I regret my dog so much

[DogWoe]

Deliberately not posting in the dog section.

I have 3 dogs. All small breed. All raised the same.

First 2 dogs are angels and 3rd is just off his rocker.

My other 2 are 4 and 5. Chill as anything.

DD always wanted this type of dog, obsessed with them for years. She begged constantly for us to get one.

Stupidly I agreed and it's my biggest regret.

Dog is 10 months old and a nutcase.
Walked 3 times a day but never stops teararsing round the house. Despite having a million chew toys he eats everything in his path.

He's bouncy and can get stuff from the 4th shelf of a bookcase, nothing is safe.

He's got no overnight toileting skills. In the daytime he's 100%, but DD does shifts so leaves at 4am. I get up at 7 30 to piss and shit. Guaranteed.

I don't get it. We are doing everything the same as we did with older 2 dogs who were perfect

I think I just don't gel with him at all.

On walks he's just like a tornado. I can't enjoy my other 2 dogs anymore.

I've just come down to DS2s wallet torn to shreds, money included (£40!)

It was on the fireplace last night!

Dog must have stood on armchair and nabbed it

I can't rehome him. It would break kids heart but God, this is so hard. I really wish I'd never got him 😭

Everything is 100 x harder now

Her food is barking heads dry food, which I soak in warm water.

She was on raw but it didn't agree with her at all, it gave her awful regurgitation. Which stopped when we switched to kibble

The daughter who wanted the dog is 15 but still old enough to be stepping up more.

Ah, I see

15 is a good age for her to take some responsibility for this dog.

Agility classes in the evening or weekend? She will learn about dog handling, the dog will get brain and body exercise and learn some impulse control. Find a class that caters for small and young dogs so they are not pushed to do something beyond their physical ability.

Sniff games in a garden or secure area? She can do those too - at a very basic level it's just hunting for treats but you can build up to hunting for a specific object that results in a ball throw or treats.

Bostons tend to love to learn tricks and there are some great YouTube videos to show her how. She then has a clever little dog she can show tricks off to her friends etc?

If the dog genuinely loves chewing but is chewing the wrong things then look specifically at what is being chewed? If it is the kinds of things humans have handled (like the wallet) then look to recreate this with the toys by handling them a lot so they smell of you. If they are a specific material type (like leather) then look for chew toys that are similar. They are things she can look into and organise/do.

A secure space may work well but only if this dog has plenty of outlet for behaviours at other times. It's an unusual 10 month old dog that copes well with the kind of dog a 5 year old dog chooses so this dog is going to need more input than your older ones, most likely.

I feel your pain op I had a crazy one now he's a beautiful calm 5year old but I do think it's going to be a tough year to go before he is less explorative. The only thing you can do is take him out for longer walks and try and make him as tired as possible

OK. I'm going to try a crate.

But I'm worried about him shitting and pissing in it.

Don't get a crate that's too big for their size. They will be more inclined to use one side of it as a bathroom.

No tips but I love boston terriers

They don't like to toilet in their beds. Make sure you get a bed inside the crate that takes up the whole space, if you leave a gap he'll wee and poo in it.
I used to think crates were cruel, then I got a pup, he's 8 months and it works perfectly, he is more spoiled than my kids, he loves his crate and is a very happy dog. He does chew things if he gets hold of them though so we have to have everything out of reach. I'm sure he'll grow out of that though. Good luck

He's absolutely gorgeous and such a sweet, playful dog, just mad as a box of frogs

The horror himself...

Also look for a crate with a metal base tray, if Ddog is a chewer the plastic bases can end up being the chew toy of choice <speaks from experience 🙄>

I was the same with my dog when he was that age. I frankly fucking hated him. We hired an amazing dog trainer who got him to behave really well most of the time but he was still such a handful.

He is an intelligent breed and was bored shitless so we got lots more enrichment toys for him (snuffle mat, lick pad a snake toy that you hide food in etc.) and we take him to the dog park loads to get his energy out as it has lots of agility equipment.

He is 2 now and still an arsehole but much, much better and so loving.

You can absolutley rehome though if you feel like your home isn't right for the dog. Don't feel guilty.

It sounds like the dog is stressed or at least over stimulated.
Not saying you're doing anything wrong just thinking how he feels.
Maybe a change of food could help and some calming supplements.
Also, this might sound crazy, but I'd suggest not walking him for a time. Walks are only going to stimulate him more.
Try one on one training with him. Massage. Try to bond with him more.
A behaviourist could help too.
And maybe have a rethink about using a crate, used properly, they can be really beneficial.

Mad as a box of frogs describes Bostons pretty well. They are bonkers, it’s not you. I’m not into crates but for a puppy like that I would probably get one. But if it makes you feel any better, my old, incredibly sedate staffy went bonkers when we were out the other day and chewed through a door and two boxes of tiles.

I am so glad that you won't allow a crate in your house OP, thank you.

Has your boy had the snip yet @DogWoe ? I am hoping not, as that should make a big difference to his behaviour 🤞 However, if he has already had his testicles removed it obviously didn't work in his case!

