Having 2nd thoughts

[Shopgirl1]

We have a 6 month old lab pointer cross. We have had her 7 weeks and she is from a shelter. She is lovely most of the time, but can be so destructive and I feel like giving up sometimes.
Since arriving she has destroyed everything she can get her teeth into - skirting boards, shoes, clothes, yoga mat and the latest is eating through to the wood on a door damaging it badly.
She has learned how to get into the utility room to get things. I try and keep everything away from her but she finds ways. She has loads of toys, from bamboo sticks to chew, to toys I hide food in, to balls etc.
She is also quite snappy at times, like she will jump on the couch and if I try and move her she has gone to bite me and growled at me. But a few minutes later she calms down if I distract her with a toy and then starts licking me. She is walked at least twice a day, more at weekends. My kids play with her in the afternoon and I make sure and interact with her in the day. She gets a walk before I start work, a walk at lunchtime, a short evening walk, naps in the day. I’ve switched my work so she is never alone at home for long - some of these things happen while I’m on work meetings or in minutes while I run to the shop.
We had our last dog for 13 years and it’s a long time since she was a puppy, but I don’t remember behaviour like this - chewing a bit yes, but I gave her chew toys they kept her happy. She definitely never went to bite me.
Im considering having her rehomed. I’d hate to do it to her, but I’m at my wits end with damage but more the snapping, I’m starting to be afraid of her.
any suggestions? Could training help with this? I spend time trying to train her every day, but she has no interest in it - she just wants the treats, not to do the work and will jump at me to try and get them and nip at my hands.

Yes, training will help with this but you need a specialist, you can't do it on your own

What sort of pointer? Because the HPR breeds - German pointers, Vizslas etc - are mad. Delightful, but bonkers: we are onto our second and third. Our third was an absolute nightmare to train, Emptied plant pots all over the living room, chewed up books, got into my knitting...

They need exercise, brain work and boundaries, in no particular order. They are (mostly) bright and learn quickly, and need to be given the opportunity to learn how to slow down a bit.

If she's guarding the sofa, keep her off it until she learns to be polite when she's up there. She NEVER gets a treat until she has done what you have asked and been been given a marker (like the click of a clicker or a clear 'yes') that she has done the right thing. I always found things like sit-stays very useful, slowly increasing the distance, duration and distraction. If the puppy broke the sit-stay, I'd calmly put her back and make it bit easier - I'd wait closer, or for not as long - and then give lots of praise and a treat when I either went to her, or called her to me.

Retrieving games can be good, as they are fun and help to build a bond between you, as well as fulfilling the dog's innate drives.

They also tend to be very prey driven: they want to hunt, and will go self-employed in an instant. You have to work hard on recall and steadiness around prey animals.

In your shoes I'd find a good local gundog trainer. It doesn't matter if you don't plan to work her, because learning how to handle her and developing her natural abilities will her make her much nicer to live with. You might also find The Ladies Working Dog Group on FB useful - some members work their dogs, some don't, but it's very helpful and supportive, and some of the training guides are very useful.

Thanks. She is a German short haired pointer cross.
Im pretty sure she is getting enough exercise, I’m good at taking her for walks, and at weekends there is a park I let her off the lead in safely and she has a massive run there. I’m a runner and get out a lot - I don’t take her running yet, that’s the plan when she is older, but i do run to keep up with her and she definitely comes home tired.
I also hide her food around the place to give her work to do, and have toys you hide food in, although she gets bored of those quickly and goes back to her bamboo bones. My daughter is spending ages trying to get her to understand commands but apart from sit, she doesn’t do any others…we are working on getting her to drop things as she is a serious scavenger but she ignores this.
it’s the boundaries that are a real challenge. She doesn’t listen to no ever…
Im going to have to look for a trainer. She is lying at my feet now giving me puppy dog eyes, but was going ballistic with cushions earlier.

I had a setter previously and she was pretty mad, but nothing compared to this puppy, she is a complete lunatic. She has just gone at me with her teeth because I tried to stop her destroying my chair.

Whilst running might make her physically tired for a short time, it's brain stimulation she needs. Good trainer should be able to advise you on this.

I did spend some time with my youngest HPR explaining, 'No, we don't do that'. I'd hold her away from me on the lead until she calmed down (not a biter but a jumper-up). Some interactions were just not acceptable.

Yours is learning that teeth work, and that needs to stop. You need a proper trainer, the sooner the better. If you are based in East Anglia, I know of several with HPR experience. Also a couple in Kent/Sussex, and could find you someone in Yorkshire.

I agree with @EdithStourton you need someone breed specific, or at least HVP specific.

All dogs, even within groups, require different training methods and have different needs. For example a cocker spaniel is never going to need the same sort, or style, of training as a retriever - their breed purpose is just too fundamentally different, despite both being gundogs.

The problem with the generic trainer or behaviourist (although you need a trainer not a behaviours) is they very often make things worse instead of better because their approach isn’t suited to the breed.

But in the immediate term, absolutely do not have her in furniture. Puppies shouldn’t be on it anyway due to risks around their joints, but guarding behaviour and furniture is not uncommon.

I’d also ensure you are carefully supervising your children around the dog. You’d be surprised by just how many behavioural issues I see (I help with Golden Retriever rescuing and am very involved in my local club) are actually as the result of children and the attempts by the family to involve the child in the dogs training or other ‘nice’ ideas (I say that in inverted commas as their hearts are in the right place, delivery is just poor). I didn’t allow DD13 to be involved in our puppy training until puppy was bomb proof. Puppies are too impressionable when young and it’s too easy to install bad behaviours instead of good ones.

People will have different advice and different dogs but my biggest rule was always that the dog isn’t allowed on the chair or couch. It turns him from lovely dog to angry crazy!!Dont let him up, bed/ pillow or whatever on the ground next to the couch. Keep going, it gets so much easier

Thank you so much @EdithStourton , I’m not based in any of those locations, but am currently researching trainers.
We were playing just now and when I took my hand away from patting her she tried to pull it back with her teeth, tail wagging. It really is the teeth we need to train her not to use all the time.

Yes, I’ve learned my lesson here, we should not have allowed her on the couch. Just never had an issue with it previously with my old dog. She is not allowed in bedrooms, I keep them all closed and block her access, but she has snuck in past me and jumped on the bed and we have the same issue getting her off but worse, snapping and growling. Im very strict about the beds now and checking doors constantly.