Dog psychology: someone will know this?
I know a guy who has a young bitch, she has a pattern of destroying things while he's out. Then he finds her looking guilty and she pees on the floor.
He's a decent bloke, but he doesn't know how to deal with this.
Any advice from dog-owners?
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Pups don't generally take well to being left to alone in the house. Giving them a "den" to stay in can help them to feel more secure, and aid in house-training (plus there's the added benefit that they can't destroy anything while they're in the crate). Our dogs benefitted greatly from it, and they still like napping in their crates, although we almost never shut the gates anymore.
Once the pup is feeling more secure in the house, the submissive peeing should stop as well.
L
Spend a lot of time with them let them help you do the gardening,work on the car etc and make sure they have a mate to play with.
Male dogs peeing in the house makes sense but ive never had a female who pees in the house but a firm hand has to be used and disipline (i dont mean hitting although this works if you do it once or twice and there after use a stick more as a threat that an actual weapon)and dominance has to be asserted especially with big strong males who have the ability to physically overpower you.
I'm not so sure it's separation anxiety. She might just be teething and feeling very bored. I agree with RMS about crate training because a dog who destroys things might be a danger to herself if she gets into something she shouldn't or chokes on something she's tearing up. However, she still might need a Nylabone which are hard to destroy and choke on if given the right size.
So responsible crate training and reserving anger/disappointment. If he can't catch her in the act, there's no point in getting angry. If he does catch her in the act, he just needs to startle her and redirect her to what she should be doing. She doesn't know the rules and still needs to be taught what's ok and what's not.
One of my dogs used to chew on my shoes and the steps. Every time I caught him, I would make a quick, sharp, loud sound to make him stop and then once he'd stopped, I would give him a cow hoof or plush toy which are both things he's allowed to put in his mouth and destroy. It took a couple weeks of redirection, but he stopped chewing on things he wasn't allowed to. This was all happening when he was VERY sensitive and fearful of any sort of correction, but he could cope with a startling noise and being given a cow hoof. He now sees me as a "benevolent leader" rather than a tyrant, and if he makes a mistake, he knows I won't bully him.
I would recommend reading For the Love of a Dog by Dr. Patricia McConnell which is available in paperback and also on audiobook. The title sounds a bit sissy, but it's a very well-researched book by a leading animal behaviorist. It's all about human-dog communication and understanding dog behavior and psychology. I also really like Victoria Stillwell's approach to training, and she has a show called "It's Me or the Dog".
He has been angry at the destruction (all the toilet paper, his mattress down to the springs...), but is being super-careful now.
Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.
L
Good advice, but I don't understand that this is an excitement thing.
L
He has to establish dominance over the pup -- there are several non-violent ways to do this involving posture, voice and attitude.
Pay off GOOD behaviour.
Dogs have a LOT of energy. If you don't give them lots of playtime, especially when young they won't burn that energy off, and in boredom will wreck your stuff.
. Canine separation anxiety. The dog is reacting to being alone. It's bored and uncomfortable with being alone.
> he finds her looking guilty and she pees on the floor.
. Submissive peeing. She's telling him that she knows he is the alpha dog
. Both are common in dogs and both are easily fixed. Google "dog training", "dog behavior", &c
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