Young Labrador keeps shredding crate bedding overnight, any suggestions?

[LabradorLadbradoo]

We have a male Labrador now 10 months old who keeps destroying his mattress in his crate!

We have always used the crate for overnights and if he has to be left alone in the day (never for more than a couple of hours in the day).

He goes into the crate perfectly happily, in fact when he’s tired he chooses to go lie down in there and if the door happens to be shut he’ll whine or nose at it until I open it and then he’ll go in.

So I don’t think he finds the crate itself stressful.

But in the last month he has completely destroyed three of the big comfy crate cushions by clawing/biting them - I come downstairs in the morning to find it shredded with stuffing all around.

Any ideas or suggestions? Is this some kind of digging/shredding impulse that we could try to channel other ways? Do we need to rethink using the crate?

@LabradorLadbradoo for a young working like dog, I’d say that much yes. You’re in the early stages of adolescence, which usually lasts until about 18 months and gets worse before it gets better.

You can’t really have a young working breed (even a show line lab) and not give it that sort of stimulation. If you don’t give it what it needs, it finds other ways to entertain and exhaust itself - chewing, barking, pacing, guarding etc.

So you either need to find the time to give him what he needs (and I do recognise that might not be possible) or do as @redboxer321 and @SpanielsGalore suggest. The problem is, this will get worse (and I’d usually say ‘before it gets better’ but in this case if the dogs needs are never met, it won’t get better… only worse).

Dogs are easier for rescues to find news homes for before they have developed lots of bad behaviours. Early re-homing can save a lot of heartache and trouble down the line. But if you keep your dog simply because ‘the kids would be devastated’ then what follows is on you - whether than be increasingly challenging behavioural issues or something far worse. I see it far too often in cases where people kept dogs they weren’t equipped to deal with and it only ever ends badly, and usually it’s a child in the family that’s hurt as a result.

Could he seriously get aggressive or dangerous?

FFS why would your mind drift to these questions

Why would I ask if he could get aggressive? Because @TheHungryHungryLandsharks suggested that ultimately a dog could hurt a child if it’s not properly trained/stimulated/exercised and obviously that prospect scares me. We were assured over and over that labradors are friendly and great with kids.

He's a teenager. I would use single layer blankets rather than stuffed bedding, they're less likely to eat that than the stuffing out of those mattresses.

He should grow out of this habit but he's going to be immature for at least another year.

Will the breeder accept the dog back, and could possibly resell him on for a lower price.
Obiv you won't get a refund.

One thing that is coming across in your posts - you seem to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting at home. Is your DP doing their bit? Are the DC working towards being able to sort breakfast themselves?
If you all work together as a team it will be easier. Until of course the DC become teenagers 🙄

Even experienced dog owners forget about the teenage years.

Yes, Labradors are friendly and great with kids @LabradorLadbradoo so is my giant breed. But they don't pop out of the mother like that. You need to train the dog how to behave appropriately around the kids and train the kids how to behave appropriately around the dog. Otherwise you can end up with problems. Large males can be very boisterous during adolescence and as others have said, it will get worse before it gets better. Nobody is trying to scare you, but experienced owners of dogs from working lines know that a bored or unfulfilled dog with excess energy can be a nightmare to live with.

@MrsPernicious yes I’m mainly responsible for the dog, but I did know that going in as I work from home while DH is out all day.

Our kids are primary age, and both have SEN so are less independent than other kids their age. We thought having a dog would be good for them both and they are very enthusiastic about playing simple games with him and cuddling him, but aren’t good at more complicated training tbh.

I just didn’t appreciate how much of my time he would need.

@LabradorLadbradoo an under exercised and under stimulated dog is a prime candidate for becoming destructive (which you appear to already be seeing) and when not properly addressed that's when it escalates.

https://lovingcarepethospital.net/the-dangers-of-not-getting-your-pet-enough-exercise/

https://www.sniffspot.com/blog/dog-exercise/signs-your-dog-isnt-getting-enough-exercise

And it's not just about the risk of the dog, but the damage done to the dog when it's mental and physical needs aren't met - you're talking obesity, depression, anxiety, joint issues, early arthritis etc. It can also manifest in socialisation issues (reactivity, nervousness, snapping, lunging, barking).

We were assured over and over that labradors are friendly and great with kids.

Labs are lovely and great with kids. But that's when their needs are met. Any dog is a risk around children when their needs aren't met. It's nurture over nature, every single time, when it comes to dogs. A good breeder can set the foundations, but it's up to the new family after 8 weeks.

I say this as gently as I can, a working-line labrador adolescent (and particularly a male - male adolescent's are dickheads) with two primary aged children and both of which have SEN and two parents who work full time and have never had a dog before...is a risky move. The breeder and the vet were so incredibly irresponsible in pointing you to this dog.

