really don't want to go to the whole expense of this only to have her do it again - hubby won't be pleased!!!!

Does anyone have any experience of this problem? Alternative flooring would be floor tiles, but I'm reluctant as they may make the room appear cold and we already have laminate in the rest of the downstairs.

Any help will be gratefully received. Please, please .......

Hi - I had a similair situation with my first dog. When he was very young I took him to work with me everyday, and as he got older I took him only twice a week. When I left him home, I first put him in a back utility room of the house. He tore the carpet up all the way to the floor. I tried the kitchen, and he tore the lino up. I also tried the bathroom, and again he tore the lino. Finally I was convinced by a trainer that crating him was ok. After a few months of crating, I could leave him out without any problems (and ever since, he has the whole house when I leave!). Not sure if you want to crate, but that worked for me. Otherwise, I would wait to re-do the floor. I'm sure your dog will grow out of it as she gets older and used to being left alone. By the way, my dog ripped it without any tears in it!!! (although it was kind of old flooring, so I don't know if that made it easier to tear or not).

Good luck :) ~ m

Thanks M. My concern with crating is that we're out of the house for around 8 hours a day and that is too long to crate. She's been left since she was a tiny pup so shouldn't be due to anxiety just boredom I think.

Is she likely to grow out of it? By the time she's 10??!!

Is there no way you can get someone to come home at lunchtime to spend some time with her and break up the day!!!!!!

Weimaraners are very active dogs and I thin you're right when you say she's doing it out of boredom.

I leave a labrador during the day but she has a dog walker who spends a couple of hours with her at lunchtime
Might this be an option????

We approached a neighbour in our street who was at home all day because the professionals are a lot more expensive.
We pay £50 a month.

Because she's very unlikely to grow out of it, she just needs more stimulation.
Have you tried stuffed kongs and lots of toys.
Freezing the kongs makes them last longer as well!!!!!

Edit: I forgot to say that you were right. 8 hours without a break is far too long to crate a dog!!!

Do you make sure you take her for a long walk in the morning before you go to work to tire her out???

Thanks for your ideas Rachael. Tegan does go out for a walk in the morning but nothing seems to tire her!!

I bought a 'dog appeasing pheromone' today that is plugged in - you never know it might help calm her.

i'd wondered about freezing kongs - what can I put in it that would freeze? I've heard mashed potato but any other ideas would be helpful.

Most of the people who live around here are quite elderly so they might not be able to help with walking her as she's quite a handful - but food for thought anyway.

Any other ideas gratefully received.

Hi
We too have been through this nightmare, I know the one, you come home from work walk in the kitchen and wam bam the puppy has had yet another party!!:D
Our Lab is now 14 months old but she has torn up the lino in our kitchen and also scratched at the plaster by the door - we to go to work but I manage to get home at lunch time so that it breaks the day up for her.
I now ignore her about 15 minutes before I go out to work with no eye contact and leave a selection of 'games' to keep her occupied. I've been told ignoring your dog makes them less anxious when you have gone.
I fill a plastic milk bottle with various chews inside and any other plastic bottles (she loves this) I also fill hollow bones with various goodies and i've gone to various charity shops to buy her old stuffed toys, she loves anything new.
I'm not sure how you feel about giving her plastic bottles but Gemma our lab has always been fine, spits out all the plastic and gets to the goodies inside. You can see the frustration in that bottle when we return :D
It does seem to keep her mind occupied and it also gives her something else to chew (if she has too) rather than our kitchen!!
Good Luck

Lesley

When I saw this post I thought, "It's got to be a Lab!" But no!!!! Are you sure there is no Lab in there somewhere? I have had two in the past who have eaten the floor so if you find an answer I'd be interested to hear it! ;)

Best wishes, John

Thanks John and Lesley for your ideas and sympathy!!

I think I will try ignoring her before I go and also when I get home for a little while so that I am not such an exciting thing to wait for! I hadn't realised that I was such an exciting person until I owned a dog!!

As for the pheromone, well she was ripping lino at 6:45am this morning, so I think we can chuck it in the bin!! Still, I shall persevere with it just in case it starts to have an effect.

The tile fitter is coming next week to measure up and give us a price on cermaic tiles, so maybe this will be the long-term solution, but I REALLY DON'T WANT FLOOR TILES!! Sorry for the shout, but as I never catch Tegan in the act of ripping I can;t shout at her!!

Thanks for the ideas - any more gratfully received.

PS: What can I stuff kongs with and freeze as I don't seem to be able to do a search on this subject?