Okay Im starting to get very down about this

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danhappy

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He is relentless. Our Inuit is 6½ months old now, and he is showing NO signs of imporvement with his behaviour if he left, if its for 10 mins while I pop to the shop, or a couple of hours whilst Im at work. He is close to chewing a hole through the wall, my plaster around my doorframe is down to the brick, I have almost no doorframe left, and we have had to lift the floor by the back door and throw it outside as he has now decided not only will he still poo when I go out (every time) he is now going to start spreading it and smearing it everywhere (he doesnt touch it when he does do it outside).

I did everything everyone told me about the seperation anxiety, Ive walked around constantly brushing my hair for the last 3 weeks (the first trigger Im going out) and he still barks at me when I do it) I just dont know what to do. I try to take him with me wherever I can, Ive even mastered pushing two children in a pushchair whilst not running over his feet whilst I do the school run cos its not worth leaving him in th house for 10 mins with the destruction he causes.

Sorry for my little rant... just seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, and no improvement from when we got him at 11 weeks.
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It feels like its getting worse.
 
i got a dog cage for mine in the end as she was the same,still barked but couldnt trash the kitchen she soon calmed down and settled also gave her a dog toy the one you put food in it kept her occupied also,she doesnt need cage anymore as it worked for her,left door open in the day when i was there and she would also sleep in it,its a comforting thing for them it makes them feel secure !!
 
We started in a cage but I couldnt cope with cleaning up poo off the cage bars as it could take me an hour when I have a 2 year old and 3 year old running riot it just wasnt working :-(
 
Oh, and he covered himself in it as well! Thing is I dont think we could go back to that now, he's too old and I think our cage is too small now despite being an extra large cage (he's around 26kgs now)
 
I second the cage idea, i have had dogs of varying types for many years, including rottweilers, dobermans,boxers and now terriers, i had never used a cage before and went through all the naughty things that young dogs get upto, including ripping an entire bookcase and its contents to bits, shoes, carpets, kitchen cupboards ect. I have used a cage with the terriers, and it is their own private place which they feel safe, makes house training ect much easier, cover with a blanket and they soon get usd to it .....good luck
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oh dear,have you thought of bark busters they send people out to help with problems,they have a website cant remember proper add but just type in bark busters and it should find it,id be tempted to still try cage,friends gsd still fitted in her extra large cage,my shar pei was a big baby when she was left alone shes nearly 2 now and she is 10 times better !! sorry i cant b much help though
 
It is difficult to say from a post on a forum, but if he is extremely anxious, then putting him back into a crate may make matters worse....I've seen video footage of anxious dogs destroying crates! If one is going to be used he first needs to feel safe in the crate, not somewhere where he is going to be shut in when left alone.

Where abouts are you? I really think you need to seek the advice of a qualified behaviourist, such as an APBC or COAPE practitioner. Please be aware that barkbusters is just a franchise which you can buy into...they're not a source of qualified, experienced behaviourists.
 
I use a dog cage for my weimaraner, a breed which is well known for destroying the house when left alone even for the shortest amount of time!
Before i got the cage she would always mess, dug up the kitchen floor after ripping the lino to shreds, tried to chew through the wall and took chunks out of the door frame and cupboards.
I use her cage as her everyday bed with a nice big dog pillow, and she loves it, it did take a while for her to get used to it, i would put her init while i was in the house and when she settled i would let her out and fuss her to let her know it wasnt a bad thing.
 


Re the pooing thing, I'm sure he's not deliberately smearing his poo (forgive me if this isn't what you meant) as a dogs brain will not think that way, but it is an indication of how stressed he is when you go out as he's going to the toilet and then frantically running around in it trying to get at you.

It sounds like it will keep on getting worse, you will end up hating the dog and everyone will be miserable if you don't sort it out professionally so I'd get a behaviourist in. Ask your vet if they can recommend someone.

And sorry for a quick negative, but what on earth possessed you to get a big, strong and difficult dog when you have 2 young children to cope with already?
 
I think Dante was planning to buy a malamute puppy - possibly not a great idea at the moment.

Hope things improve - getting a specialist involved may the best bet here.
 