I feel for you, as it sounds like you're really trying your best - you just didn't realise what it would be like. Dog ownership is rough, and quite a shock (because no one really talks about how horrible it is after puppyhood) and it feels never-ending at times. My girl is just over a year now, and I'm finding adolescence rough (and I go through this every 3-4 years...).

But, if you are committed to giving your dog what he needs, then it's entirely manageable and in time you likely will have a lovely dog. But you have to put in the time, effort and money. FWIW, it sounds like you genuinely want to do right by him and want to give him the life he deserves - which is better than most dogs have (a lot of people simply do not care if their dogs needs are met). I don't see any reason why you can't keep him and work on his behaviour.

You don't even necessarily need gun-dog classes, although that would be helpful. I've never taken my Goldens. I do their training in my back garden and then in fields near the house myself. I learnt through trial and error (in the day before you-tube videos - I sound so old...) and none of my dogs suffered from that. It's just about finding the time (and money) which I appreciate can be hard with young children. With dogs, engagement and persistence is key.

Sorry...that got VERY long!

Fully agree with@TheHungryHungryLandsharks (no surprise there!!) Just to add a daily schedule to give you an idea of what is required

Having a working lines dog is the equivalent of a third child in terms of time and input. Especially during adolescence although tbh they never stop needing the input really.
My own working lines goldie is 15 months (a bitch, so generally slightly less of PIA at this age)and is really well behaved but that takes knowledge (I’m a trainer so it’s easier for me obvs, and you’d also need to aquire that knowledge as a novice) and a lot of time every day.
Today she will have had by then end of the day…..
40 minutes training at home spread over a few sessions. Possibly more but that’s a minimum. Plus one and a half hours walking, mixture of on and off lead.
Plus possibly an extra walk or a training trip to the park for 20 minutes later
She gets different things each day and is always working on new challenges to keep her little brain busy but that is her base daily amount. Without it,she wouldn’t be the sane and mostly good girl she is. She would go self employed (destructive like yours is a high probability) through frustration and become progressively unhappier and behave worse

teenage dogs are hard work. Working breed teenage dogs are harder still. The most important thing to do for him is probably to give him a job to do. Training doesn't have to be an addition to your day, it can be doing something in your day a bit differently. I have very clever working breeds and it's key to give them the tools to embrace what they are bred for, 1 can walk for days but the other (larger) dog needs less physical stimulation and more mental

1. We do trick training randomly in the day for a couple of min whilst waiting for the kettle to boil
2. I use boxes & brown paper or dog towels to hide treats and make her work to get them
3. Switch up walks/routes, important to do sniffy slow walks alongside more "on a mission" kind of walks
4. Use enrichment e.g. licky mats, shredding, scatter treats/food in the grass or hide around the home
5. Active play e.g. tugs, fetch, find it
6. Find him a job e.g. scent training

I think crates can be helpful to give a dog a space that is theirs to chill out. It sounds like you've done a really good job of teaching him how to be settled.

There are some really good accounts on insta, please avoid anyone who speaks about dominance/alpha as these theories are very very outdated.
https://www.instagram.com/nicks_k9_training/
https://www.instagram.com/thinkingcanine/
https://www.instagram.com/yourdogbehaviorist/
https://www.instagram.com/ameliathedogtrainer/

He will be bored out of his brain if he’s only doing stuff for 45 mins a day.

At 10 months he needs 2 x 50 minute walks plus other stimulation on top. As an adult he will need more - our dog gets 2.5 hours of walks a day a lot of which is off lead.

Can you get a dog walker? Or split the walks wait your DH?

Could your kids help with some enrichment type games? Could they play hide and seek? Or hiding treats in cardboard boxes, under upturned flower pots etc.?

We currently have a guide dog Labrador puppy, so she has to be walked on the pavement frequently but she doesn’t find this anywhere near as calming as a sniffy walk, or an off lead sniff.

If you don’t already do this some easy wins might be giving meals in a sniffy mat or in something that makes him work for it.

One thing we used to do with our dog when she was an energetic teen was spread a handful of kibble/small biscuits all around the garden, under leaves, stones, behind things etc. Took a couple of minutes for us but she would spend quite a while energetically and intensely exploring every nook and cranny trying to find them.

While I absolutely agree with those suggesting lickmats,snuffle mats,finding treats etc that they can be a very pleasant way to deliver food, I personally think their use for mental stimulation is very much exaggerated. Without daily training and interaction, theses things alone will amuse the dog for a while for sure, but won’t make much if an impact in mentally tiring him out

OP please please please do not panic from the replies you have got on this thread some of them are just bonkers.

I have working labs, I also have wcs and collies. The labs are the easiest of the lot and love a good snooze on the sofa.

I train detective dogs, they are high energy labs they do not need 4-5 times 10 mins of training a day! This is bollocks.

They do need training, they need good quality training but it is doable for the average person honestly.

