Destructive weimeraner

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catherine22

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Hello, my second venture into AADs as my first one was so positive.
An update from before for those of you that remember/care my male weimeraner dog is starting to put on weight and is a bit calmer after changing his bakers complete to skinners field and trial but still just very active.
I seem to have found the balance for my 2 older weimeraners who aren't putting on weight but are staying the same.
However, my youngest one (2yrs that wouldn't put on weight) has had to stay at home for the last few days as my OH hasn't been able to take him to work as usual, he has been at home with the other 2 who couldn't care less and has had a person with him all day but yesterday I got home and he had eaten my knee high boots - que very unhappy me as dog is OH's and I did protest when he wanted to get the 3rd one (as it was also rescued because he destroyed, literally, his previous owners house when left alone all day), but I have convinced him now to get him done and hope that helps, if it doesn't however my friend has offered the use of her cage, at 2 years is he still young enough to learn about being in a cage or has he gone past it?
and to solve a long standing arguement between me and my OH, as he always lets Max (the 2 year old) play with his toys/ tennis balls and lets him rip them up I have always said that dogs aren't clever enough to distinguish between their tennis ball and my boots for example! who is correct?!
oh and I still havent remembered how to post pictures but I will!!
 
Exercise levels?

If you don't want your boots eaten, don't leave the dog in an area where he has access to your boots.

Agreed, they don't think 'that's a tennis ball, that's a boot', as Jean Donaldson says in her very good book The Culture Clash (sorry, that must be the trillionth mention) 'It's all chew toys to them!'

Cayla has a great crate training guide if you want to PM her.
 
Thank you I will PM her, have to do something!!
He is walked enough, as far as I know my other 2 are 9 and 11 so cant xope with much,but he has at least an hour in the morning, he has access to the garden all day then has a proper walk 1 - 2hrs in the evening but never seems tired. we even take our neighbours boxer with us as they paly all the time but they still come back full of energy.
and not to be bitter about it but I left my boots safely out of the way and my OH decided to be helpful and clean them and left them on the floor - hence the destruction!!
I may buy him that book for christmas!!
 
disagree, all my dogs definately know the difference between their stuff and mine...however they dont destroy any of their stuff either (but they dont even touch mine)!
Are you sure he is getting enough mental stimulation? A destructive dog is usually acting out of boredom.
 
I'm hoping he is, he has walks morning and night and can go outside all day and has 2 other dogs and all his toys and a person for company, I honestly don't know whats lacking. as I said my other 2 are 9 and 11 now and as they were both rescues that I only got when they were about 5/6 I haven't realy had to deal with this before any ideas or advice are greatly received
 
OK Vizzie, I have to say, my dogs have never chewed my stuff because I don't leave it around for them, or my mum's stuff, which I leave available :p , plus some dogs have bigger brains than others :p

Could you factor in jogging, biking, swimming into his exercise routine?
 
Occassionally he does jogging and biking, he regularly does swimming as we are right by the sea and a river which he will happliy swim across

Ps i don't think Max's brain is particularly large!! :-)
 
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Right e O, I got the PM and crate training on it's way.

Having finding myself dealing with lots of Weims lately and in particular a young male, destructive:rolleyes: I can tell you, they are after poodle possily the highest up their with intelligence, and they have more energy than any other breed (exept a WHP:rolleyes:) I have worked with, OH walks 2 as part of his doggy walking service mainly because they where being destructive, when out runnning is simply not enough, we usually thow their ball via ball thrower make them wait, then sent them off to find so they can sent aswell as chase, rather then the conventional throw ball and let them chase, why? they need more stimulation, there scent is also unbelievable, like Vizslas they are also a sensitive breed and its important to get the training right from the get go or you will struggle.
We always where we can take the weims swimming in any river/lake again an energy burner, they do suffer from seperation anxiety also when left alone.
So if he is always with you when you are home u have to set a routine for him to have "time out".
I do not agree with allowing him to rip balls up, I do think it teaches unneccesary destruction, some dogs can distinguish and some never do, but why give a ball to destruct rather than a kong to stimulate and spent time emptying for a reason?

Where does he sleep at night?
where do you leave him during the day when he is home?
What is he left to keep him occupied?
How active are the other 2/do they interact with him?
 
