Fed up of the nonsense

Lieja

I also have a shocking food/rubbish/clothes off the airer thief and at the moment he isn't left in the kitchen when we go out. We're moving soon and he will have to be left in the kitchen, so the plan is to remove absolutely anything he can get his filthy little paws on and leave lots of toys/stuffed kongs/old shoes all over the floor that he's allowed to make a mess of. The bin will just be removed entirely from the room!

Does he have things he's 'allowed' to play with left for him while you're out?

Tygermoth

Also have you considered classes, local flyball group, or social dog walks? for added extra stimulation?

Flyball is brilliant for prey driven short bursts of energy. My dog is totally sparko after a go! Meetup is great for social walks and building up doggy friendships.

Even if you have no green spaces (i don't at the mo, they are all flooded) the Pup has been to a obedience class, a tricks class, agility and a swim class to keep him occupied. I find a occupied pup is one to shattered to to damage lol

He loves it when we are out as he gets to snuggle in his crate and sleep! lol

Other top tip is games, I have a old icecream carton i have cut diffrent size holes in and put treats and tape the lid down. He can tear it to bits if he wants (however he just knocks it about like a mad thing to get the treats out) i put down a tripe/bully/jerky chew strip and filled kong. the combination of the three is enough that hes got some stimulation.

We have watched him on puppycam and he sleeps in his crate, batters icecream pot... sleeps.. attacks kong... sleeps chews the bully stick... and so on.

Ps a childsafe lock on a cupboard with the bin in works too this worked with the prev mutt who was a bin raider.

Fosterdog

Do you leave him with anything to keep him occupied like a stuffed kong or treatball? If he haas something really tasty put in one for him it all keep hm busy and he's less likely to want to get at the rubbish or anything else.

Penny_Watcher

I have three of these stacked underneath my kitchen counter for recycling and landfill waste. £6 each and the lids need lifting before waste can be put inside. Even my greedy ginger lab can't work out how to get into them

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/10255897/#/10255897

Caroline_a

They look good, but I reckon my Shepherd would get into that. He's far too clever for his own good, and I have a whole selection of useless (mostly expensive) bins that I thought would foil him. Including one that you just had to wave at. He learnt (and I watched him do it) that if he put his nose in the 'right' position it would magically open...

lostinrates

Crisp_£_note wrote: »

Thanks Caroline I will look into getting a bin like that maybe theres one cheaper but similar.

meritaten He goes for regular walks twice a day but hes not as often let off to run as theres no secure parks or fields round here not even to hire! Also hes not reliable off lead for many reasons including fear of other animals who have attacked him in the recent past but we keep him active in the back garden with toys and balls as best we can so he stretches his legs and pent up need to run as much as possible. We are aware its 'not fair' but we do our best within the limitations what is possible within the restrictions. Vets are happy with the routine and say were not doing anything cruel or that would be detrimental to the dog if thats anything to go by.

phill99 I dont blame it all on the dog but when we come home to find what he has done it does point the finger at him for a while until we calm down and see that it was more likely our fault for missing something new out of the routine. It takes us 30 minutes as it is to dog proof and prepare before we can leave the house just for 10 minutes say whilst we nip to the shop or post box and back.

Yes separation anxiety thats a tough one to crack as well but we have good days and better days - perfection is a myth

Thanks all

My vet is a sight hound man. He fundamentally agrees with me that sighthounds 'need' off lead time. This is a difficult decision for us as even though I believe in the need for it psychologically it cup has caused some physical damage to one of our over engineered dogs. Sight hounds have a lot of the type of mucle fibre specifically designed for fast running, and their minds are tuned into this. Is it cruel? No, I wouldn't say its cruel....but it might be that its Not meeting all his needs in the best way. You might not be able to provide that, most of us have to make compromises, but its worth trying to find alternatives all the time, because they do crop up.

There is no doubt when my sight hounds don't get run time they are fidgety and more likely to take some thing that 'isn't theirs', Mine are pretty good and easy to love with, but lead walks just to not do it for them in the way a good romp does. My terrier a.so prefers a good romp, but he does seem to be more stimulated and 'engaged' by a potter on the lead than they do.

Its much harder, almost impossible, if yours has fear of others ' poor chap. I wonder if finding some one with a very non reactive dog to walk with might give him a different sort of 'stimulation' and something to process?


My greyhound is surprisingly intelligent. If your cross is anything like her he might well enjoy classes in somethings suggested. Mine turns a paw to most things (bar agility....she things jumping things you can go round is really rather foolish) But she does like games, and obedience, and adores trick training with clicker.

Anything short of stimulation does risk them finding something to do I think. They'll sleep happily for hours if they are tired and stimulated enough during their activity.

JennyBee78

You can buy no spill water dishes which are actually designed for car travel - might help if he's messy!

mrcow

Put your food away in cupboards.

Put child lock catches on the cupboards.

geoffky

The dog needs x100 times more exercise...
Watch one working the fields everyday as i do then you will understand..
I also use a English pointer who works all day long and is still game for more...These dogs need to be fully exercised/working otherwise boredom must set in..
I wish people understood breeds a bit more...
I often get offered to be loaned a pointer dog because people get to the point where they realise they can not exercise them to the level they need....
I always refuse as the dog will already be ruined..

Transformers

back to the suggestion that you keep him in the conservatory when you go out - don't do that in the late spring / summer / autumn.

Conservatories that have inadequate ventilation / cooling can reach hideous temperatures when the sun in over them. Just like being in a car - it becomes an oven - animals can die in that heat.