The dog has ruined my house

[canyou]

We have a dog for the last 12 months, she was my DP's Grandmothers dog until GM died, the dog had companionship 24 hrs a day 365 days a year but no walks [large garden/fields to run in] now with us she had companionship and walks, but in the last 2 weeks we have had serious illness and death in the family so the dog has been alone a lot the last 4 days but getting her walks [even when I had to get up at 5 am to do the morning walk and her evening walk at nearly midnight]
So yesterday we were at the funeral and she ate through a water pipe flooding the kitchen, today she ripped up the linoleum flooring in the hall and then the carpet on the stairs as well as emptying a cupboard and peeing on all bedlinen, she had free run of the kitchen, hall and dining room and access at all times to the garden, food and water she had also been walked 5k this morning. I never loved her but am the only one who takes care of her everyone else loves her but will not feed water walk her. I want rid now but our vet is advising putting her down and not re homing. Dog is about 13 and a sheepdog mix.

at vet saying pts
why has dog started doing this? is it purely because she has been left alone or could she have any neurological problems? could she be upset by the change in routine?

I am guessing she was upset by the lack of people around but she is going to be alone a lot more in the coming few months as I have gotten a new job and I cant afford much more damage or washing.
I feel sorry for her but today was the last straw.
The vet advised that at her age she would not settle if re homed which would be cruel. I was thinking an elderly person would take her as that was the life she used to have.

Poor dog cannot believe you have been advised to pts by the vet. I guess she is very lonely being alone from early morning until nearly midnight and that is why she is being destructive. Can you not get in a dog walker if you are going to be away for long periods ?

She is not alone that length of time that is was the time I am not there, DP, DC, MIL or my parents would be in or out so 4 hrs at most today was an exception due to the service, burial, reception etc. The destruction is new only the last few weeks really and yes routine has changed and stress levels have been high
Do you think she could be re homed and be ok?

I don't think she would allow a dog walker in if we were not there, she has growled at both my BIL and my DB who are always here when they arrived back before us to the house last night they could not get beyond the front door. She is a great watch dog.

I think rehoming a 13 year old distressed dog will be very hard. Likewise i think pts is very harsh.
Can you not wait and see how things go now when your routine becomes more settled , also good if someone can come in and walk her / check on her regularly.
Well done for persevering with her elderly dogs can be difficult to care for.

poor dog sounds as if she has been badly affected by the change of routine. unless its something neurological but then i am thinking you would notice other changes in her behaviour when you are around if it was that

an older dog can definitely be rehomed successfully. it would be crucial it was the right type of home needed for an older dog. it may be difficult though to find that home, i am not sure. i know some people specifically foster older dogs (for the rest of dog lives) for the dogs trust as there are fewer people willing to adopt older dogs

you mention other family members love her. are they willing/able to help you work through this situation? if you did want advice on how to keep her but stop this behaviour there are some great trainers/behaviourists in the doghouse and you could start a thread specifically asking for training or behavioural help

Why does she have the run of all yhose areas? Can you not restrict her to one room that you can dog proof as far as possible? Or invest in an indoor kennel/crate and give her stuffed Kongs etc to gnaw on while you're out.

Lily on the one hand I feel there is not much time left for her and she was such a good companion to DP's GM and gave her the ability to stay at home and an interest that we owe the dog the comfort of a secure home in old age, but I came home from a horrific day to a destroyed house with £££££s of damage done by a creature I never really wanted or liked.
I might try a while longer and get cruel and lock her out side during the day with her dog house I never did as she has never spent to much time outside.

Contact Wiccaweys Border Collie Rescue, and take their advice. Meanwhile work out how she can be restrcted to a reasonable area and cause a minimum of damage. You are clearly doing your best in a diffuclt situation, but collies, more than any other dog, are incredibly intelligent, loyal and sensitive and will pick up on and react to every change in their emotional and physical environment. It sounds like her world has turned upside down.

She is distressed and confused at the loss of all she knew - this is not your fault and thank you so much for taking her in - but she deserves someone who understnads the breed and has time and physical and emotional energy to help her heal.

I'm appalled the vet suggested PTS.

