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

Is it the same field everyday? Dogs, especially young dogs, need variety in their walks or they get bored.

Agree with variety of walking spots.

Another thing re the walks, does he have a harness or a collar? I was berated massively at puppy training for having a harness. You think it's easier/gentler on the dog but you can't train them to walk properly with a harness.

We had to work really hard on walk training and having a lead with a loop that you can grab halfway down the lead really helps, they learn quicker if you hold them close.

I used to stop my dog every time he pulled and sit him down, he learned very quickly that pulling got him nowhere. It was exhausting but now he's a gentle boy on walks and will be right by my side even on a loose lead

Some good tips on here! Marking place for later

If he likes shredding things let him but only what you give him to shred. Mine loves an empty cereal box and I've taught him he's only allowed to shred them in the kitchen where it's easy to clean up.

Give a cereal box where he is allowed to shred. As soon as he takes it elsewhere remove the box and take it back to where he is allowed to shred. Rinse and repeat until he gets the picture. It should only take a few goes before he realises he has to stay in the same space.

Anytime you catch him with anything else remove it and put him in the doggy version of time out for a few minutes (for mine that is bed and settle but where ever you designate as his calm/safe space).

It's the same place. I don't drive and its the only green space in the area.

Can you/do you mix it up a little? Just from a boredom persepective. 90% of the time my dogs go to the same park. But we walk different ways to get to it and we do different things when we're there like hide and seek, sniffy games, ball games, free running..

So it’s not getting three walks a day then!

I’m sorry but “15 year old wants it” is not a good enough reason to get a dog! My DD (admittedly only 5) wants a donkey. We’re not getting one 🤣

For many dogs, especially young dogs, just running around in the same place everyday isn't enough. Walks are just as much about mental stimulation as they are about physical stimulation. In fact, for some, an hour of running just hypes them up even more as it just sends their adrenaline sky high.

A slow, sniffy lead walk around the streets will probably be much more tiring for her than just being taken to the same field to run for 45 minutes. Go at her pace. Let her sniff the same lamp-post for five minutes, even if you're bored stiff. Let her decide which way she wants to go (within reason, obviously). So, leave the house, let her decide - left or right? Which side of the road does she want to walk on? etc.

Or, when you do go to the field, do some work with her rather than just letting her loose to run. Take treats and get her to find them in the grass. Take a ball and get her to sit and wait while you throw it, then send her to find it. Do some recall walk - get her to sit and wait, walk off and call her to you, etc. You need to work her brain as well as her body.

How is your dog at pavement walking? Mine gets to run off lead through fields and woods but also loves a bit of pavement walking. I can take her on a 45 minute walk that loops around the area we live, never going very fear from home but winding through various streets and avenues that she’d never see otherwise with the odd footpath thrown in. She is desperately nosey and will sniff every garden wall, stare through every front window and try to go through every open gate. She tries to befriend garden statues and supervises any workmen she sees. I find it dull but she loves it.

I had a crate abused dog years ago, he was malformed because of it. But I still accepted a crate as a useful tool for other dogs I've had since. Your experience of crate abused dogs will mean you'd use it very carefully and safely. Maybe reconsider. I've got a little dog now who needs to sleep in a crate at night as she's scared of the dark so will pee and poop all over the house otherwise! She's never in the crate otherwise. One of my other dogs needs popping in the crate if small children come round as she finds them very stressful. The crate is a peaceful place, covered with a blanket and with treats inside. They really don't mind at all, for sensible periods. My collie really NEEDED a crate when she was younger as she was so active the crate allowed her to relax and stop running around. She looked so relieved at some enforced rest and stimulation free time...your pup might feel the same once used to it...

Rather it contained in a crate then on my carpet!

Crating, when done properly, is not cruel. It’s the antithesis of cruel. I hate it when people crate their dogs and go off to work, that IS v cruel. But proper crate training makes dogs feel safe and secure. It helps to keep them calm and to behave appropriately. Dogs love to have a safe space that is all theirs.

Agree with this. Rarely shut our dog in hers, but it is useful in case of emergencies. Our dog loves hers and will regularly take herself in there for a nap during the day. Often chooses to sleep in it at night rather than her other (open) dog bed...

My dogs four and a large breed and apart from the toilet troubles ( mines clean in the house) you could be describing mine i 😩.
He's an absolute knobhead and he's it me off dogs for life!
I wouldn't get rid of mine as I know he would be pats by anyone else he's that insane but I do wish I hadn't got him 😩.

Crate training isn't cruel if done correctly and when the crate is used as a positive space for the dog. Our dog loves his crate, it's where he gets all his treats and his dinner and it's his safe space to sleep or if he wants to be alone. We wouldn't dream of shutting him in as punishment and don't shut him in in the day (other than for a few minutes with a chew if say, I need to answer the door unexpectedly). I can't grasp the logic that a crate is cruel but locking the dog in a room when it knows no better because it isn't properly managed, isn't.

If the puppy is able to get to things like wallets on ledges or jumping on chairs then that's an issue with the fact the rooms aren't puppy proofed. I would start from scratch making sure every room is as safe for the dog as it can be and make sure the DC aren't leaving their things out.

The best bet if you aren't able or willing to bring in a dog trainer is to make sure the puppy is being adequately exercised and engaged. Keeping them busy with mental stimulation (lickimats, snuffle mats, dog puzzles, training sessions and general play) will tire them out just as well as a walk if not more. Look for local puppy classes DC can take their puppy to etc. At 15 and if they were the one who wanted the puppy, they should take additional responsibility for it.

Make life easier by laying the foundations of teaching 'place' and give the dog its own space to go to, teach 'leave/drop it' in case it is still getting hold of things it shouldn't. If the DC wanted the dog they need to take these things on.

Put toys away at night and rotate them to keep his interest, don't leave them lying around. Something like a puppy kong or lickimat filled with frozen peanut butter or dog food is a good option to keep him busy (and tire him out mentally) for half an hour or so. Reward the dog any time he exhibits calm behaviour or settles.

He is a puppy so will probably grow out of it soon. I always find with ours that he is at his worst when he is overtired - very bitey and runs around looking for trouble. Puppies generally lack the ability to self settle and need to be taught this. That is why crates work so well because you can enforce a nap schedule. If the dog free roams it is much harder. He should be sleeping the majority of the day (18-20 hours) so I would ask yourself if that isn't happening, could it be that he is overtired.

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'm genuinely confused by this advice. I've had dogs all my life and worked with them for a time too. Lack of exercise was the single largest contributor to bad behaviour in every dog I have ever met and two short walks a day would have every dog I have met climbing the walls.

And none of them would nap unless tired. How do you make a dog nap for 16-18 hours a day when they're raring to go?

There's always a huge issue and difference of opinion about crates. The last 4 dogs I've owned and I've had dogs most of my life, have been happy in a crate at specific times...it's been their safe place..it's not abuse..my GSDs would make a bee line for the crate when I needed to put them in it for some reason, jostling each other to get in first.. it kept them safe and my stuff safe...maybe reconsider ?

My last dog didn't like a crate BUT my 4 month old puppy loves it. It's the only place he feels safe and secure to properly rest, sleep and settle. In the day he won't manage rest himself, he would be completely bonkers and wouldn't know when to stop. As long as you create a positive experience of the crate and build it up properly, it can work wonders.

Dog behaviour trainer would work wonders