I think its time to call the experts in. I could give you lots of advice but it seems you've followed some of that already and no signs of improvement. You need a home home visit and assessment by someone accredited to the APDT or APBC.
Good Luck
 
I agree with CLAIRE, think you may need to look down the behaviouralist route to.......he has become very dependant upon your company....although you say you take him everywhere and dont use the cage because of the passing faeces when left, and allow him to go to bed with you......he has eventually gotten want he wants and that is to be in your constent company......he needs a consistent routine and needs to be re-programmed in regard to feeling comfortable spending time in his own company.
I think by a behaviourist coming out to your home and working one to one and will be more detrimental than the advice u could get from anyone on the forum that cant assess his and your needs, as well as the small detail you may think/forget to mention that a behaviourist in your home talking to you, would ask/cover in determining the best way to tacle the problem.
I agree with J44Y re-bark busters, I would steer clear there and go for an accredited behaviouralist
 
Damn it woman you always beat me to these posts(stupid poxy proxy!!)
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Erm, ditto what Cala said but would like to add good luck.
Behaviour problems can seem unending and all consuming, with the right help it WILL get better and one day you WILL look at your wonderfull well behaved dog and laugh about this.
 
The best step forward would be to have a chat with your vet. Any qualified behaviourist will require a referral from them anyway, and your vet will probably have a behaviourist who they normally refer to. I only take vet referrals (I'm a COAPE behaviourist).
 
Hiya, all! Thank you all for your posts. I think the crate would stress him out too much now. I think I said in a previous post I had to let him sleep on our bedroom floor reluctently cos the neighbours reported him to environmental health. Im determined not too give up on him, hes a member of our family now. He is still barking everytime I walk upstairs (he would be in the kitchen behind the stairgate because of the children). My neighbour (that I do get on with) said she can tell everytime I have a shower, or popped out because he's constantly barking. My husband is for some reason reluctant to go through with a behaviourist, his view is that he's only 6 months old and I should expect it, I just want the dog to be happy (by the way, the dogs name is Dante).

I have considered the comapion route as a couple of months ago we looked after our mums border collie (Jess) for two weeks. Now she is a nervous wreck but mum was on holiday and my Auntie who originally had her couldnt cope because she ran off during a walk, so we had her (couldnt go in kennels as no-one could find her papers).

Anyway, they would play all day outside non stop, he loved it, and she stuck up for herself. There was accidents when we went out and Jess tore up some vinyl but them shes always been a chewer (shes 18 months now). The main point being is that non of this 'destructive' behaviour i.e. the doorframe and wall being attacked started until Jess went. Its got progressively worse and we are sweeping piles of splintered wood everytime we come home. Im also concerned the dog is eating some of the wood and it wont be doing him any good (and we had just got over eating gravel too!)

Heres trouble and what hes done so far!

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It look worse in real life! But the grey is the fast disapearing plaster and the flooring is what was underneath our vinyl
 
Just seen the photos of the damage he's done.... holy moses he's eating your house! I've had dogs all my life including some from really bad rescue situations which means they normally come with tons of baggage, but I've never seen anything like that. OH should understand that this is not only stressful for you but the poor dog too and the sooner you get some professional help the better for him.
 
You poor thing. Have you read Jan Fennell's books - The Dog Whisperer? If not, you may find the slight alterations she suggests in you and your family's interaction with the dog wil make a huge difference.
 
Ill have a look and see if I can get that book, I work in a library so shouldnt be a problem. Thanks everyone for your support, like I said, Im determined to get him through this :-)
 
OMG you poor thing - he's eating your house! And poor dog too! I agree with the people suggesting an animal behaviourist as it should be "easier" to sort this out before he gets any older... Also have you tried a pheromone diffuser? I have used a DAP with great success for firework anxitety in one of my dogs! Good Luck!
 
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You poor thing. Have you read Jan Fennell's books - The Dog Whisperer? If not, you may find the slight alterations she suggests in you and your family's interaction with the dog wil make a huge difference.

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Her books are excellent but in this situation you need someone to physically assess the dog, the dogs environment and the way you handle it. There are so many triggers to this type of behavior and the reality is that following books and advice in a severe situation like this you are more likely to get it wrong than right. This is learned behaviour now and unless you seek professional advice this is only get worse. The longer you leave it the more psychologically distressed this dog will get and the end result will be an unmanageable dog ending up in rescue.
 
OMG at the damage.

Dont have anything constructive to say I'm afraid. Although another book that I've heard good things about is Cesars way by Cesaer Milan (sp). Not sure if that could be worth a read?

Would also like to add, fab on you for not giving up on your chap. I'm sure many people would have (no one on here- just mean in general, like the large number of dogs with probs in rescues).
 
