# Dog is ripping apart the yard. Literally pulling out bushes.



## Kcarter (Jul 31, 2012)

My dog, Layla, a Lab/rottweiler/shepherd mix is just about to turn 1. We have a yard with an electric fence. In the yard there are many trees and bushes. She always loved to dig and we resolved that habit but now whenever we let her out she loves to rip off huge branches from trees and bushes. This is has been happening for quite some time now, at least 5 months. Whenever I catch her in the act I take the branch and wave it in front of her face and say no, bad dog and she'll automatically run inside and sit her in cage until I give her the "ok" to come out. 

She is crate trained and loves it. I never trained her to go into the cage when she did something bad, she did that all on her own. I know she feels guilty and thats probably why, but she is ruining my yard. I could always put up an outdoor lead that wouldn't allow her to get near the trees and bushes but I wanted her to roam the yard freely (hence the electric fence). 

Any suggestions on how to break her of this nasty habit? I won't have many bushes left at this rate and all of my trees will look ridiculous if she keeps ripping off the bottom branches. I could put up chicken wire around the trees and bushes but that seems like only a temporary fix and would look ridiculous. I just need to teach her not to do this but she doesn't seem to get it. I have outdoor toys that she likes to play with but only when I'm with her, otherwise she ignores them.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

She doesn't feel guilty. Try to get that thought out of your mind. She just doesn't like having branches waved in her face and being called a bad dog. It's unlikely she associates the act with the consequences.

With the limited information you provided, it sounds like a dog who's bored to death. She likely needs more exercise and mental stimulation.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Teach her "Leave it" and each time she goes to chew or tug at a tree, tell her "Leave it", give her a treat as soon as she turns toward you/away from the tree, and redirect to a toy.

Waving a branch in front of her face isn't teaching her anything, it appears to simply be frightening her since she's running to hide. She doesn't "feel guilty"- she's running scared.

She shouldn't be outside unsupervised with just an electric fence anyway, so it should be relatively simple to teach her that playing with you and her toys is more fun than the trees/bushes.
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Edit to add: Agree with Ron that she sounds bored. A 1 year old dog of that mix likely needs about 2 hours of exercise daily along with some mental exercise (training, teaching tricks, playing with puzzles).


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## Kcarter (Jul 31, 2012)

I don't think it's because she's bored. I failed to mention that I take her on an hour long walk every morning after breakfast and to the dog park in the afternoon for at least an hour. I work from home and play with her often throughout the day. I don't leave her outside for more then 20 minutes without checking on her when I am inside. 

I've done training classes with her so she knows all the basic commands, even leave it. But leave it to her means "leave it for now" she'll go back to it later (could be minutes or the next time she's outside). The point of the electric fence is to keep her safe and so that I don't have to monitor every second she is outside.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Ripping branches is FUN so it is self-rewarding to her. So every time she successfully plays tug with a bush or branch, it is almost like she's giving herself a treat and it makes it harder to eliminate the bad behavior. 
Temporarily fencing of the trees may help her to "forget" how much fun they are to play with along with constant repetitions of drawing her away from the trees to play with something more interesting (like you + her toys).

The thing about the fence is that a lively young dog that likely has an interest in chasing squirrels and such can easily blow past the electric fence and get into a LOT of trouble in those 20 minutes between checks. The amount of exercise you are giving is decent, she might not be burning enough energy in the morning which is why she's entertaining herself during the day. Honestly, the simplest and safest thing to do is just not leave her out there alone. If you are playing with her often already, then just have her inside until you're ready to take a break and go out with her and play and then bring her back inside. 

1 year old dogs left alone outside just find trouble.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

There's really no way around this without (a) training her, or (b) removing her access to the branches. Waving a branch in her face is just scaring her. When you punish or reward a dog, they think it's for the very last thing they did. You have to reward or punish within 3 seconds, because after that, the dog has moved on. So when you scare her with the branch even 5 seconds after she's ripped it off, she has no idea that you don't like her ripping the branch off. She probably think branches make you mad. 

