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Why is my adult dog chewing on my things while I am asleep in bed?
My friends have two inside dogs. One is a Border Collie and the other is a Border Collie/Beagle mix. One is ten, and the other is about 18 months. Both are spayed females with great manners and no other behavioral problems. They have plenty of chew toys/bones, and they have unlimited access to food and water.
Recently, at night while my friends are in bed, one or both of the dogs have started pulling trash out of the can and pulling things off of the tables and chewing them up, most of which belong to the husband. Today they woke to the contents of his wallet scattered across the living room floor. There were no signs of chewing on the contents, but the wallet is ruined.
The husband wants to get rid of the dogs, especially the younger one because she is most likely the cause of the chewing. She has been the guilty one more often in the past.
My friends don't know why the dogs are doing this. They live out in the country and have neighbors, but they are several hundred yards from our house. There are wild animals and the coyote population seems to have exploded with evidence of them coming up to the house. The signs of scrat and urine suggest this.
What can my friends do to prevent the dogs from being re-homed? Thank you for your help.
This is an URGENT situation!
Everyone had great answers. The neighbors are trying to help with the coyote population, but the coyotes are not always easy to find. My friend also found evidence of armidillos near the house and thinks they could be part of the cause.
Also:
These dogs normally have perfect manners, even when left alone at home during the day/night. They get played with both inside and out with frisbees, balls, tug-a-war ropes, etc. and there is a lot of room for them to run without leaving the yard. The dogs sleep in the room with my friend and her husband or in the children's rooms. If they need to go out at night, they wake up my friend. Last night they only tore up a little bit of paper out of the trash can. Is there anything, other than crating, that would convince the dogs to get back on the good-behavior wagon? Thanks for all the suggestions!
4 Answers
- 9 years agoFavorite Answer
All dogs get a little bothered when their owners leave the house. It can be the same when you are asleep. You are gone, and they don't like it. However, some dogs take it very hard instead of minding their manners. They are showing you that they don't like you are gone by chewing on YOUR stuff. It's kind of a silent outcry.
However, if you have a dog that doesn't have perfect manners, then it's probably just that "because I can" thing. Like when dogs get into the trash while you are gone, but are known for their loyalty and obedience. They get bored and suddenly have a huge playground with no boundries since you aren't there to stop them. And as you have more than one dog, the culprit cannot be punished.
Either way, it is time to start kennel training or borrowing a video camera. Pretend to sleep and keep the camera recording to see which dog is the problem. It can be hard to kennel train ALL of the dogs, and you may think they don't deserve it. Kennel one dog at a time and purposely leave out something for the dogs to get hold of and chew up. Like an old shew or food container. Put the suspected dog in the kennel while you sleep. If nothing is chewed up, repeat the process for 3-7 nights. If something does get chewed while the dog is in the kennel, try kenneling a different dog.
Eventually, you should have a good idea of who the culprit is. Once you find the culprit, either kennel train that specific dog, or research another course of action.
Source(s): I train dobermans and pit bulls. - 9 years ago
Border collies? It sounds like they aren't getting enough mental and physical stimulation in the day to prevent them from becoming bored and destructive. That is a top cause for destructive behavioral problems in dogs like BCs and Aussies. Those dogs need work to do, and a simple walk or just throwing them out in the yard to play by themselves won't cut it. They need to be actively engaged every day.
Consider looking into doggy sports and obedience training. Growing up, our Aussie/BC mix LOVED to play fetch with frisbees or even soda bottles until he exhausted himself. He also herded horses which was great physical and mental work. Some of the things you could do with your BC, lacking animals to herd, are:
Flyball
Frisbee
Agility competitions
Therapy work
Obedience training/competitions
etc...the list goes on. There are so many resources out there for active dog lovers now. Try googling Border Collie competitions/activities/fun/tricks.
- Anonymous9 years ago
Crate them, or confine them to the kitchen/utility so they can't get into your things. Or dog-proof your home so again, they can't get to what you don't want ruined. They are probably being disturbed by your wild life outside, which leads onto them getting into mischief like this. Avoidance, prevention is always the best way!!
- Anonymous9 years ago
Crate them at night.
Shoot the coyotes.
