Won't listen and destroys anything she can get in her mouth

[Karenanne]

I have a female that just turned 1 this month. She has lots of energy. We walk her several times a day, exercise her, play with her, etc. It seems like we can never tire her out. I can't even give her stuffed toys anymore as she shreds them in about 5 seconds and I'm afraid she'll eat the stuffing and squeaker. This morning I caught her eating a CD. It's not fair to keep her in a crate 24/7 but I'm not sure how to get her to stop destroying everything. This has only started in the last 2 months.
She's become so frustrating to take outside too. She has to be hooked to a runner in the front yard to keep her from running off. If she's not hooked up she will run off all over the neighborhood. She acts like she doesn't even hear me trying to call her back. We've done obedience training. We've learned all the tricks to get a puppy to come back and it just doesn't work. She acts like an angel in classes though, as she's so afraid of any stranger she wouldn't dare misbehave. All she does there is sit behind me hiding.
I feel like I'm really at the height of frustration with her :(

 

[Karenanne]

I want to add something about playing. She goes from cute, fun play to aggressive really quick. She starts growling and barking and you can't get her to snap out of it. If you try to walk away and ignore her shell follow you, nipping at your ankles to get attention. She acts like our hands are her chew toys. Once she starts, you cannot get her to focus and stop. She even gets a look in her eyes that seems like she's not there anymore mentally.
I've tried everything conventional training tells you to do and its not working!

 

[Bathel]

Sounds to me like she see's herself as the Alpha dog...

I'm not an expert in that area so I'll leave the advise to others, but it seem to me you have to be firm with her on the boundarys. You cannot let her nip at your ankles. Does she listen to a very Firm NO while having a assertive body (holding yourself proud and moving foward toward her whlile saying NO in a deep loud voice)?

My guess is that it is going to take a lot of work to set her limits as it doesn't seem she respects them. You may have to spend a good amount of time following her around and "telling" her what can and can't be done.

Also, does she have a chew toy that she can chew on? Deer antlers make a great chew toy. You can redirect her to that when she starts to chew on something she isn't supposed to.

Good luck to you and try not to be frustrated. Dogs can sense that and it won't help. I know it's hard to control in yourself, but keep in mind she's a dog... you are the person and you WILL win this battle of stubborn attitude. Rules are Rules and you can't let her break them "sometimes" much like a kid, you have to be consistant in what can and can't be done.

 

[Cami]

I've been in your shoes and actually still am! Raine just turned 2.
Aside from eating things that don't belong to her she does everything you mentioned your girl does. I do NOT allow her off leash in an unsecured area so she doesn't run off. I know for a fact she would so I don't even give her that freedom. She hasn't earned it yet and might not ever.
I don't think anything you described sounds like an aggressive PUPPY (which your girl still is).
Sounds more so like a bratty Boxer who is testing you and will continue to do so until she decides that what she is doing doesn't get her what she wants.
As far as chewing up your things.....she just can't have access to them. She can't FIND them. She also MUST have multiple items that are hers that she can chew on. If the stuffed toys don't work you have to find something that she is just as interested in that she can't tear up. Dogs in general need to chew. It helps to occupy their mind and helps to release energy. It is extremely hard if not impossible to tire out a Boxer puppy. Some require more exercise and mental stimulation than others. My first girl was the same way and Raine is no different (perhaps a bit more stubborn).
I swear that Raine hears voices and chooses to listen to the instructions she hears verses the ones I would like her to which I give her. :D
We can see the switch in her face/eyes and jokingly tell her to "fight it Raine, fight the voices" but it rarely works.
You have to be firm with them without being mean. Enough so that you can help snap them out of it. For us walking away and putting distance between us from her is the only thing that works. This isn't a perfect science since as we walk away instead of nipping at our ankles she body slams us from behind and nips our rear end. OUCH! She has even been known to grab my ponytail from behind and nearly gives me whiplash. We've learned to try and make our exits sideways so we can use our hands to hold her off. Squeaky toys work *sometimes* if one is nearby to redirect her attention. We are learning what works for her and what doesn't and you will have to do the same.
Find things to do with your girl that make her use her mind. There are various toys that are more like a game for them that they have to figure out what the purpose is. Mental stimulation is often times more beneficial in draining energy than multiple walks a day. I find that walks just help to stimulate Raine's energy level more. Daily training sessions work well too.
It is a hard task but with continued training, persistence and a ton of patience you will get through this.

