# I think I have to get rid of my dog, any help would be appreciated.



## KawiNinjaZX (Sep 14, 2009)

Last August I bought a new house. I had a 3 year old boxer who I kept in a cage and he was fine in there. With the bigger house and yard we decided to adopt another dog. At the time the dog we adopted was about 7 months, he was from the SPCA, very skinny and sick. We got the sickness and weight taken care of. We would leave him in the cage when we left and leave the Boxer out, who was doing very well out of the cage. We fed the puppy and gave him treats in the cage. THIS DOG HATES THE CAGE. He will sleep in it, but if we leave the house with him in it he will destroy it and get out. He is only 50 lbs, but he broke the front door clean off a metal cage and bent it all over the place. I bought a new cage, zip tied the sides and put 4 master locks on the front and he still got out. Then we put him in the bigger dog cage and he did good for a day or so, they he would start drooling to the point that he is drenched and dehydrated. 

We got the idea to leave him out with the other dog while we were gone, at first, great. Now every time I come home something is chewed up. They have tons of toys but still chew the throw rug and even climb up to the counters and get whatever they can. I'm sick of coming home and finding things eaten. If the puppy wasn't there I think the Boxer would leave everthing alone.

What can I do with this dog? I don't want to get rid of him, but I'm going to have to if this keeps up. I can't even tell you how much I spent on this dog between the vet, new cages, new beds, etc.

Here is our schedule if you were wondering:
6:30 am - My fiance gets up and takes them out.
8:00 am - I get up and take them out and leave at 8:30
12 noon - Her brother comes to the house
3:30 pm - Her brother leaves for work
5:00 pm - My fiance comes home to something destroyed by them
5:30 pm - I get home
10:00 pm - I take out the dogs and we go to bed

I don't have a problem with them going to the bathroom inside, but you can't leave the dog alone an hour without problems. I can't cage him, so what do I do?


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## katiemay (Jan 30, 2010)

What did you do as far as introducing the new puppy to his crate? 

It could be seperation anxiety but it could also be boredom ( as far as destroying things ). Try leaving frozen kongs with peanut butter in it, bully sticks, nylabones, or deer antlers out ( something tasty that they can't choke on and will keep them busy ).

Do you have a room you can make a 'dog' room? Put their water/crate/toys/treats in there and make sure it's puppy proofed - no wires, rugs, etc.


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## KawiNinjaZX (Sep 14, 2009)

They have the dura-bones, they seem to like them, but that doesn't stop them. We thought about barring him off into the laundry room, I might have to try that again. 

When we first showed him the cage, we would say "Kennel Up" and put a treat inside and give him another when he got in, also we fed him in the cage, he just hates it. He shakes and drools as soon as we put him in there.


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## katiemay (Jan 30, 2010)

You can try slowly reintroducing the crate again. You want to put him in with a very tasty treat that he only gets in there ( for my dog, it's a pig ear or bully stick ). Then leave for a few minutes and come back. You want to repeat this over and over but slowly increase the time you are gone ( you can also try putting a shirt, blanket or towel in there with your scent on it to help comfort him ). 

You can also try gating him off to the laundry room ( just make sure there's nothing he can get into that can harm him ). If he's a climber or jumper, just stack 2 gates ontop of eachother.

If it IS seperation anxiety, that's a whole other ball game. You'll need a good behaviorist to work with you on this ( and you might want to have one come anyway to observe and figure out if it is seperation anxiety )


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

www.petedge.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=45512

Try this link to a much stronger cage.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

a. how long does your fiancee take them out for?

b. when you guys take the dogs out, what do you do with them?

c. how long each day do you spend training?


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

I didn't see anywhere in your schedule where they are getting walked briskly for about 40 min twice a day. Dogs need to get their excess energy out. If they aren't getting that type of physical exercise, they WILL act out. They should be getting brisk walks a couple of times a day (no stopping to sniff), plus some training each day for mental stimulation, and also some play time (fetch, ball, tug of war).

I'd also reintroduce crate training slowly. Or better yet, use an X-pen, or gate off a room.


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## KawiNinjaZX (Sep 14, 2009)

I can't put anything in the crate with him like a shirt because he will eat it.

As far as exercise, right now in the dead of winter we don't really take them on walks, but the dogs wrestle for a good hour at a time and then are wore out and go to sleep. When it warms up we are going to walk them a lot more.

Today I tried leaving the surround sound on with the TV and opened the blinds to the sliding door so they can look out. We'll see what happens....