Unfortunately, there just aren't shortcuts with dogs. You have to put in the time supervising, training and managing. If this were my dog (and I've had this sort of dog), I would fence off the bushes, go outside with her and every time she approached the bushes, I would call her away, then give her a great treat for coming to me. Who cares what it looks like? If anyone is rude enough to say anything, just say, "Oh, my silly dog rips up the bushes" and you'll likely get a hilarious dog story from them in return.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

" I never trained her to go into the cage when she did something bad, she did that all on her own. I know she feels guilty and thats probably why, but she is ruining my yard."

Sounds more like she's running to a safe place because she's afraid.


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## goodgirl (Jan 14, 2013)

I can relate to this! I've decided to let the landscaping go for now, think she will get bored with it eventually. I'm hoping Daisy's "pruning" will add interesting shapes to the arborvitae! I thought about confining her to a 40 x 40 foot run I have, but it's separate from the house and she wouldn't like that.

Agree with above (these senior members sure know dogs)!

If it's of huge concern, you have rare and valuable (or poisonous) shrubs can you move them? Or tie another wire into your existing electric fence to temporarily fence off the landscaping?


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## RabbleFox (Jan 23, 2013)

My aunt's dog does this but only to a small bush in the backyard. There are others to choose from but apparently that one is especially tasty. He has the whitest teeth in town because those branches are like doggy tooth brushes. If fencing off the bushes doesn't work maybe try putting Bitter Apple Spray or Tabasco on the bushes. A terrible taste is a pretty good deterrent.

She might be physically exercised but not mentally. More training! Something that will keep her mind active, not just her body. Try Agility/Flyball/Frisbee/Rally/Canicross/any dog sport ever.


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## 1mustluvdogs (May 8, 2012)

I agree with most of the comments. It sounds like she gets a decent amount of exercise. Dogs do not feel guilt. They react to our reactions. She is afraid of the bush and/or your mannerisms. 
She is still a young "child", who left unattended will get into things. She is just doing whatever seems fun and/or keeps her busy. Dogs are also pack animals. Most don't like to be outside alone. You are her pack.
Stay out with her, keep her in, keep bushes out of reach. You may need more mental activities. Interactive toys & puzzles for dogs. Do you have a Kong? Fill it with goodies & then freeze it with wet dog food, peanut butter, yogurt or anything that will hold it together. This will keep her busy for a while.
Agility, flyball or some other activities couldn't hurt either.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

Yeah, there is no magic bullet for this. Training, training, training as recommended above (leave it, redirect, be more exciting yourself so the dog doesn't feel bored enough to go for the landscaping). Even then, I wouldn't trust a dog that young alone in a yard unsupervised, especially with only an electric fence. Electric fences are not baby sitters. But that's another topic.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

let her have it...  "the whole thing if you can't beat them join them" training doesn't have to be always about stopping (brick wall),, the activity is more like "frustration" so letting them vent it out is a good thing for them to get over it. Keep the destruction she has already done or when she does it... and teach her she can have the old destructive items already laying in the yard, but not touch the living ones.. I left all the destruction Adele did to my hoses and electrical cords, the sump pump that she pulled 20ft out of my in ground water cistern and chewed up.. I left them laying around the yard.. When she showed interest in the replacements.. I tell her to go get hers,, not my new ones.. (there is a difference they can learn) same with the digging find a way that they can dig so you can put commands to it/stop it and where to and not to dig, and direct as if you would sit down stay.. Same with my chickens/geese (the dogs get to eat them, I kill them in front of them and hand them out to them) but we don't go eating the ones running around the yard.. there is a difference and they able to understand one is different then the other, not bother them ... 

totally agree with taking away the opportunity, total supervision... but if you can't take away the opportunity like I could pick up the hoses and electrical cords.. then the go get yours already laying in the yard instead of mine...


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