Eating the couch... PPlease help!

[ourlittlegirl]

Last night our 10 mo old pup decided that she would eat our couch while i went to the gym!!! I came home to find that she had ripped a foot long seam wide open, and pulled out stuffing and metal. Obviously I was extremely mad. All i felt i could realy do was to put her into her cage as i didn't catch her in the act. Today, i was in the kitchen and she did the same thing! So, i smacked her hard enough for her to yelp at put her back in her cage. This is the only time EVER that she has eaten anything other than her own toys or the wall?! (don't ask!) What can I do? I was just starting to trust her to be good enough to be let out by herself for short periods. I was thinking about getting the sour apple spray from petsmart and spraying some things.. what do you guys think??

thanks,
Craig and Juanita

[HtotheNootch]

From what I understand Bitter Apple might be worth a try unless your dog's like mine (13 mos). He licks the stuff right off - he also ate a bag of dried habenero peppers one time as well.

[Rott-Wiley]

First of all, don't physically smack her. If you can't be there to watch her, crate her where she is safe and the rest of your stuff is not liable to get damaged.

Yes, try getting Bitter Apple and put it on the electric cords and whatever else she may want to chew. But above all, if you can't be around to supervise her, the crate is the safest place for her.

[Bucky's Mom]

Originally posted by ourlittlegirl
Last night our 10 mo old pup decided that she would eat our couch while i went to the gym!!! I came home to find that she had ripped a foot long seam wide open, and pulled out stuffing and metal. Obviously I was extremely mad. All i felt i could realy do was to put her into her cage as i didn't catch her in the act. Today, i was in the kitchen and she did the same thing! So, i smacked her hard enough for her to yelp at put her back in her cage. This is the only time EVER that she has eaten anything other than her own toys or the wall?! (don't ask!) What can I do? I was just starting to trust her to be good enough to be let out by herself for short periods. I was thinking about getting the sour apple spray from petsmart and spraying some things.. what do you guys think??

thanks,
Craig and Juanita

She got to the couch from her crate (or you didn't have her in there when you left for the gym??)

She was in the living room while you were in the kitchen and couldn't see her till you saw her chewing the couch? (so you hit her and THEN put her in crate??)

You havew now associated the crate with punishment???

Ok - now take a rolled up newpaper and hit yourself hard enough on the head "to make you yelp" and go to your room - when you PROMISE not to leave a 10 month old PUPPY where they can get hurt - or destructive - or PUNISHED for being a puppy
THEN you may come out - but ONLY where I can see you to make sure you DON't repeat your previous actions.

Kidding here - sorta - kinda - get it???

[Sharon Marples]

If you are not going to supervise her, put baby gates up so she can't leave the room you are in, tie her to your waist with a leash or put her in a crate.

Plain and simple. She is ten months old, she is still in a chewing stage. She must be watched more closely, not to be trusted yet.

[Miabella]

Please don't hit your dog, and especially not for your mistakes. She doesn't know any better, she doesn't understand the advantages of an unchewed sofa vs. a pristine sofa.

[Karyn]

Lost a lot of stuff like that.... Then I figured it out. Don't give them the opportunity to get in trouble. Bitter Apple never worked with any of my dogs - they kind of worked through it.

[SABELLESMOM]

Tie a leash to your waist and she'll be right where you are when you are in the house, or yard. This way, she won't be able to chew when you aren't watching. I've never used bitter apple, I have my doubts as to whether it would work.

When you aren't at home, crate her. What she's doing is normal for her age, if left undirected and unsupervised. Not everyone has a chewer, but she IS a puppy and WILL be a puppy for perhaps another year.

I find I can trust my 2 year old while I go to the grocery store, and during the night. She is still crated while I work, during the school year...loves to chew tissues, for some reason.

You also might try some additional physical activity with her. Has she been to classes? Could you become interested in a dog related activity like agility? Do you jog? She's quite young so jogging perhaps moderate distances on grass would perhaps be better. GOOD LUCK!