Have you asked his vet for any advice, and do you know if his behaviour is a common one in his breed? Once he has fully left his adolescence behind, and if this is unusual behaviour for his breed, I would want my vet to do some investigations, just blood tests etc.

His vet may be able to give him some tablets if this behaviour continues once he is an adult, because being able to jump or climb to reach things that are not good for him, could be potentially more dangerous or undesirable for him, than him taking some calming medication.

You are probably already aware of those plug-in thingymegigs (I just cannot retrieve their name at the moment, I think the smell resembles certain hormones or pheromones, or something!), so maybe that would be something else to try?

Have you contacted his breeder, or the breed specific organisation that just concentrates on his breed OP? They can often give great advice, and if you ever do have to rehome him they could probably help you there as well. But hopefully it won't come to that, hopefully he will either soon grow out of this behaviour, or between you and the professionals his behaviour can be greatly improved. A cup of 🫖 or a🍷or even a 🍹might help (you, not the dog!) in the evening 🙏 xx

A good size crate would save your sanity and help your dog to be calmer. They're extremely helpful tools in cases like this. I'd be getting one in a heartbeat in this situation. Fwiw I have had dogs for thirty years and worked with dogs for many years too.

He does sound like he's 'on' all the time. Does he feel overwhelmed, maybe? No space of his own to reset/calm down?

Isn't three walks a day quite a lot if they also run around the garden?

Have you done training classes op and maybe fun classes too - agility, or scent work? Bought dog puzzles?

Sounds hard!

My dog was crated as a pup (trained by the breeder) and he loved until we stopped it aged 18 months. He had a final growth spurt and outgrew it.

The main reason we kept it was his chewing, I was terrified that one day it would be a cable or something that would really harm him.

In order to get the crate to work it needs to be totally covered so that it's cosy and secure for them. Our pup never used it as a toilet as it was his space, if anything he had more accidents in the house than in his crate before he was fully house trained.

We recently looked after a friend's dog who was crated at night and I kept finding our dog happily snoozing in her crate so some breeds love them

Ah OP, I was exactly the same. I got an italian greyhound and wow, so many regrets. I think she was 2 when she stopped being a total dickhead.

15 year old should be cleaning up the shit.

Please try a crate. Used correctly they are not cruel at all, dogs love a safe space to go to. It could help to cover the back and sides of the crate with a blanket so your dog can relax. The door of my crate is never shut now ( it was in the training stage) and my dog goes in and out as she pleases.
Although your dog is at the ‘teenage’ stage he could also not be getting enough rest which doesn’t help matters at all, a crate could help him get his much needed rest
he may not settle in one at first but try and persist, hope it saves your sanity! Good luck.

I know you said no crates, but it has really helped our dog. She’s currently sat in there with the door open, and will spend 80% of her free time in there by choice. It gives her a place with no stimulation to calm down and relax. We also limit her access to one room so she doesn’t have that need to investigate (and chew!) everything because there’s a lot to take in.

When she was a pup we locked her in her crate overnight which was a game changer in teaching her to hold her bladder until we came down to her.

10 months is a difficult age for pups anyway, I’d suggest getting a professional trainer in - they can work magic!

Crates in themselves are not abuseive. Some dogs love the security and you might not know until you try, maybe borrow one as he's a small dog? If he does soil it, at least you'll only have one place to clean up. The situation does need to be managed for your mental health! Our dog was a nightmare too until she got through the puppy phase so I feel your pain.

Our dog is a total mad head. He's a cocker spaniel. Really naughty even though he's 11. He still chews everything. Including wallets and money if he can get his paws on it.
We actually used a dog behaviourist for a while and it was actually helpful but you need to keep up with the advice they give you.

One tip to help calm was lavender oil.
Put 2 drops in your hands and rub together and then slowly but firmly stroke your dog from head right down to bottom, have your other hand ready to start at the head when your first hand reaches bum.
Do that for a couple of mins. Apparently it activates the parasympathetic system and the lavender gives it a boost.
This really helps to calm my dog and sometimes he'll fall asleep straight after.

We do crate ours at night. He goes in, i put a drop of lavender on his bed, give him a very tiny treat, and he'll sleep well. He used to hate not being in his crate at night. I think he liked it being closed and secure.

Realistically, your DD needs to take the dog out before she goes to work.

They can probably hear her and get up...

I have a tricky cockapoo, lovely in every way but has a "revenge pee" habit! Basically if you ignore her or sneak out she'll wee by the door- 100% guaranteed! (Even if it's just a trip to the bathroom)

You need to have a word with your DD. The onetthat “begged” for the dog. She needs to take responsibility for it seeing as she wanted it so badly so walking,training,feedinag AND cleaning up. Even if it means she has to get up early.
Surely it’s school holidays everywhere now so she should have plenty of time to do this stuff.
Tough love and all that- short time pain,long term gain.
You do whatever is needed but serious conversation with your DD is needed. She needs to be told that current situation is unbearable to you.