Question about dog behavior/crates?

A couple pieces of advice:

1) A crate is great, but it has to be introduced slowly, and as a good thing. That should initially be the place she sleeps, gets treats and rubs, etc.

2) She's probably bored at home, and that's why she's causing trouble. Is she food motivated? If she is, you're lucky! You can get food puzzles. Rather than giving her kibble in a bowl, find one of these toys and load her food in it. She'll spend her time working on getting the food out.

3) Collies AND Labs are too smart for their own good. They need to be challenged. You'll have to stay one step ahead of her always. Exercise the heck out of them in the morning, and look into ways to provide them psychological challenges at home while you're away (e.g. the food toy). You can also try hiding treats around the house, and she'll stay busy trying to root them out.

4) Get new toys. My dog gets bored wtih her toys after a few plays with them. You can get a lot for cheap (try going to garage sales and get a bunch of $0.25 stuffed animals, and take off anything she can choke on) Then, once a day, voila, new toy to beat up. Keep the toys rotating, so once a week you're giving her "new" toys.

Good luck!

You are right in a way. If you have the space to let your dog have the run of the basement then I think that's fine. But expect to have him pee and poop there too because he's not old enough to hold it for that long. Dogs should not be crated for more than 5 or 6 hours at a time. That is time enough for the crate. An longer is cruel. Crate training is fine during the evening that way your dog cannot have the run of the upstairs. Dogs will get destructive when bored. If you can hire a dog walker to come to your home during the day and take your dog for a walk to he can pee and poop and give him some water. It will also give him exercises during the day. I think you can have the best of both worlds if you just figure what is best for you and the dog.

Crates are a wonderful tool. Dogs have denning instincts and although she may reject the crate at first, she will begin to love having her personal space. My puppy took to his right away. I hide treats in it and he's associated it with a good place. A crate will keep her out of trouble - you wouldn't want her chewing on any electrical wires or getting into the cabinets while you are away.

Also, I was having the same problem with my puppy and his chewing habits. Dogs go through a couple of teething stages and he wants to chew on everything. If my shoe is equally interesting to him as his ball, then how does he know which one is appropriate? I had to teach him. I tried everything, but the only thing that worked was using the spray bottle. I set the nozzle on stream and squirted him with water when I caught him in the act. Now all I have to say is "bottle" and he stops what he is doing. He hasn't chewed my shoes/couch/plant since the bottle initiation. :)

I know the feeling between my three dogs i no longer have any shoes left - bless them but there worth it!

Have you tried getting a kong- they are amazing its a toy which you fill full of dog meat or treats and they have to work to get the food out of the toy - thats a good way to keep them amused. The dogs chewing because its bored it can also be caused my seperation anxiety. Because your dog is a collie cross they need more stimulation than other dogs as they were breed for working ( i have an insane collie!).

I think she needs more stilulation maybe more walks and a kong to play with.

Im not a fan of crate training - but then i have never used it, but im sure people can give you good advice on that - i would hate to give advice on something which i know little about!

Good luck and she will grow out of it my collie did but then i went and got a husky and she chews everything in site!

Maybe you could seek professional help with your pet like maybe an obedience trainer. In my opinion crates are cruel, how would you like to be locked up in a cage. And just because your mums dog likes his crate, doesnt necessarily mean that your dog will.

ps if you do get a crate make sure its the right size for you dog dont opt for a smaller one because its cheaper.

we picked up a rescue 5mth old in April and we have crated it ever since when we go out or at night. She understands this is when she is being left and just goes to sleep.

This way when she sees us in the morning or when i return after going out she is happy and rewarded with love and affection not anger at finding my house damaged.

Get a big crate so your dog can rest and play in it but don't leave her in it for all day if you go to work, that would be cruel.

I would strongly consider a crate

It sounds like that instead of beig confident your dog is showing stress at being on her own.

Dogs suffering from stress at being alone will often chewing things belonging to their owners as they smell of the owner and are a comfort.

You also need to make sure your response when you return and find the disaster zone is as controlled as possible as dogs can thrive off negative attention as much as positive.

Good Luck

I've had a crate for all my dogs and as you said they get to love it. My dogs have no real need for it any more as they're hardly puppies any more but it's staying put. Best thing I ever bought!

My female drove me crazy chewing everything as a pup until I gave her my cheap boots from Walmart that I stopped wearing cause they hurt my feet.

Since your mum was successful with the crate, talk to her about how she introduced it and used it. The crate should be a safe haven for the dog, not a punishment. -!-

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Now, this is fine, training does involve teaching dogs specific behaviors with a step-by-step approach. This week, though, I’m going to discuss three mental habits that will not only enable you train more effectively but also make life pleasant for both you and your dog.