dog is 8 months old. dog has a habit of picking up things and chewing (little things like pens and little items, pinecone decorations not shoes) and she has also chewed off her harness. now my husband discovered she has scratched near baseboard near door.............and he is mad. he was already impatient that she is picking up the small things. im more patient than he is, but now he wants to keep her outside. i dont want to.

right now, when we are gone (about 8 hrs aday) we keep her in the kitchen (fairly large kitchen)my husband wont let her have run of the house when we are gone. we have another dog who has run of the house. i dont want to keep her outside, he says what is the big deal...i almost want to find her another home so my husband wont keep getting mad, cuz it makes me mad way my husband acts toward her. he wanted a puppy and i warned him about how puppies can be....now he cant deal w/ it, i understand he doesnt want her to destroy the house, but the only thing that has been done is the scratching of the baseboard at one door.

im the one who has invested time and money in her. i do not want to keep her outside all the time. is there something that can be done about the chewing, like spray, obediance school (he doesnt want to take her to obediance school, even tho i would pay for it) or would she better off in a home with someone who has the patience for her, i do, but he doesnt. he gets too mad. i dont want to ruin my marriage and please dont say divorce my husband.

i dont know what to do. is the puppy going thru a so called destructive phase? is she still teething? she is very active small dog, looks like a "finnish spitz" type. please help, should i call a behavorist. she isnt a bad dog at all (good temperment etc) , just likes to put things in her mouth. (like i said i more patient w/ her but my husband isnt then we end of fighting over a dog). i dont know what to do, please help..
thanks alot.

Sounds to me like puppy is borred, and for 8hrs a day that is a very very long time for a pup to be on there own, especialy when the pup can here the other dog in the house but can not get to it to play.

I'm not an expert by any way but I'm sure someone will be along in a min who is.

With regard to the chewing all dogs are the same. Every morning mine runs off with my make-up brush and has chewed loads of my expensive stuff, but this is all part of being a puppy - as far as I'm concerned it's my own fault for leaving things where she can get them.

You could try a spray from the pet shop on your base board (is this the same as a skirting board?) or put some lemon juice or chilli sauce so the pup doesn't like the taste. Also make sure she has lits of 'her' things that she is allowed to chew. whenever you see her chewing something she shouldn't tell her 'NO' and have something to hand of hers to offer instead.

8 hours is quite a long time for her to be on her own. We have to leave ours (not so long) so understand you prob don't have any choice but you need to make sure she has enough to occupy her mind. Sounds like she's bored to me.

Been there and argued with other half over dog! You both agree she shouldnt chew the house down so thats a start, and keeping her in the kitchen controls the destruction a bit, so hes right about that. Pups this age have another teething session which is about exploring rather than discomfort from growing teeth and can get into worlds of trouble if they havent been taught what is and isnt allowed. Get a dog walker to take her out during the day ( if he objects how does he feel about you reducing working hours instead?). Stuffed kongs, chewy toys, egg cartons, cardboard boxes,toilet roll holders are all good playthings and you can put food/treats in or the Havaball that rolls and dispenses food are good in addition to the other suggestions. Its amazing how tidy you need to be to keep dogs and we certainly sharpened up when we got ours, so thats the other thing - if you dont want it chewed put it away. What is his problem with training classes - if you pay for it and shes your dog just assert yourself and go.

oh, btw, she has has plenty chew toys, kongs, and mainly does this stuff when husband is home, or i guess when im not there..knows "leave it, etc>

Right disregard the above then and tell him he needs to reinforce your training with her or take the lumps. :)

what about keeping her outside, cuz he doesnt want to deal w/ it, he wants to keep her outside all the time, and i refuse to let him do that, especially with it getting cold and all....i rather her go to a better home w/ someone that has patience w/ her than keep her outside all the time.

Well i have to say that 8 hours is way to long to leave dogs let alone a pup, so i think if you get a very good large kennel with a big run it would be much better for the dog/s to be out in there own home, then it will not be moaned at about chewing up house/bits if you give it a toy/s bed water food it will be fine.then when you are at home she can come in

You may even find that you've got a bit of a viscious circle going on - hubby hates dog chewing - dog senses his displeasure and stress - and so chews even more :(

Can you not compromise and put the puppy outside during the day in a secure kennel and run and bring her in of a night.

If she is a spitz breed then she will be fine with the cold weather as long as she has a shelter out of the wind and rain. Bring her in with you in the evening when you can watch her and spend some quality time playing with her.