I am determined not to give up, you wouldnt give a baby up because it screams too much, and I wont let him go to rescue, it will just pass the problem on. We said he would only ever go if he attacked (or got close to) one of the children. To answer an earlier question, we got a bigger dog with small children as many people told us a bigger dog would put up with more from small kids. I dont think a smaller dog would put up with half the hassle the kids give him.

When we are at home he is the biggest softie ever. He just lays around wanting his belly rubbed half the time. I did try something new earlier, I was trying to get ready to go to my mums for dinner with the kids and he started shadowing me, knowing I was getting ready to go out (and only for 1 hr), so anyway, I put him outside (and had to lock the door as he can open doors!) in the garden, and within two minutes he had pooed on the garden. Just before I went out I let him back in, stuck the radio on and bolted the kitchen door.

When I came home, no accidents! Made a big fuss with a treat once he eventually calmed down (10 mins of barking at me), he had chewed some more wood, but not quite so much as before. Im going to give that a few more shots and see if he improves. If its doesnt, I think it will have to be the behaviourist route.

Can I just ask to ease my mind, is this still normal for most puppies this age??? (hes coming up to 6 half)
 
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Can I just ask to ease my mind, is this still normal for most puppies this age???

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Is what still normal? Pooing inside? Destroying the interior of houses? Shadowing you?

Pooing inside and destroying the house is not normal, although it may be with the breed you have, I don't know a whole lot about what is normal in that breed as I always thought they were outside working dogs, not designed to live in a house.

Shadowing you - well yes that is fairly normal for any pup.

I have to say you are very tolerant - no way would I stand for that sort of destruction; the dog would be moved outside and given loads of stimulating toys aswell as plenty of exercise both for the mind aswell as the body.

What are these dogs supposed to be for Dante? (And yes obviously I know your dog is called Dante - but your username is also
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we got a bigger dog with small children as many people told us a bigger dog would put up with more from small kids. I dont think a smaller dog would put up with half the hassle the kids give him.


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I can't believe I read that. That is NOT a reason to buy a big dog - NO dog should have to put up with ""hassles from children; not ever. Sorry but this all sounds very ill thought out from the beginning.
 
Hiya, its the first dog we've had, and not to pass the blame but it was hubby who wanted this breed and as far as Im concerned its his dog, but Im the one who is at home most of the day and comes home to the mess, I just want dante to be happy.

When I say hassle, the kids are generally very good around him. They just want to stroke him all the time and play with him and he doesnt mind. Ive tried every toy suggested, puppy kongs, the funny shaped moleculs that you put the treats inside etc. I have considered putting him outside, getting my dad to build a nice kennel/shelter for him.

No getting the dog wasnt well planned Ill admit that, but Im in this situation now and its not ideal. I wanted the kids to be potty trained at least before getting a pet.

I give him all the exercise I can, I take him where I can so he gets a walk, let him have a good run around in the fields not far from our house, and we have a decent sized garden which I play with him as much as possible... Ive even mastered pushing two children in a pushchair and walking him.

Im still not totally sure what breed he is. His papers say a British Inuit, but his mother was a husky and his father an alaskan malamute, so cant really answer that one.

I hope people dont think bad of me, and me and my oh have had quite few arguements over how this has happened, but it wont fix the damage.
 
I think you are being very tolerant in what must be a very difficult situation. I admire you for not giving up on him, as you say rescue would just pass the problem on but that wouldn't stop a lot of people. My old GSD died last summer leaving her 6 year old daughter, who became very clingy around me, although not anything like your problem, she wasn't destructive. I started taking her to training classes (you can teach an old dog new tricks!) and it helped her self confidence no end. It might just help Dante, although I realise it might not be easy with two young children. Wish I could offer more advice, hope you find something that works.
 
Oh no I don't think badly of you at all - I just think that you are now in a situation which is not acceptable for you and your family, nor good for the dog either.

There's a handful of people on here who have experience of these dogs - they are your best bet for tips as I am a pastoral-breed person so don't know a whole lot about them to be honest....although I did seriously look into getting a Malamute some time ago......but then I read about the destruction that they do and knew that they were not the dogs for me.

I don't think anyone on here wishes you anything but the very best of luck in figuring out what can be done to help your doggy.
 
I know Im in a mess, and the support on here is what makes me keep trying and perservering with him. I think my oh is only put off by getting a behaviorist in because it will cost a lot of money (not saying the dog isnt worth it, we just dont have that kind of money at the moment)

Because of this I am trying everything that I can do first, I know in the back of my mind it will probably come to the point of getting specialist help very soon.

Just to say thank you again. Like I said its all of your support that keeps me going and makes me feel a bit more positive about it.
 
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