Category: Animal House
I've had a guide dog now since the end of August. She's a lovely little thing, and usually quite well behaved, but at night she turns into the demon dog from hell.
If she has freedom to wonder around the house she becomes extremely destructive. She'll rip into her food bag (this is the mildest thing she's done). the usual tends to run to things lik
stealing my oven gloves off the oven door, licking them until they're sodden, then taking them back to bed and chewing until there's nothing left.
taking a calendar off the dining room table, shredding, but not eating, the wood on either end, and undoing the straps that hold it together, then shredding the paper.
taking letters off a cabinet, shredding them, and arranging them around her bed.
The worst thing she's ever done, and this is the one causing me concern, is really quite funny in retrospect.
Myself and my partner were in bed. We heard a massive bang from the living room where Molly sleeps, and thought we were being burgled. Getting up, we took a look around, and, not being overly burdened with that terrible affliction of sight, neither of us saw anything amiss. However, the next morning, we opened the door to find that Molly had arranged 6 DVD's very artfully around her bed. Each one was punctured with teeth holes, but the cling film (thin plastic sheets) that the discs were rapped in was missing.Molly was violently sick that week, dislodging the cling film.
So, i'm now worried about her eating something which will cause her real harm. I've started benching her at night, but I don't like doing it as it doesn't give her much freedom to move around. I've considered separation anxiety, but if I sleep with the door open, she hassles both of us at night. My partner is unwell and needs his sleep so this situation is less than ideal. Even when the door is open, she is still destructive. I've given her a bone at night, i've got up and shouted at her when i've caught her doing bad things, i've used a spray collar, water pistol and clicker. but still, she persists.
So here's where you come in. Has anyone else experienced this problem or something similar? Have you any tips to overcome this, bearing in mind that she does none of this during the day, even when I am absent for up to 30 minutes (we've experimented). it's exclusively night time wonderings.
Thanks in advance
FM
It sounds as if she has serious speration anxiety and she can't stand to be sperated from you for 1 minute..I'd contact a proper animal behaviourist, who will be able to help you with her obssession.
You could also buy a large metal cage and shut her in there to prevent accidents at night. She sounds like a right nutcase.
The therapy may not work as this sounds like a deeply entrenched behaviour..She sounds very disturbed and in the end you may have to consider your own safety and give her up..she should never have passed training in the 1st place.
I've got a couple ideas.
1. Keep her on tie-down at night. Yes, I know it doesn't give her much freedom, and you feel bad about that, but maybe for now, that's the best thing. She might also learn that when she's good, she gets to stay off tie-down, when she's bad, she has to stay on it. It's easy to feel sorry for them, but remember that you have to show her who's boss.
2. Contact your school and ask them. Most schools are willing to help with problems like this, with ideas, or if worst comes to worst, sending someone out to help you.
Put the tie-down in your room, if you think that would help her. I know your partner needs his sleep, but unfortunately, you may have to endure a couple nights of whining on her part before things calm down.
Hi there and thanks for the posts.
Firstly, the metal cage is not an option. We live in quite a small flat, so there's no room for one.
I tried keeping he r on tie down, and in fact she's still on it. I tried letting her off when she's good, and tying her for a few nights after she's done a bad thing. Thing is though, it doesn't work. When she's off, she's bad. shen she's on, she's no choice but to be good... Yes Goblin, she is a nutcase! completely! I agree that she shouldn't have passed training with these habits. Apparently the borders didn't notice, as they just put her in the kitchen at night.
I've told the school; they knew right from the start. They gave me a remote controlled spray collar, great if you can catch her in the act,but bearing in mind that i'm in another room and asleep, it doesn't work that well surprisingly. I don't think it's being in or out of my room that's the problem. When she's with someone, no matter who it is, she won't be naughty if she knows they will tell her off. So, it can be me, or a complete stranger. However, if she's in a situation where she knows she can get away with it, she'll be as bad as she can be. So it's more a discipline issue I think. I'm not sure though. I know that she knows i'm boss (i've done the alpha dog thing and she gets it). she's just naughty when she knows she can be.
When i'm not in the room with her, she appears settled. When I work I leave her for long periods of time (sometimes hours) with other people (I work on a chest ward in a hospital so she can't go ther). Never once has she done any of this stuff, even when they've left her on her own for a few minutes to get a coffee. So is it separation anxiety from me, or from people in general? Is it a discipline issue? Or have I just got a nutty dog?
FM
What school did you get her from, just out of curiosity? I would insist that they send someone out to help you with the discipline issues. How long have you had her for? I don't like to suggest this, but if things absolutely cannot be resolved, you may have to give her back to the school, and get another dog, perhaps from a different school.
I'd like to throw in another (different) perspective:
It's a fact that some dogs are more inteligent than others.
These dogs need more stimulation, whether it's physical or not.
I'd like to suggest that, if you can find the time, you take your dog for brisk walks on a daily basis.
Also, get a ball or frisby or something with which you and your dog can play.
It may be a good idea to do something with your dog which will make it grow just a little bit tired, if you know what I mean.
And if it doesn't help, I would suggest that you keep your dog tied down at night, even if it means you are going to hav to do it for the rest of it's life.
If the dog is a good worker, I don't see the need of you getting rid of it.
Apologies if my ideas are weird, but, it's free, you can take it or leave it. hahaha.
Hope some of it made sense.
Hi, Q. No need to apologize. Different perspectives are why most of us ask advice on these boards. Actually, I like your ideas. FM, try that out and see what happens.
Fm, your girl really should stay on tie-down permanently. I know, i know, it's really hard to think of doing that but as q said, if she's a good worker, no need to give her up. She obviously can't be trusted at night and as you said, when she is tied down, she's fine so yeah, i really think she should have to stay on lock down for good. sorry if it sounds harsh but if you've tried it and you know it works then your solution has already come to light.
Just out of curiosity:
Which DVD's were damaged?
101 Dalmations and 102 Dalmations?
jk
Funky I would seriously think of going public with this issue, it's a clear case of negligence and stupidity on the part of her trainers.
Did she behave like this when she was working? if not she is smart enough to play you, as she likes and have you run after her, the dog is never the boss no matter how good they are.
Hi there. Sorry I haven't responded to this earlier, but I iddn't see the other posts until I rooted through the board archive.
Q, very funny! Actually, they were some rubbish Kung Fu ones, so I didn't cry too much.
An update on the dog situation. A few weeks ago, she ate 1.3 KG of chocolate which was in a tin on my soffa. I lost the rag at that point and told the trainers that they would have to do something about it. They took her back, and have been retraining for the last two weeks, but haven't made much headway. They've even put garlic and mustard in food, but she eats it anyhow. So they're nowquestioning her viability as a guide dog. I do agree with you Q, that highly intelligent dogs such as Molly do need a lot of stimulation, and I work hard to tire her out, but she just has a little sleep and then starts her devilment all over again!
So, i've decided, i'll give her until Christmas, then i'll make a dcision one way or the other about whether i'm keeping her or not. I don't know if I can face another 2 year wait to get one though.
Dawn, I got her from the GDBA in England.
FM
Well, if she ate my chocolates, ... I shatter to think what would happen to me. lol
Tell me about it! I thought i'd go mad! And the worst of it was, I didn't wanna go buy more in case the same thing happened again! I've got her back this morning with a whole new training strategy, so hopefully things will work out.