For bedtime I would suggest you bought a cage for her to sleep in, but it must only be used for bedtime and not for long hours during the day.

Hope this helps
Sandra

I don't mean to be rude so please don't take offence, but this hubby of yours need a really good boot up the backside Right, got that off my chest.

I'm a bit worried that the pup is getting the brunt of your husband's anger - is this the case? If he isnt getting cross with her then that's good, but reading between the lines a little i am concerned this may be the case :(

Really 8 hours is way too long for a pup and this is the problem - she really cannot help what she is doing and the humans in her life HAVE to accept this and either live with it or change something so that she can have the opportunity to behave in an acceptable manner. You sound very sensible and i hope can come up with a solution - if indeed she is a thick coated breed, she may be fine outside during the day, but she still needs chew toys and attention during the day.

Best wishes
Lindsay

I just want ed to say what i do with my pup in the day if it is too long for her to go in her crate.
One chair goes in front of book shelf the coffee table goes infront of the other bookshelf and the the soft bed gets propped up against the other bookshelf (and the same at night) kitchen door is shut incase she takes a fancy to what is in the bin. Everything i think she would like gets put away, then in comes toys a 4ft branch that she rips the bark off then the 3ft branch in the hall. The stair get is shut and toilet door closed in case she gets a thirst for the loo water.
This is done every day if out for longer than 1hr and everynight, but she is not kept apart from my older dog as this is also company for her and pups do not like being left nor does any dog really hope some of this makes sens
:)

Cordelia

I have a 12 week old labrador puppy,who chews everything,including hands and feet. We are training her not to do that,and giving her plentyof toys etc. She is coming along great,but we don't leave temptation in her road.They are a lot of work at the beginning,but so worth it in the end.My husband and I both love her,and he helps with the training when he comes home.It doesn't sound as if your husband wants or loves the poor pup,and that is a great pity,as she will know.Probably the best thing you can do for her is find her another home with someone who will give her the love and attention she deserves.If you lived anywhere near Scotland I would take her myself,as she sounds lovely. I hope you find a solution which suits all of you.

Jean

i told him you wont be able to handle kids then (he wants me to have a baby), but he says kids are different. i almost feel he is looking for something..............i wish i had a different husband. i probably have to give her to someone who has patience for her, since my husband seems best solution is to keep her outside or penned up in the kitchen.....i wish i didnt have to work

mine had 3 pairs of glasses fortunalty she never ate the glass. but i think pups bored and just being a pup . just gotta catch her in the act a firm no should do it and replace what ever shes trying to chew with a toy. , pet walkers are another good option or pet sitters. and if you have to leave her alone for a long time throw her a few kongs with tasty treats in it. and a whole bunch of toys .

If you want a different husband but want to keep the pup then you have answered your question !

You have said he wants a baby but you didn't say you did !!

It sounds very much like you are both looking for something different ! I think you need to sort you differences out and then using the puppy as a tool for the arguements may subside !!

Sort it out now rather than have a baby to see if it makes things better !! Trust me it is a big mistake many people make which can result in unhappy years ahead !!

Good Luck !

Lucy
xx

One of my little darlings chewed the leg on my new cream leather suite yesterday... none of us noticed of course even though " EVERYONE" was watching the dogs :-)

It is hard sometimes but the chewing etc does stop.. but be prepared to right off the first 2 years to a young adult..

It is far more work that people think it is going to be..

Pam

My dog Robbie chewed the stair carpet, 2 bedroom door's, the dining room table leg's and lot's of the kid's toy's. I am at home all the time as I am disabled. But now 2 1/2 years on he is brill. He get's the run of the house when we go out and he has never chewed anything for about 1year. But the 2 younger dog's I have go outside into the kennel and are brought back in, in the afternoon. I think 8 hour's is far to long to leave any dog but if you want to keep her and hubby then build her a kennel, so will like it better.

In my opinion - quite simply (and please dont take this the wrong way) 8 hours is too long to leave a pup!! Too the point that it is cruel. Its just being a normal pup by the sounds of it. It is shut in a room for 8 hours a day, it cant interact with your other dog that it knows is there, it cant interact with you. By shutting it outside is just as bad - sure I'm all for putting a dog outside (especially if you have a kennel/run) to get some exercise but it sounds as though you and your husband just dont have the time for this pup. Where is the pleasure of dog ownership for BOTH you and pup when it is shut away for 8 hours a day (in or out) Perhaps someone who can dedicate more time and patience should rehome the pup before it develops behavoural problems or becomes a noise nusiance??
Sarah.