Driving Me Crazy...Need Help!

[Elly_N_Joe]

:hothead: So I really need some help...my first question is, does anyone know of a good community (online board, simliar to onewed) for dog owners?

Secondly... if anyone can help me or advise on this situation I would appreciate it....

Ok, so I have three dogs. Narah is 3, she is rott/shepard/chow, Lorelei is 2, she is Black Lab, and Mack-T is 1 and he is Rott/Chow. My problem, for somereason they won't stay out of my cabinets and stuff... I have tried everything and I don't know what to do. Mostly I think it's Mack (ya know being a puppy) but it doesn't matter, if I put something on the far back of the counter, or up on the toaster, they find it. Perfect example, I bought a bag of Halloween Chocolate and it was on the counter, well we have a pantry cabinet next to our fridge, and I folded the bag up closed and put it on the shelf shut the door, well this morning, they had the doors open and the bag of chocolate out... it's like they are scavaging for food, but it's not like I don't feed them. They each get two cups in the morning and two at night, and most times we don't pick up their food, so they always have left overs still sitting in the bowels.

I just don't get it, and it's really starting to drive me crazy, because everyday I have to go home and clean up something they got a hold of. And it's not something that wasn't put away, but just something they decided to find.

Oh another example... had my card box from the wedding, on the second shelf of the book shelf (cuz the shelf was empty) and next to it a clear containter with lid that had the flowers from the trellis in it, and then on top of that, a box of the coasters I passed out. Came home for lunch one day and they had dumped the box of coasters over and chewed through the plastic bin completly and the flowers where in the middle of the floor (IT"S NOT EVEN FOOD)...

I'm just at my end here, and I don't know what to do!!!

[samantha01]

Whoah! I've never had that happen or anything like it. I have a black lab and we have had him in the house since he was a puppy. He has never tried anything like that. Maybe you can kid proof your cabinets. We use tough love on our dog and he is very well behaved and minds very well. If it is the younger dog, maybe its not too late for some tough love.

[NicksBride]

oh dear, our dogs do that as well. We have a squirt bottle forwhen we are home and squirt them, but child proofing the cabinets is another good idea. That would drive me insane as well!

[tinkerjew]

Jennifer (Dog Lover) might be able to help you on this one. :)

[thefuturemrsrogers]

Have you tried child-proofing the cabinet doors? We have an explorer kitten, and we had to do this to keep her from getting caught in the cupboard under the sink all night long.

[Elly_N_Joe]

well we have crate trained all our dogs, and it seems to work very well, narah my oldest has never gotten into things before we got Mack, then I think lack of attention and me going back to work she started acting out.

[Elly_N_Joe]

Child proofing the cabinets is not ging to solve my issue, because it's not just the cabinets, it's anything, anywhere... they will knock my purse off the kitchen table just to go through it... or like the bookself example.. can't saftey lock the books shelf.

And I tried closing them off into theliving room, and the busted the gate into peices trying to get through.

[samantha01]

So they are jumping up on the table and cabinets? Have you tried scolding them or do you kind of just let them do what they want?
Call Ceaser Milan...The Dog Whisperer...hahhaha

[tinkerjew]

Have you tried child-proofing the cabinet doors? We have an explorer kitten, and we had to do this to keep her from getting caught in the cupboard under the sink all night long.

Our kitten likes to get into everything, too. There are a lot of boxes lying around and she loves to get into those... and the garbage and anything else she can get her cute little paws on! :notsure:

[Elly_N_Joe]

So they are jumping up on the table and cabinets? Have you tried scolding them or do you kind of just let them do what they want?
Call Ceaser Milan...The Dog Whisperer...hahhaha

Ofcourse we scold them, and no they dont' get to do whatever they want. They get a smack on the nose or butt and then are made to sit in their box, fomr 5-30 minutes depending on the incident. (just like a child)

I just don't see what they are going after... i mean, the flowers were in a clear container... closed, shut.... my purse in the middle of the table... they once ate $60!!