Chickchick Good point about the dog trainer I might look into that, before I do more. The only behaviour change has been she wants to sleep outside our bedroom door but tbh I did not take much notice as that is where she slept when with her original owner but yes she is more 'clingy'
The others will only object when I give out about the dog I do every thing else including cleaning up the garden
Olihan my old dog was allowed that much freedom so I left this one do the same at 13 would she be to old to start using a crate? she has never been locked in a room/put out/restrained in anyway.
I think the damage, facing all the washing, a new job and a horrible sad day has made everything worse

Please don't lock her outside.

PM me if you want some one to one advice. Wiccaweys have a website - just google.

Bella I have her a year she was fine until recently so I guess it is the routine change and tbh if the vet [my neighbour] came around to pts when I arrived in home I would have left him.
I have calmed down now thank you every one I really just needed to be told she is a dog who is lonely and confused.

Bella she looks like Granddad Brynn but greyer, actually locking her out might disturb the neighbours so she will be left to come in and out as she wants
I will read there site in the morning I am off to put in the next wash and hope the sun shines tomorrow.

yes do ask on here about training tips.

we have had my 14yr old terrier since she was 5 weeks old (when we fostered her until permanent home was found!!). she has never had to cope with changing home and she is probably less sensitive than a collie type. i have still noticed a change in her the last year or so. she hasnt been destructive but she does seem to have lost the ability to think things through at times. i have mentioned to vet and he said it was just a part of getting older. she is fit and healthy otherwise

i wouldnt shut yours outside. she may have joint pain or feel the cold more now she is older. could you shut internal doors so she only has access to one room? mine roam the entire house so i can understand why you just continued that. maybe confining to one room is the wrong thing though. i dont know. mine would be upset by that but on the other hand you want to limit any possible damage. mine would be completely freaked out by a crate as she is used to so much freedom.

you have my total sympathy re family members not doing their fair share
could you print of this thread and show them so they can see how desperate you are? even a little bit of help goes a long way

x posts. slow typing day dreaming more like

www.oldies.org.uk/ might also be worth bearing in mind if you decide genuinely decide she needs to go or if she doesn't cope when you start your new job, as they have huge experience in rehoming older dogs and might be able to find her a permanent foster home. It must have been a horrible mess for you to come home to and you have my sympathy, believe me, but I'm sure you realise that dogs don't do these things out of malice but out of genuine distress.

Ah, I see. We always shut ours in the utility room when we go out - she sneaks upstairs and sleeps on our bed otherwise.

If she's never been in a crate then it may distress her even more by the sounds of it. The room that has garden access, can that be closed off from the rest of the house and made safe for her when you are out?

What about some kind of activity to keep her occupied? I don't know how food orientated collies are but my labs like having kongs stuffed with minced tripe or similar that is frozen which keeps them occupied for ages. Just thinking if she's got some mental stimulation she may not be quite so distressed and destructive.

Chickchick the kitchen flooring is 6 months old so I am glad she left that alone, the hall and stair are 12 months old so the dc have done damage here and there but never to the extent it needs to be replaced, like your dog I don't think she would be happy to be confined but I will try it wed and lock the kitchen door so she will have space in kitchen and access to the garden. I might also up her walk we do 5 k in the morning and almost as long in the evening.

Spiders Thank you for the link I am not in the UK but I might contact them for advice.
Olihan re the food she has cooked chicken/tripe/tinned tuna and rice/pasta and veg she also has special dried food from the vet she eats better the the humans in our house but as she was with an elderly person for most of her life she does not play she will not play fetch with the DC or anything like that which is why I do 2 long walks every day and tbh I feel I am pushing her to far some days with the walk lengths. But I am open to suggestions for mental stimulation although she herds the DC into a corner or the bathroom for me sometime I might look for a farmer

a small thing but maybe leave radio on in kitchen? a friend, who has a sensitive rescue collie x swears by leaving classical music on her dog is calmer when left alone

is she food orientated? if so you could feed her less of her usual food in her bowl and save the remainder to put in a kong toy (as suggested above)?
sure the rescue organisation wouldnt mind you ringing for advice even when outside the UK
good luck.

Good idea esp as last owner was blind and used the radio for companionship it was always on to a local station Thank you

also, do you think she would be up for walking more? seems a long walk anyway for 13yr old but you know her best

It is tough Chickchick she loves the 2 walks but she is tired after them but all excited to go, I am not sure but will see it may be better for her but she is not a morning dog so it is a slow start walk.