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I have found (especially in HPR breeds) the difference between physical stimulation and mental stimulation is immense. For example all my dogs with the exception of the vizsla are both physically and mentally knackered after a good walk and a play, maybe a bit of a wrestle with a toy in the lounge or whatever, that is totally enough for them to sleep until next walk/dinner/play time without making any new entertainment. The vizsla is a different kettle of fish, she could walk for hours, play with the others on the way round have her own little games of hunting with the terrier while we walk and when we get home she is still on the go! However (I'm using this as an example not saying you should go showing) when she goes showing or even just to her show training class for an hour, they do virtually beggar all excercise wise yet she comes home totally exhausted because she has been asked to use her brain and there is loads going on to take in and its all very mentally stimulating. Similarly on a day to day basis I tend to now make sure whilst walking them all I let her play and 'walk' with the others for maybe half the time, the other half I make sure I'm asking her to use her brain, some basic waits, lots of heel work, direction practice (I rarely take a dummy when I have the others with me) sometimes I throw her totally and ask her to stack properly like expected in a show ring, sometimes I will take some bait with me and ask her to do something totally random that she would never use either showing or working but it keeps her guessing and its new! (tend to include the others in this but generally bless 'em the standard is somewhat lowered for them to get it 'right'!) All this means that I come home with all the dogs the same level of worn out from the same amount of exercise even though they are all very different dogs. Infact I would say that Flora may actually end up with less physical exercise than the others because whilst the others continue galavanting around she is doing more close, controlled work for half of the walk. She is never tired or anything vaguely resembling quiet if I just let her do her own thing hooning about for the whole walk, however far we go!

That was a jolly long reply :p :D
 
CaveCanem said:
OK Vizzie, I have to say, my dogs have never chewed my stuff because I don't leave it around for them, or my mum's stuff, which I leave available :p , plus some dogs have bigger brains than others :p

Could you factor in jogging, biking, swimming into his exercise routine?
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I cannot claim either enough organisation to hide things from them or that they have anything remotely resembling grey matter big enough to talk about! :p :D
 
I think you mention "he is never left alone" so you have a bred well known for it's seperation issues and a routine that is currently exhuberating that.
Sort of Rod and Back situation, he needs a new routine/stimulation/more exercise.
 
Thank you, i will await the crate training tips
Quite often when we are at home he will take himself upstairs tpo his bed (which is in our bedroom) and stay there until we tell him its timeto wee before bed.
he does have a ball thrower and we do make him wait before going and walk to heel before he's allowed off to try and keep him stimulated.
I think he has a kong, will look through the stuff we got with him but my fear is leavign him with that is my bitch is greedy and may steal it from him
at home he has free run of the house and garden and can access all his toys/ food / water. both dogs do interract with him, it may not be voulantary as he wil wind them up until they play with him, but he does has stimulation through the day-he only sleeps in our room as the other 2 do so it seems unfair to not let him, he does sleep in his bed tho.
the reason we got him was his separation anxeity as he was so bad he destroyed his previous owners house (altho he wasn't walked)
he does get left alone for a few hours some eves or weekends with the other dogs and hes fine its only occasionally he starts to destroy stuff
 
catherine22 said:
he does have a ball thrower and we do make him wait before going and walk to heel before he's allowed off to try and keep him stimulated.
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I make all my dogs do that, its not enough for weim IMO.

Kongs are great for at home, obviously crate training will help stop your bitch nicking it when you arent there. I dont leave mine with food of anykind when I'm not around, they would scrap like hell over kongs/bones etc. They are good for keeping them entertained on a day when they have not had quite so long walking for whatever reason.
 
Right have sent the 1st crate training and seperation advice PM.

Toys IMO should be boxed and given out in periods, dogs like kids become bored with the same old, he needs change on a daily basis of stimulating treats, the crate will indeed stop the fight and as I have mentioned when he is released the treat/kongs should be removed and placed in toy box, they should never be left scattered.

I would if possible have all of them in the kitchen for bed, having a dog in the bedroom "andother time when they are in your company and not in their own" when they have seperation issues is detrimental, unless you could purchase a second crate and crate him upstairs, this way he is in a crate but with you so its another positive association.
 
Vizslak said:
I make all my dogs do that, its not enough for weim IMO.

Kongs are great for at home, obviously crate training will help stop your bitch nicking it when you arent there. I dont leave mine with food of anykind when I'm not around, they would scrap like hell over kongs/bones etc. They are good for keeping them entertained on a day when they have not had quite so long walking for whatever reason.
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Not sure I explained myself, we make them sit, not for manners, but so we can throw the ball for a good distance then they have to run for it and scent it, with the other dogs we would simply throw the ball and let them go at the same time, and they practically get there with the ball and simply bring it back and off it goes again, with the weims they have to run the same distance but because they did not see it land they have to scent it out in order to bring it back, they love it, it not only burns energy but make them work their nose/brain, we have also used scented rags and one of us had hidden them whilst the other holds dogs then we give a command "go find" and they love it.
The bitch is good at finding it but it takes the dog longer, when we retuen them home they sleep right through till their owners are home and we have them out non stop running/swimming and ball or rag finding for an hour and a half.

My wirehaired pointer on the other hand has no interest re balls and he can out run a weim all day long:rolleyes:
 
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