[bichonlvr]

Time to put them in their own areas....Either crate or baby gate and area for them where they can not get into anything! I woud seperate them to see who is doing what!!! I would call a dog behaviorist in your area!

[PGDesigns]

A great online community for pet owners (and those seeking to adopt homeless animals) can be found on Petfinder.com.

http://forums.petfinder.com

Have any of the dogs been to obedience classes? Also, google articles on Nothing in Life is Free or NILIF.

It sounds like you need to start treating them as though you would a new puppy or dog. Go back to Crate-Training 101 when you can not supervise your animals. I would also child-proof the cabinets, though you said they counter surf, too. Until you are able to get this situation under control, act as though they are children in the sense that you would not leave important items within their reach.

You mention you crate-trained in the past. I would definitely go back to crating. Don't think of it as a punishment. Think of it as preventing a life-threatening injury. What would happen if they got into something while you were at work and it either made them sick or they choked or swallowed it (causing an obstruction and thousands in vet bills)?

Scolding them ONLY works when you catch them in the act. If you come home to a mess and scold them, they will not relate the scolding to the mess.

It sounds as though your dogs are bored or either suffer from mild separation anxiety. I'm willing to bet it's more of a boredom thing, though. A tired dog is a happy dog. Maybe run them in the yard more before you leave for work. Give them Kong toys filled with frozen treats or kibble (you can find Kong recipes online easily) to work with while you aren't around.

I would seriously start NILIF and go back to crating.

[PGDesigns]

I forgot to mention that since this could be caused by changes in schedule, try to implement a strict schedule for them to help them get back into the swing of things.

[TangoWedding]

Do they do this when you're at home, too?

It sounds like they're bored and just want to get into things to ease their boredom. I've found that with my dog...if she hasn't had enough exercise or attention, she'll find things to get into ON PURPOSE. It's like she just WAITS for something she can get into.

:bblol:

If they do it when you're home, try taking them for a quick walk or play ball outside (it usually doesn't take too much). Or give them something to do - like puzzle toys. If they can burn a little extra energy, they won't have the need to rummage so much. And the dog whisperer (LOL) says that dogs need a job to do....so give them a job.

Especially with big dogs like that. They were bred to work. Put them to work!

If they only do it while you're away, crate them when they're alone. I have to do that with mine, too.

And I've always heard not to use the crate for punishment (as hard as that is to pass up!!) because they start to associate the crate as a bad place, instead of a security place like it's supposed to be.

[EarlyBird]

i have to laugh that they once ate 60$ b/c my parents dogs did the same this for a while.

Our dogs now try to get into anything but are immediatly crated when they do something like that- My vet told me dont associate crate with punishment but honestly, i was at my wits end with things being chewed too.
if there are certain things they like why not spray bitters end? I did this will my baseboards (looked like rodents got to them during my pups teething) And i did it to some coffee table books and as soon as their mouth touched they wanted nothing to do with them. So maybe instead of getting ALL the books down, you might only be dealing with one or two books.

We keep our pups in an extra bedroom/office we have while we are gone but of course with 3 dogs and it seems maybe large- that wont work.
Honestly, what i did when i was at my wits end is call like 3 vets and a couple obiedience schools and just beg for their advice. some were nice and talked for an hour about how to help and some said "bring them in" (which i wasnt doing for 100$ visit for them to say "try obiedience school' hehe
If your in desperation, i would call around and just exlain and say "WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST??'

[TangoWedding]

That is another thing. Obedience school.

I had a good dog...though he just hated listening to me. So we went to beginning training (I think it was $100 at Petsmart for 8 Sundays of school.)


Let me tell ya, after that class, my dog could be all the way across the house and I'd say "hey" and he'd come running to sit at my feet and see what I wanted. He was SO attentive and SUCH a perfect dog after that.

It's really amazing - and totally worth it - if you put the work into it.