This Golden Labrador owner is fed up with her dog’s destructive behaviour. He chews everything in sight, demolishes the garden and refuses to do his business on the grass where he is supposed to. What is the reason for his behaviour?
Question:
Hi Glynne
Our back yard is enclosed and we have a paved braai area and a huge yard with grass. I have a 6month old golden lab whom refuses to do his business on the grass. He does it on the paving in front of the gates where we come in and out of the backyard, and also in front of the gate where we park our car. I have tried all the sprays and the crystals on the market to discourage him from these areas, but nothing helps. He is very destructive and has chewed the wooden fencing to pieces, as well as all the blankets we have bought him. He has a big wendy hut to sleep in and has started chewing the door. He has demolished every water bowl we have given him to the point where I am now using a toy box for water as it is too heavy when full to drag around. He has demolished the hosepipe and the plastic attachment to the tap. He has destroyed all my plants and chews the bark off the tree in the yard. He also digs holes. He has chewed the fencing off the gates as well. He has chew toys to play with as I do realize that he is teething, but he prefers to wreck my yard. We have two other dogs, so it is not as if he is on his own. I am at my wits end and would have to consider putting him on a runner to save the structures around the house and to force him to do his business on the grass - I need help as I abhor the idea of tying him up.
Hi Ingrid
You have only attempted to treat the symptom with all the fancy sprays and stuff.
Your little dog is very frustrated, unhappy and lonely and he’s trying to convey his ‘message’ to you.Please treat the cause of his misery in the following ways:
• Increase his food by feeding him small, frequent, high protein meals, with big, raw, juicy bones in between, and make very sure the other dogs don’t eat his food. (Hungry dogs can’t sleep and are driven to chew and dig)
• He has nothing to look forward to so take him for a short walk once a day.
• Allow him in to your house – he wants, and needs, to be part of your family.If you really cannot comply with any of the above, please do not tie him up, but rather find him a new home with a family who can give him what he craves.
Please consider his interests and make the right decision.
Glynne
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3 Responses to “Q&A - Destructive Labrador”
January 21st, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Hi there
To the lady with the destructive labrador. Been there, done that. I found one solution for the business on the paving. My dogs use to do the same. They have an allocated space (large one) for the daily business but did not want to use it. What I finally did and it worked was the following : wash your paving and then throw undiluted Jeye’s Fluid on the paving. Don’t wash the paving again. I did this twice and never needed to do it again. My dogs now go to the space allocated for the business and my paving stays clean. I think it has something to do with the smell, they couldn’t stand it. With regard to the chewing, everything in my yard was destroyed, even my car’s mirrors and tyres as well as the fan belt was bitten to pieces. However, once my puppies hit the one year old mark, they stopped biting and chewing. I supply them now on a regular basis with chewy toys as well as meaty bones. The holes, there I have no answer. Still dealing with them and the holes they dig, however, they are wolves, so I expect that it’s part of their nature. We have an arrangement, they can destroy the back yard, but they stay away from the pool and entertainmenet area. Keeps us both happy. Hope you can say the same soon.
February 3rd, 2008 at 5:31 am
We put the dog droppings in the holes they dig & cover them with a little soil…Problem solved ..As if by magic ….the Dogs DON’T DIG anymore holes…Life is now back to Normal…
April 1st, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Hey, i also have a very destructive 1yr 4mth old lab… its puppy days were a nightmare, we got her when she was 4mths and man did she like to tear things apart, and still does, but now she’s more sophisticated and goes for the expensive shoes =___= I’ll try the above advice to just give her something to do and look forward to, and also the possibility that she’s just hungry(sometimes it feels like she doesn’t even care about the taste of what she puts in her mouth >.>).