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## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

KawiNinjaZX said:


> I can't put anything in the crate with him like a shirt because he will eat it.
> 
> As far as exercise, right now in the dead of winter we don't really take them on walks, but the dogs wrestle for a good hour at a time and then are wore out and go to sleep. When it warms up we are going to walk them a lot more.
> 
> Today I tried leaving the surround sound on with the TV and opened the blinds to the sliding door so they can look out. We'll see what happens....


Dogs need to exercise, even if it's cold out. Bundle up and get out there, I do it every day no matter the weather and afterward my dog sleeps like a baby, all day long. No excuses, give your dog's what they need, they don't look at the calendar and say, gee, it's February, I won't get any exercise and I will be fine until spring!


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## KawiNinjaZX (Sep 14, 2009)

Well as much work and money I put into this dog I might as well take him out a little more.


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

Dogs need excersise. Period. it dosnt matter if its to cold for you, bundle up, you got a dog for a reason, but you are not doing anything to fix it. a tired dog is a good dog. I live in Canaa, I know about the cold. I wear 3 pairs of pants, a bunch of sweaters on and go for at least a hour hike (but 9 times out f 10 a 2 hour hike,)


Excersising in the houe by playing isnt much.

how would you feel to see the same 4 walls 24/7 for bout 4 or 5 months, becuase your owners didnt want to take you some here? you would act out too.

Sorry if I sound harsh, but I hate the people I hear so often "its to cold to go out" or "im goin to get rid of the dog" when its SO easy to fix some problems with a brisk walk and training session.


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

A dog that drools and shakes in a crate is a dog that is showing severe stress at being crated. I am guessing your dog has separation anxiey. 

If the dog has Separation Anxiety (and he *may* have) you need to get medication from the vet to help him. A dog with Separation Anxiety will often hurt himself attempting to get out of the crate OR the house. A dog with True SA will lose control of his bowels and bladder and pee and poop all over the house as well. 

I knew a dog that went through two plate glass windows to get out when left alone. TRUE separation anxiety is a MEDICAL CONDITION. It requires medication to treat which may or may not work. It may get worse or better with time. Read the book, "I'll be Home Soon" by Patrica McConnell. It tells you things you can do to help the dog. 

Hiking a dog around in winter is a big PIA.. I agree... and as I say this I can tell you that I get up at 4:30AM every day so I can get the dog out and walk her 1.2 miles before work. I walk her most nights another 2 miles (min) in the dark and in the cold. I really do not have a good time doing this.. cold is one thing but the dark stinks. AFTER walking her, I work on training. 

AFTER training I feed her, put her up for an hour and joy of joys I get to eat (after the cats are fed). After I eat and clean up I usually train some more (15minutes) and then have an hour to relax and then.. it is time for bed so I can get up and do it over the next day. 



> I don't have a problem with them going to the bathroom inside..


I am glad you don't have a problem with this but I can tell you that I sure would. I find this intolerable.


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## KawiNinjaZX (Sep 14, 2009)

No, I mean they don't go to the bathroom inside, so it's not a problem. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

The dog doesn't hurt himself or my other dog, we just have the problem with him being destructive.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

I can't stress enough how much giving him a 45 min brisk walk/run twice a day would help. As mentioned by someone earlier "A tired dog is a good dog".


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## w8ing4rain (Sep 4, 2008)

A tired dog is a happy dog.


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## chrisn6104 (Jun 8, 2009)

KawiNinjaZX said:


> As far as exercise, right now in the dead of winter we don't really take them on walks, but the dogs wrestle for a good hour at a time and then are wore out and go to sleep. When it warms up we are going to walk them a lot more.


Not trying to be negative or rude here but you gave us a schedule. Then later say "well it's cold and the dogs are not getting out much". 
Every time I hear a story on here about how wild a dog is or how much trouble someone is having with these issues they always say "we take him out ALL the time". And every time I read them I always figure something is going on and someone not being truthful or something is missing. 

Dogs need to get out especially puppies. If you don't take a puppy out as he gets older he will only get worse. Some dog breads need more exercise then others depending on the bread. 