[tilerspop]

Don't punish the dog for your errors. You've already been punished for you error, you have a damaged couch. The crate is the safest place for the dog and your sanity.

When it comes down to it the dog probably prefers the crate. Tiler doesn't have a crate anymore, (it became a hand me down) he still will spend most of his days on the road behind the seats of my truck (about the same size as a crate). The doors are open, the spot is his choice.

[samanthac]

Crate her, plain and simple. What she can't reach, she can't destroy. In aiddition to wrecking your sofa, she could have choked on the fiber or seriously injured herself on broken coils or wood splinters.

If you left her out unattended while you were gone, its your fault and you should not be punishing her for your error. ALso, unless you catch her directly in the act, not a second after, then correction is utterly useless and all you will teach her is to be afraid of you.

:)

[ourlittlegirl]

Thank you everyone for the feedback... When I say i smacked her it wasn't to hurt her, just to startle her, then a sharp 'NO' anyways, I see your point about leaving her out.. the second time though I was no more than 3 feet from her! I was opening the fridge for something.. So at what age do you all feel is apropriate to begin working up to leaving her or testing her alone??

[Judy Chrusch]

Unless you catch her in the act, punishment doesn't mean diddly squat . You said in your first post you hit her hard enough for her to help, then you said you just wanted to startle her . Now if a rottie yelps, you must have hit her pretty darn hard, not to mention the punishment didn't warrent the beahavior. It was your fault she got into trouble bc she was not being properly watched and when you are unable to do so then as Sharon said, put up baby gates or confine her to a crate, plain and simple then she won't get hit and she won't get in trouble. I have baby gates everywhere though now that Czar is 2 1/2 he's can be trusted but I still have them up when need be and he also has his crate. So please if there is ever a moment where she can't be watched, PLEASE confine her with baby gates or better yet a crate, especially when you are NOT home.

I feel real bad when a dog gets into trouble and it could have been avoided. They should not be punished for our mistakes.

Just curious as to how much exercise your pup gets daily??

Judy

[SABELLESMOM]

As to what age is it appripriate to leave her alone...

Well, unfortunately, there's no magic age. It's different for each dog. My 2 year old, Sable, can be loose in the house for short periods during the day and all night. She's still crated when I go to work.

My friend's Xena was good from the time she was house trained. She swears she never touched a thing! Another friend's Remmington was about 18 months, when he no longer got himself into trouble.

You can test her anytime you like, but I'm guessing if she's eating couches you might be in for a longer haul, like 2+. It doesn't hurt them to be crated. I find both my dogs generally sleep when I'm not home, considering all the stretching and yawning that goes on when I get home.

If you really insist on giving her more space, can you baracade her in a "safe" kitchen? No chemicals, cleaning products about? Nothing to chew? No garbage? Nothing on the counter? Or in her case, perhaps no chewable furniture? Curtains?

[ourlittlegirl]

Bella gets walked twice a day for about 20 minutes at a time... mainly because it's too hot right now for much more.. she seems to pant alot. Also, at night I've rollerbladed with her, and we play at the park with our other dog for quite a while. During the day we also work on commands, or just play wrestle or tug of war. As for the baby gates, that is a really good suggestion, but the way our condo is set up it wouldn't be practical. We should be buying a house around January though with atleast an acre of fenced yard, and all the doggy necessities :D

[rakishilover]

My rottie boy Ben is also 10 months and i was smart enough to read the books before i owned my last rottie.

This boy would chew everything if you let him and it doesnt matter how much exercise he gets. I am home all day with him he is out for walks and is constantly played with by the kids and in our yard where he endlessly fetches balls.

He just loves to chew. He goes through rawhides like they are water! If i leave him out in the house he is watched and when he starts to chew on something he is not supposed to a sharp no is used and he stops. He is a baby and i treat him like one - that means always watching and not trusting him alone yet.

Would you leave a 10 month old human baby alone?

I keep him crated whenever i cant be there for his safety as well as for the safety of our belongings.

When can you trust him? I dont know, how about When he stops chewing???