Start with scatter feeding their meals. Throw the dogs food onto the lawn and lets them search for their breakfast. This will take them a good 15 mins. (Time to fed to kids etc!) I never ever ever use licky mats or sniffy mats with labradors. Why sniff the food out if you can eat the whole mat is usually the labs approach!

Walk your dog - if some of this can be off lead that is great but if you are not ready for this yet then add some training into the walk. Practice heel work - feed in position, practice waits (this is knackering for the dogs) All can be done on lead whilst you have a coffee sat in the park.

Build up toy desire usually pretty easy for labs. You hold the dog and get the children to hide the toy release the dog to find it - do this a couple of times a day - chidren and dog willl be tired. Start in the house and garden and then out in the park and the woods.

Do encourage rest and relaxation. WOrking dogs generall have a high work ethic but also a real off switch.

An example of my labs working day would surprise people at how little they work! and some days they dont at all. They are fine and are not bouncing off the walls or chewing everything or turning aggressive - that is just madness!!!

If you want more help feel free to dm and we could work out a realistic schedule that would fit in with your life and kids.

You can do this and you will probably all enjoy it too

Just rereading this thread and it is just madness.

It is just like the LTB threads!

We have a very everyday question how do I stop my labrador chewing and have finished up with a highly agressive dog and rehome. It woud be hilarious apart from the fact it is creating anxiety in a new dog owner.

"Normal" people do manage to bring up very happy working dogs in a home situation. It is very doable.

I know you are a professional but I agree with you some of the responses are eye wateringly OTT

@Molleeeee @Lomonald Rarely do they do it well with two SEN primary aged children whilst working full time. Those are the key challenges here. OP only has a brief point, each day, to engage with the dog. She can't fit it around work or childcare - only during her lunch time.

Some dogs do this, mine couldn’t have any cushioned bedding until he was about 2 and a bit more sensible. We used a hard plastic bed with blankets before that. Blankets ended up with holes but that was better than stuffing all over the place.
He still isn’t allowed soft toys because he destroys them all, even supposedly indestructible ones

Such a sweeping statement.

There are ways that this can work for the OP. Just a generalised special needs children reply makes your comments offensive tbh.

And it's not a 'offensive' to point out that raising a working line dog (indeed any dog) with the limited time OP has available is going to be far more challenging.

I would know, my nephew is SEN and my sister raised a Golden Retriever puppy only a few years ago. It's something which I have made no secret of on Doghouse when people disagree with me about how 'easy' it is to raise a dog around a SEN child (which, if you were a regular and valuable contributor to this sub you would have known about before branding me 'offensive').

It's not 'sweeping' or 'offensive' to be honest. But it is 'offensive' and 'sweeping' to declare someone is being offensive when they make that point as tactfully as I did based on lived, recent, experience when you have absolutely no idea as to the context or background knowledge that person has - as you clearly do not.

Edit: I would suggest you read OPs posts about just how much support her children need from her and how much 'free time' she has in her day. She's made it clear how much time she can reasonably devote to the dog. And that is why the fact she has two SEN children is important and is incredibly relevant to the discussion taking place about the appropriateness of OP's home for a dog.

Of course you would have personal experience..... so do others. However each situation is different. The SEN coud be enhanced by having dogs in their lives and enhance the dogs life as it has or many children.

You know more about the OP than the threads or us or just jumping to conclusions from your personal experience?

You have put a very pessimistic angle onto a thread when there could be easy solutions - We dont know if they would work but they could be put to the OP for thought.

A labrador is chewing bedding.

Remove bedding
Get the dog up earlier
Give the dog something appropriate to chew

Check exercise levels - look at ways to enhance the hour exercise the dog is getting each day.

Suggest ways that the OP could exercise the dog off lead or build up to this.

Suggest mental activities that are appropriate for the dog and OP lifestyle - Not enrichments toys we agree on that! Get the kids involved in this.

Get the dog picking up toys for the children.
Get the dog pulling off the children socks and clothes on cue or bath time.
Encourage the children to teach the dogs to put them in a basket
Get the dog fetching their school bags when they leave the house.
Get the dog to down stay during bedtime story time.
See if a dog walker can add in an extra walk or a few months over the darker nights.
Get the dog to be able to search for specific childs items by name - teach them scent recognition.
All meals fed as search time not fed from a bowl.

The OP may need a trainer to help with getting the basics sorted but it is not rocket science and for a working lab just fun and easy to pick up.

Noone I know and my world is dog competition and professional dog work sets aside 2 -3 hours of dog training a day for young dogs. The training will be mapped into daily activities but rarely given as dedicated time to the dogs.

I have a houseful of working dogs and the reason I am on MN for so long today is that they are all crashed out after a walk this morning ( only about an hour but they were scenting, hunting, working on steadyness) and snoring away chilling out and have been for several hours. Working dogs do chill.

4-5 sessions...of 10 minutes is 40-50 minutes. Not 2-3 hours. 😊