question on discipline

[Louby]

You may remember me posting about Boris my rather vocal dog!! Well he still is very vocal and the leaving him alone is still a bit hit and miss with some good days and some very bad days.
I read something today on howling dogs and reckon HE is our pack leader as everything I read pointed straight at our situation, so we are trying to be a bit more assertive with him.
Boris doesnt do much wrong apart from howl and bark when left but last night he chewed a slipper up, was told no and to get in his bed which he did. Later we came down and hes chewing it again, was told the same. Tonight I found him chewing up a magazine so did the same. Question is what do I do know, what I mean is hes sulking in his bed at the moment, do I just let him come out in a bit of his own accord, do I call him out. I just dont know what I should really be doing.
Thanks for any advice

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

To release him from his bed should be your call, not his! him coming out on his own means he is boss and can come when he wants.....

If barking is an issue have you tried the anti bark collars or sensors?

I have a discipline issue, but slightly less noise related, so fret not we all have bad aspects!

 

[Louby]

The antibark collars have crossed our mind, he really can be bad but he is quite a timid dog and Im worried I may scare him to death??? I did buy a cheap antibark collar off ebay that suppposedly lets off a high pitched noise when they bark but when I tried it (barking myself

and howling

) he didnt react at all. He howls more and it didnt even go off then. I had a look at the units but we have a dog that barks next door and they reckon the unit picks up barking etc for quite a distance.
Thanks for the advice, I will go and call him out now. Do I act normal with him now? I know I sound stupid but he has been so good apart from his howling Ive never really had to tell him off.

 

[Oneofthepack]

I didn't read your original post so scuse me if I'm going over old territory! Does he get LOADS of exercise? I think dogs chew when they're bored or unfulfilled in some way, could be exercise, company, lack of mental stimulation etc Have you tried filled bones or kongs. I wouldn't leave them with a kong but one of those bones with the yucky filling in, with the yucky filling removed and replaced with a smear of peanut butter? When you find him chewing say no very firmly and replace what he chewing with his bone.

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

once you release him from the bed ye its back to normal as he has been punished and now he gets his next chance to be a good boy! (mine is still working on the good boy aspect!)

Chews like the kong are also a good idea, especialyl if there is a particular weird smearable food he likes? or even stuffing it with stuff like cheese, or cream cheese is good (and freeze it as it makes it last longer! mwahahaha!)

 

[Louby]

Hi, thanks for replying. Yes he gets loads of exercise being at the stables most days with his brother and sister and then another hour in the evening.
He has a Kong that I give him when I leave him and loves them hard bone thingys with the gunky filling. Meant to ask about them in the past but he licks the inner out first then tries to chew/bite the outer and I worry that it will crack or splinter so have taken it off him. I worry that if a piece comes off he will swallow it whole and choke???
I didnt really make my original post clear after just reading it again. When he chewed the slipper etc he wasnt alone in the house, I had just gone for a bath and found him chewing when I came down stairs.

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

right, well my puppy and my friends spaniels all chew those bone outter bits.......... I also worry about splintering, but have not yet had an issue. In theory its cooked bones that are the problem as they are the ones that splinter (I believe) but obviously if you DO see small shards around the place just pick them up and get rid, better safe than sorry hey?!

In the case you are describing I think you would be correct in what you are doing then, with tell off, bed, and stay there until you release him, or other people prefer (as stated above) the stern no, then swap for a chew he CAN enjoy (and is allowed to!) to try to ensure he wants to chew that rather than say..... your new stilletos!

but different dogs will work better to different things