Will class help?

L

lilchik0203

Forums Novice
My sheltie puppy is 8 months old now. In the beginning she was good and not destructive. She learned a few commands like sit, give paw, etc. She does listen to my commands, but she is destructive when left alone for a bit. Do you think obedience classes will help stop her destructive behavior?? This morning she got to my ipod the moment I left for work. My boyfriend was going to put her in her area before leaving for work. She does not have free reign of the house anymore ever since she starting chewing and destroying things. She was soooo good in the beginning. I need help! Those innocent eyes arent doing it for me anymore.
 
I'm a big advocate of puppy class, obedience, etc., but I wouldn't expect a once a week class to change normal puppy behavior. It's probably a combination of teething and boredom. Eight months is very young to trust with run of the house all day.

How much exercise is she getting? She probably needs the equivalent of at least two 30 minute walks, plus about the same in vigorous play at a minimum. I have an 11-month-old and can tell you from experience, your relationship with her will blossom if you can be consistent with exercise, play and training.

It does get better, really it does.
 
Sounds like she's in the charming teenage phase.

My puppy is almost 8 months and I don't give her free reign of the house when we're not home. Puppies have a lot of energy a this age. They will be destructive out of boredom.

If I don't give my puppy attention for 5 minutes, she will take something she's not supposed to do.

I allows follow this rule..."a tired dog is a good dog"
 
Sadie did exactly the same thing at that age, among other things. She started chewing furniture when we went out and was peeing and pooing in the house out of spite. We were so confused, especially about the potty issues, because she'd always been so good. She was definitely NOT having separation anxiety.

My advice would be to crate her till she gets older.

I waited till Sadie was just short of 2 years old before attempting to leave her uncrated again. We've had no problems with her at all, and its been approx. 8 months.
 
I dont let her run around the house when I am gone. She is gated in a small kitchen, so she doesnt chew everything. I was just curious if obedience class can help curb her getting into things when I am not looking. She's always in my site when I am home. She is not teething because she already got all of her new teeth 2 months ago.
 
I realize that you don't give her the run of the house.

I didn't give Sadie the run of the house either. I left her every day in a gated in area with a peanut butter stuffed kong and numerous chew toys around her. She was also done teething but would start chewing on things as soon as we left the house. If she was outside (we left her outside for a couple of days when she had severe diarrhea), even with toys and things in the yard to amuse her, she chewed on our newly built cedar stairs. :mad:

Sadie not only underwent obedience training, but training in agility and flyball.

It probably had nothing to do with the training, but more the maturity level of the dog. Right around the 8 month mark they're in their rebellious teenage stage of life, at which time you often have to treat them like puppies again. Even though my dog chewed things and your dog does different things that are destructive, its more or less the same behavior.

If you've done training with your dog before I don't think that its necessary to do it again, unless its something you enjoy or she's never had any professional training. I believe that every dog should go to puppy class or basic training.

I'd go back to crating until she's older and can handle the responsibility of being loose (somewhat) when you're away. If you didn't crate train then I'd severely cut back the space that she's in when you're away. I'd either consider crate training, getting an x-pen or blocking in into a small area, maybe 4 ft x 4 ft.

You may also want to practice NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free), which will help her learn her place in the house.

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm
 
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I agree - dont give a teenager free reign of the house. Mine were confined until they were 12 months, and even then their access to most of the house was limited until they were 2yrs old.

Puppy adolescence is the time when many dogs are surrendered. They revert to puppy behaviour, become selectively deaf and seem unfocused. Most of us went through this awful stage, and managed to come out of it relatively sane.

Chewing things is normal as her adult teeth are still settling in and she may be getting some teeth pain. Give her some extra things to chew on, like rawhide.

Even though they dont seem to take much in, most behaviourists recommend taking adolescents to obedience classes. At the very least its important to maintain your training. They learn to focus better and learn boundries and expectations that they take into adulthood.

This article on adolescence may help
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1701&S=1&SourceID=47
 
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