 

[Karenanne]

Thanks for the tips! I have been extra diligent about following her around and letting her know what she can and can't chew/destroy. She has too many toys to even count. She chews on them quite a bit, but when she gets tired of those anything she can reach is in danger.
I'm thinking about finding a private trainer to come over and help. In group class setting she doesn't learn much as she is scared of the people. She loves other dogs but is very skiddish with people.
When we got her from the SPCA she was so shy and timid. She was terrified of men in general. She has opened up now. She still needs time to get to know strangers though.
I can sympathize with you on the crazy eyes and voices in her head. Nina definitely has that problem. We joke, here comes spaz case, when we see the look. You literally can't snap her out of it. My neighbor says she needs psychotropic drugs, which I would never do. I hope she will grow out of it as she gets older if we can train her now.

 

[pghboxers]

My initial thought is that she needs a better exercise routine than walks perhaps. I know when our girl was younger, walks would not tire her out. No wayyyy. We had a fenced in yard, and would take her to the park to play fetch for about an hour a day. If there is a safe, fenced in area you can utilize to train...I would try to find one. Sometimes think outside the box as well, especially if dog parks aren't an option - ball parks, old tennis courts, anywhere with a fence. Ask if you can use it in the evening or early morning, when no one is there. Also, some humane societies offer private rental of their dog parks - it's usually like $10 an hour around here. A few times a week would be helpful there too!

Another idea - you could take her to daycare once a week or so. See if that helps tire her out on that day, and maybe take her more often. You can do half days around here, which are more affordable.

If off leash isn't an option, maybe get a long retractable lead (flexi lead makes a 26-foot one for dogs up to 110 pounds) and go for long hikes that way. It'll give her a little bit more room to roam and run around while on walks, while you still have control. I wouldn't let her off leash until you have a reliable recall. A reliable recall takes a long time, and starts slow. You need to start on a 6 foot lead, then a retractable lead, then a long lead trailing behind the dog, then off lead in a safe area, THEN off lead without a fence. Right now, never tell your dog to "come" when they have an option to blow it off. The more they blow off the command, the more they'll continue to blow it off. Start back at the basics, and do it daily. Incorporate distractions slowly. You can practice your recalls on your walks with your retractable lead.

We often go for walks in fields and woods with our retractables. The dogs love it, and it gives them almost as much freedom as being off lead while keeping them safe.

Another idea is a dog back pack. This is my video, but about halfway through it you can see our boy with his own. Lucy, Reuben, & Ike - YouTube

We fill the backpack with water bottles or bags of sand for our daily walks. He carries his own poop bags as well. For longer hikes and camping trips, he takes food and bowls as well. This gives me a purpose on his walks, more exercise, and tires him out a bit more. I'm not sure how old you said your dog was, but you should wait until their bones are mature before putting any weight in it. However, you can start using the backpack before then, empty.

Swimming is another activity that really tires our guys out fast. I don't know if it's an option for you, but we try to go when it's hot out and walks aren't an option. With no walks and no outdoor exercise on hot days - ours will destroy everything. And each other.

It takes time, but I really believe you can't adequately train a boxer if it's exercise needs aren't met first. Once well exercised, they are able to actually open their ears and listen to us a little better. Otherwise they run around like crazy dogs, and their behavior just gets worse and worse. It sounds like you're walking a lot, which for a lot of dogs would be good, but young boxers really need more added to their exercise routines until they mature a bit more. Our girl is 3, and although she is content with a couple walks a day now..she certainly loves to run and has the stamina of a racehorse!