Example: I take my dogs out once a day. We either walk about 6mi or we run with them pulling me on a scooter 4mi cold or not. I usually run one day and walk the next. On top of that every weekend for one day we do something special, a new place, a hike, camping a dog park, visit someone etc. My dogs are all very calm in the house. They can be trusted for 10+ hours alone and wont even tip over a trash can with good smelling foods in it. 
My neighbor wont take her dog out. She says she is to tired after work. She thinks one day at doggie day care a week is enough. The dog is nuts. I went over there last week to try and work with it and start scooter training and the dog was a huge handful. It doesn't know basic obedience or how to behave around people or dogs. It pays zero attention to her. 
The guy across the street, same thing. Never walked his boxer and wondered why it was so wild. Always said I got a bad dog wish I could find one like yours. I kept telling him my dogs where not born this way they where trained to be this way..... The boxer ended up back at the pound, luckily he didn't run out and get another. 
Another guy down the street says he wish he could walk his dog. He cant walk his one dog while I can walk 3 at a time with no struggle. Something missing from all of these other dogs lives.

It all goes together. Training, exercise, and the owners personality. Some people are dog people others are not. Maybe you just got the wrong breed for you're skills or personality.


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## Wolvenmoon (Feb 28, 2008)

Looks like they're chewing you up! Down forum members!  *Ducks before he receives a boot upside the head*

Anyway, puppy zanex alone is only marginally effective on a dog that really does have anxiety. We have a border collie that is afraid of storms and it takes him from a manic state to a spooked state. 


Anything else I can say has already been said in this thread. However, I will tell you that if you give this dog up to the pound, he will be destroyed within hours if he shows these signs in one of their kennels/crates. That's the cold, hard, truth.

The other thing is that even a quick mile ( I think it's a 7 minute mile? ) around the block will have significant impact on the dog. You can swim in 40 degree water for 15 to 20 minutes before you go unconscious, it is not going to kill you to walk around the block in full clothing even if it's in the low teens.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Please do not medicate this dog. The only thing that is going to help here is wearing the dog down a bit before leaving. You can wear him down physically with a walk/run/whatever and/or you can wear him down mentally thru training exercises. 

Yes, winter is not a pleasant time to own a dog. That goes double if you live in a climate with very rainy winters like I do. 9 times out of 10, I'm wearing my rain jacket with hood, rain pants, and waterproof boots when I take the dog for a walk in the winter (from about the end of October thru about April). When I can, I hike with the dog too, often in the rain. We all make sacrifices for our dogs - it's just not normally throw rugs and other items around the house.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

I agree with what the others have said. Walk, walk, walk! Get your dog a raincoat or sweater if he hates the cold as much as you do. From my experience, dogs are usually tougher than us when it comes to staring the cold in the face. Just put on your thickest jacket and run if you have to! Winter is only 3 months in a year....

And like Gottaluvmutts said... it gets worse when it's raining everyday like it has been here for the past months. I'd take cold and sunny over warmish and rainy ANY DAY!


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## KawiNinjaZX (Sep 14, 2009)

If we get rid of the dog we would give him to a trusted friend and if they wanted to get rid of him, we would take him back. I would never give a dog to the SPCA.


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

So have you sartedwth the brisk walks and excersiss? How is that going?

Ill tell you just how much better behaved a dog can be wit a good brisk walk.

My bihboor adores my dog. Always comments on how well behavd he is and how lucky Iam. And I always say its due to the time and training I have put in to him.

So a few weeks ag she was walking her dog, sliped onsome ice and fell. Needless to say she broke her leg in man placs has had surgery andcant walk for the next 5 months.

Here I come. I have started walking her dog and doing light training with it (sit for food, sit to cross road, sit for leash ect ect. Nothing speacial, just enough to show the dog) I walk the dog with my dog, we do about 1.5 hours hiking in the woods with a large group of dogs we know. 

We have been doing this about 3 weeks now. And she cant stop commenting on how well behave Bucky is now. He is alot easier to handle and get to listen to.

I too have seen the change. From a dog I had to muzel to leash up, to a dog who now greats me wagging a tail and arooing at me in excitment to go out for our walk.
From a dog wanting to kill every dog we walked with (and there is alot sizeing in fom chis to irish wolfhunds and everything in between) To now playing ad being happy to see them.
A dog who had no recall, to a do who is gaining our trust for short bursts off leash and TONS of praise when he returns.

This is all from walking. killing his energy and letting him have fun, seeing differnt things, smells, people, dogs, animals. And iving him a challange t is mind

If you honestly cant commit to walking your dog traning it or excersising it. then it is better off going somtwhere ese so it can let loose.


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## KawiNinjaZX (Sep 14, 2009)

I took him out for a walk last night since I got called into work early and didn't get a chance to take him out.

I have been leaving the TV on and the back windows blinds open and everything was ok when I came home yesterday. We'll see how long it lasts, maybe this helped.


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