Why this again?

[Kaybie's Mom]

Ok, frustrated doesn't even begin to describe my feelings here. Kaybie has slowly earned her way out of her crate during the day while I am at work. She has now been out of her crate for about a month and has been doing very well. Just a few little mess ups but nothing major (she will carry a shoe in the living room but doesn't chew it, etc.) She is not having accidents at all either. Honestly, I've been soooo proud of her because she finally proved that she can do this without tearing the house up. Anyways, yesterday I come home from work and what do I find?????..........MY COUCH IS TORN APART!!!!!!! She doesn't bite it, she digs at it and tears it up. Why would this suddenly happen after her being great for a month now? I don't understand!?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[kljarvis]

RIP couch. I lost a futon mattress just last week. Hank always stays out with my Eskie, and he has done so good the last couple of months, until then. I don't know if maybe he just got bored to death or just wanted to see how far he could push us. He got his punishments though. NO TREATS all day long. I can't give advice, for sometimes I go through the same thing. Good luck!

 

[Roscoesmommy]

I feel your pain. Even though Roscoe is only 10 weeks, he digs like crazy at the bottom of the couches. Yesterday, I had to put him in his crate and leave the house because I got so upset with him. He gets on the loveseat looks out the window and scratches at it, turns around and PEES on the couch and pillows!! I was so upset with him! Then I take him outside right away, he dribbles a little pee, and not 10 minutes later, he does the same thing again!! He give no warning whatsoever that he needs to go out. I thought I was going to lose my mind. I couldnt figure out what his deal was. He was doing so well for awhile with the potty thing and now it's like he is regressing. Do you think they have brain farts or something???

 

[ELubas]

Maybe too much of a good thing How about a compromise gating them off in the kitchen, one safe room, etc. My girl is a big couch digger and she will "lose" a toy down there and then go wild getting it out. So even if I try leaving her out of her crate I do not let her have access to anything she can "eat"-like my couch. She also has to be very, very tired for it to go well. So on a day where she has been out and really got to go crazy I will try her out of her crate but if she has not had the opportunity to burn it off she is better off in her crate. Just my thoughts. Good luck

 

[sandy's mom]

I am going through the same thing with mine. There is no pattern to their distructive behavior and crating during the day is not an option.

I have been told they are bored and need something to focus their energy on.

We have been lucky the past month or so, no problems. But...we have lost chairs, cushions, window sills, carpet, it goes on and on.

Now, I get up at least 15 minutes earlier and walk with them, if the weather is bad, I get in the floor and play really hard with them for at least 30 minutes. It does not wear them out, but it does slow them down a bit.
I have also started hiding things around the house for them to find throughout the day. I have also been leaving the tv on classical music for them. I am sure other people with have other suggestions.

Good Luck!

 

[Kaybie's Mom]

Maybe too much of a good thing How about a compromise gating them off in the kitchen, one safe room, etc. My girl is a big couch digger and she will "lose" a toy down there and then go wild getting it out. So even if I try leaving her out of her crate I do not let her have access to anything she can "eat"-like my couch. She also has to be very, very tired for it to go well. So on a day where she has been out and really got to go crazy I will try her out of her crate but if she has not had the opportunity to burn it off she is better off in her crate. Just my thoughts. Good luck

The way my house is set up, gating her off isn't an option. And on top of that, baby/dog gates are a joke to her, she just hops right over them.

The thing is that I KNOW she is capable of being left out of her crate. She's proven herself for a month now. My question is, why, after this long, would she suddenly tear the couch up? It just doesn't make sense. I'm not giving up on her, I know she can be a "normal" house dog. She is out of her crate again today but I stacked some things on the couch so it would be harder for her to dig. Hopefully that will help......I'm scared to go home! :eek:

 

[Lola's mum]

Zeb has started couch digging too :(
My mum lives with us so is here all day with Lola & Zeb. When we left for work the other morning she went up for a shower and when she came down she heard one of the dogs 'digging' on the couch.
Well it was Zeb and he'd managed to break the zip of the seat cushion and pull tons of wadding out She's sewn it up for me and now they're banned to the kitchen/diner when mum goes for her shower now.

 

[Kirby Kirb]

I would be a little concerned about stacking things on the couch, not sure what you stacked, but to her it might be a more interesting game!! There is no real reason that she suddenly did this, like previous posters said, could be bordem. Does she get exercised before you leave? Also allot of times, a dogs negative behavior could be related to her emotions. She could be mad at you for something, or upset with a change in the household (ex: bringing in other animals for a short time, then leaving).. the list could be endless!! Kirby is just over 1 year, and I do NOT trust him to be out of his crate, for a long period of time. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was gone for 45 min tops, to get some groceries, and he had chewed all the buckles off his seat belt! Boxers just don't like to be left alone, and bored! I am sure he will be in his crate atleast up until 2 years of age! Best of luck.

 

[Kaybie's Mom]

I would be a little concerned about stacking things on the couch, not sure what you stacked, but to her it might be a more interesting game!! There is no real reason that she suddenly did this, like previous posters said, could be bordem. Does she get exercised before you leave? Also allot of times, a dogs negative behavior could be related to her emotions. She could be mad at you for something, or upset with a change in the household (ex: bringing in other animals for a short time, then leaving).. the list could be endless!! Kirby is just over 1 year, and I do NOT trust him to be out of his crate, for a long period of time. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was gone for 45 min tops, to get some groceries, and he had chewed all the buckles off his seat belt! Boxers just don't like to be left alone, and bored! I am sure he will be in his crate atleast up until 2 years of age! Best of luck.

I guess it could be a lot of things that cause this behavior. I think it's boredom or that she is actually playing and not trying to be naughty. She does this every so often even when I'm home, she will put a toy or a bone in the couch and then try to dig it out. She is not allowed to do this and gets scolded for doing so. I wonder if that is what she is actually doing and not intending to be naughty.

Also, as for stacking things on the couch. I've done this in one area with a heavy metal firewood holder and it stopped her from messing up the couch. Now she moved to a different area of the couch so I put a big box fan over that area.....nothing that could cause her harm.

 

[LeahR]

I've posted about the same thing, good for a while then BOOM..something destroyed. I have no easy solution, I actually had to take all the back cushions and pillows off my couches EVERY DAY and put them in the closet so that we didn't lose our 3rd set of couches in as many years. Luckily, my g-ma has come to live with us so our pups have constant human companionship all day every day now...g-ma doesn't go out much Aspen is our main problem child, just the other day, for no reason as I was home and in the kitchen, she grabbed a coaster and chewed it to bits. Those coasters had been out for weeks and she hadn't touched them till then. Who knows what goes through their minds and if someone did they'd be a millionaire!!!