My boxers Ozzie and Roo, have been up to no good at night. My veternarian described this as the equivalent of a "teenage rebelious phase". A little history...Ozzie is a 2-year-old-male and Roo is a 1-year-old female. They are crate trained for when we are not at home. Anyway, during the night while us humans are asleep they have developed some rather destructive behaviors that include, but are not limited to...chewing personal belongings, getting into the trash can and dragging it throughout the rest of the house and chewing furniture. We have never actually caught them in the act of the bad behavior, so finding the proper corrective method has been hard. There are several chew toys available to them at all times. This all began 1-month prior to Roo's first heat(which took place on her first birthday, 12/20/04) and has been continuing at least weekly since. Please, any advice or similar situations would offer much needed hope!
With much Frustration!
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barneysmom
Boxer Pal
We only have one dog, (a neutered male), so I can't relate to having two, but he has always slept in his crate at night. He'll soon be one year old. It's his very own space, and he knows when it's bedtime, that's where he sleeps. It's large enough for him to stand, stretch, have his water bowl and some toys, and a comfy bed. I can't imagine not using his crate at night, it's better rest for all of us, with no worries as to what he may be up to. Just like a child, a teenager needs to have some boundaries set. Good luck!
Crating at night is a good idea. But if you don't like the idea of crating them (if they're crated all day already, for example) then I think you at least need to limit their run of your house and the accessibility of chewable objects and things for them to get into. How about restricting them to just one room, and removing anything chewable that isn't one of their chew toys?
apollosdad
Boxer Insane
my first question is, why are they not crated at night?
this is the simplest and quickest way to avoid unwanted destruction throughout the house. i'm assuming they have two seperate crates?
this is the simplest and quickest way to avoid unwanted destruction throughout the house. i'm assuming they have two seperate crates?
Agreeing with Boxer
Ozzie and Roo, unfortunately are crated from approx. 6:15 am to approx. 4 p.m.. during our human working hours. I do not feel comfortable crating them for approximately another 6-8 hours depending on bedtime. Plus, Oz and Roo know when we're home and will continuely whine to inform us that they're crated. This too will cause us lack of sleep...everything is one-level. This is why the situation has become a predicament that is hard to solve! But, all ideas will be kept in mind. Any other advice is greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Oz & Roo's Mama
Ozzie and Roo, unfortunately are crated from approx. 6:15 am to approx. 4 p.m.. during our human working hours. I do not feel comfortable crating them for approximately another 6-8 hours depending on bedtime. Plus, Oz and Roo know when we're home and will continuely whine to inform us that they're crated. This too will cause us lack of sleep...everything is one-level. This is why the situation has become a predicament that is hard to solve! But, all ideas will be kept in mind. Any other advice is greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Oz & Roo's Mama
apollosdad
Boxer Insane
since you don't want to keep them crated at night, another alternative would be to section off a piece of your home and provide them only that space at night. you could use a laundry room or bathroom, something that doesn't offer them too much to destroy. it is far easier to clean up a section of your home then your entire home. you could also provide them with chew toys at night, such as kongs, to keep them occupied.
EKR16
Boxer Booster
Guilty
I too feel guilty about crating Romie for an additional 8 hours, so at night I take up all the bathroom rugs & drag her bed into the bathroom. I give her every toy she has & a tiny dish of water (just in case).
It is close enough to my bed that I can hear her whine when she needs out & it gives her the room to play a little bit without feeling caged. Also, since it isn't carpet, if she happens to have an accident, its easy to clean & there isn't much she can get into. Its worked so far & I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that it continues to for both her & my sake! I'd definitely suggest trying one room & see what happens. Can't hurt to try a few different things to see what works for your babies!
I too feel guilty about crating Romie for an additional 8 hours, so at night I take up all the bathroom rugs & drag her bed into the bathroom. I give her every toy she has & a tiny dish of water (just in case).
It is close enough to my bed that I can hear her whine when she needs out & it gives her the room to play a little bit without feeling caged. Also, since it isn't carpet, if she happens to have an accident, its easy to clean & there isn't much she can get into. Its worked so far & I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that it continues to for both her & my sake! I'd definitely suggest trying one room & see what happens. Can't hurt to try a few different things to see what works for your babies!
tesster
Boxer Insane
I have the same problem and keep Tess crated during the day. I've found that keeping Tess locked in my room with me with a chew toy does the trick. However, you cannot leave ANYTHING out that they might chew. They are very creative as to what that might be, so try to stay ahead of them. 
She ate the seat out of my new pair of pants the other night! I thought pants would be safe to leave on the chair - apparently not! That will teach me to stay out too late, drink too much and sleep too hard. I couldn't do anything but laugh when I woke to a pair of bottomless pants. She always manages to stay one step ahead of me!
She ate the seat out of my new pair of pants the other night! I thought pants would be safe to leave on the chair - apparently not! That will teach me to stay out too late, drink too much and sleep too hard. I couldn't do anything but laugh when I woke to a pair of bottomless pants. She always manages to stay one step ahead of me!
apollosdad
Boxer Insane
in reality, most dogs should sleep through the night and therefore feel more secure in their crates at night. they shouldn't really complain about being in there since they are sleeping and want to associate being in a den-like environment. if a dog is not sleeping soundly in his crate at night, it could be a sign that it needs more exercise and mental stimulation during the day.
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