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

He is a very tricky age and will hopefully still calm down a bit! I remember our local dog trainer telling us that dogs are most often rehoned around that age due to them being teenaged menaces. I think a large crate is better for dogs than being locked in that small area as my understanding is that a crate used properly is like a den and safe haven so makes them feel safe and secure and so reduces unwanted behaviour and the dog should still be able to see out.

We have a working cocker who is 4 and and as mad as a box of frogs.
He has calmed down lots since we had him from 12 weeks old but it has made a difference with his crate. He loves his own space and we put blankets over the top with his bed inside. I never shut the door anymore as he will go into his crate when we go to bed and doesn't move until we come down in the morning.
I thought it would be cruel making our Dog sleep in one but it is the opposite and he settles very quickly. Love him so much and he is such a lovely dog. All the hard work In the beginning was worth it.

I would crate him , it doesn't have to be cruel . Get the biggest one you can . Feed him in it , lots of treats in it to get him used to it .
It's only cruel if he's in there 24/7 he won't be .

Growing up we had a dog like this. Amazing dog but just would eat the house.

Opened fridge, ate contents. Turned on gas heater so we came home to a kitchen full of gas. Took up linoleum, floor boards and electrical wires. Turned key in kitchen door locking himself in. Etc!

My parents' house had a secure area like you describe ( similar size, maybe a bit smaller) and leaving him in there with his bed/blankets when we couldn't supervise him was the solution. He seemed to feel secure in there I think.

Definitely a crate. Our dog goes in there to relax and the dc know to leave her alone. Works a treat.

My son has a Boston Terrier that is nuts . They crated him as they were worried he was not sleeping enough . He was barred from doggy day care for trying to hump every other dog so he is about to have the snip. He is a very lovely dog though .

That dog needs a job. Terriers are working dogs, they're high energy and if you don't give them a job they get bored and when they're bored they make their own fun. It is very rarely your idea of fun.

I'd start teaching him some scent work. Finding things. Minimum of 90 minutes twice a day out of the house, off lead if possible.

If you always use the same route, take your dogs out first and hide stuff along the way. Old socks work well.

Carry them in your pockets to get yours or daughters scent on them and hide them in bushes, behind trees, under benches etc. Keep one back for him to smell.

Then take pup out on his own along the same route and get him to search them out. Take training treats for when he finds them.

If he's not into scent work (most terriers are) then you could try a little agility course in your garden if it's big enough or set one up on a field.

Obedience training with a few tricks thrown in is fun and engages them mentally as well as burning off the energy.

I think some dogs behave better with less stimulation, I used to take mine over the park for 45 minutes every morning and evening for high energy games (ball throwing etc) and tbh her behaviour was much worse, it got her too excited and she would then run around the house destroying everything. She does much better with just one trip to the park in the evening for a long off lead walk. I think the excitement in the morning was making her behaviour in the day worse.

Crate at night, will be happier there than in the small space!!

he sounds like he might need more stimulation so maybe your DD could look at doing some agility training or something with him on an evening or some advanced training. This worked for our terrier who was a nightmare till he had a job to do and something more than walks to entertain himself. Could walk 10 miles with him and an hour later he was loony again. Nightmare at first but the best dog once we figured out what worked for him xx

Maybe he has above average intelligence and he's acting out through boredom. Try some brain training games with him. Start simple and work up.

That space near the back door (photo) could work if you put a high enough gate on the front and lined the walls and put down a big bed but then if you're doing all that (and maybe blocking the door!) you may as well get a decent sized crate and train him to accept his 'downtime' in there.

He should get better with time and training but I think some dogs are essentially high energy aka naughty. Fun, loving, sweet but naughty!

If you can put him in the kitchen a bitter apple spray (grannicks is a good one) should hopefully teach him your cupboards aren't for chewing.
I'd work really hard on praising him when calm and peaceful.
Find games that can give you a break. Scent games. Brain games. Stuffed kongs and licky mats. If you can, teach him to play with bubbles! Mine burn so much energy with their bubble machine.

He sounds like a vastly over-stimulated dog that needs to be taught to nap and self-settle.

I would drastically decrease his exercise to two short, sniffy walks a day and increase his nap time. I would be aiming for at least 16-18 hours of sleep per day until he's through his teenage stage and starts to calm down naturally.

I would also ensure he has access to chews, kongs, lick mats and snuffle mats to help work his brain and keep him calm.

I think the 3 walks have been oversold.

2 of them are round the blocks for toileting. So 10 mins max.

Then once a day he goes to the field on a long likr for a 45min/hour walk.

I don’t like crates at all and I’m very uncomfortable with people who leave their dogs in them during the day for hours. Having said that, I think you need a crate. For the dog’s safety if nothing else. They could easily end up falling, tipping furniture onto themselves or eating something that will make them very unwell or end up needing to be removed surgically. The dog needs a safe place to sleep.

If you do Christmas you’ll definitely need a safe sleeping space before December. All those baubles and ornaments, lights, a tree to tip over, presents to eat, enough chocolate around for an emergency trip to the vets …

I had a terrier that ate a glass tree ornament on Christmas morning. It climbed from the floor to the sofa to the kitchen worktop to reach the tiny tree it stole it from. The dog was completely fine. I wasn’t.

I've no idea why you're against a crate tbh. Used correctly they're a good way to keep your stuff safe and you from losing your mind.

I had a Boston terrier years ago and she was definitely easier than yours. A quiet non barking dog, dont shed their coat and recommended for small living areas. She needed small walks only so I dont think the problem is that your dog needs more exercise. Maybe mental stimulation? I do remember my Boston loved dragging a beanbag around everywhere which kept her occupied.

I also have a springer spaniel that drove me round the bend. I regretted having him as he was joining another dog in my home, but now he is 10 and I love him to bits. Still mental and hard work but I look into those eyes and just adore him. Hopefully your Boston will settle down after the teenage years. they really are great little personalities and if I could afford another Boston I would like a shot.

DogWoe · Today 09:56

The horror himself...

Aah! He looks so sweet and innocent fast asleep! Reminds me of DS. Then he wakes up and the craziness starts!

Agree with all other pps about a crate.

He is truly beautiful!

Crates aren't cruel when they are utilised properly and the dog is crate trained.

The best advice I can give is teach a good settle and reinforce the behaviour you do want. Carry a little pouch of treats around all day. Whenever you catch the dog resting, playing calmly with a toy alone or in his crate give a treat. You can also reinforce settle this way.

Brain games and clicker training tire energetic dogs out much more effectively than physical exercise. The trainers I linked above have some great videos on trick training and scent work.

I think this is a factor combined with the dogs age as well. My labradoodle was a total bellend until he was 2 and we worked out the following formula:

15-20 minute walk in the morning
45-60 minute walk at lunchtime
20 minute slow sniffy walk in the evening to wear him out (a sniffy walk does wonders for tiring them out)

Then during the day I'll throw a ball round the garden for him for about 10 minutes if he starts to get overly interested in barking out of the window whilst I work.

He also goes to daycare 2 days a week (I could have him at home as I WFH but he needs that socialisation to tire him out

I also play a game at least once a day of hiding treats round the house for him to sniff out and play with.

He now sleeps most of the day around these times or is happy watching a cartoon whilst I work. Relaxing dog music on Spotify also works a treat for him (we live in a busy street and he gets over stimulated by every sound outside otherwise and won't settle)