# How do I get my dog to stop eating everything in the house?



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

How do I get my dog to stop eating everything in the house? We are so fed up with Tiny. Since we got him he has been nothing but trouble. I don't understand how so many people have such good chi's. My friend has a 3.5 lb chi and she is the best dog. Tiny is now 10 pounds, and he is eating us out of our house. He bites our new storm door, the carpet on the stairs, the wood frame in between our bay windows, the wood brace from our sliding doors, The carpet, our couches......etc.

How do we stop it?? Danielle and I are so mad at the dog and we dont know what to do with him. He is destroying our nice renovated home.

I regret getting a chihuahua. We have had nothing but problems with him. From his biting, to his growling, and aggresiveness, and now to this...
Help us please....
Thanks


----------



## MomofLeo (Aug 18, 2006)

Not all chihuahuas are like that. His size has nothing to do with it either, I'm sure there are as many distructive 3 lb dogs as there are 10 lb dogs. You should try to crate train him. My Leo is crate trained and when i can not supervise him, he is crated. He started to chew my bar stools so I put Bitter Apple on them, he stopped after that.
When he starts to chew, try giving him one of his toys and praising him.


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

Thanks for your reply. I know his weight has nothing to do with it. I just posted it to say I have seen other chis that had great personalities.

We crate train him now. We also use bitter spray, and give him toys to replace furniture and other things that he eats. If my wife is watching tv or I am working on my laptop...It is hard for us to be all over the dog to make sure he isnt doing anything bad.

When we are out of the house, or asleep, or even in the shower, the dog is in his crate
Scott


----------



## MomofLeo (Aug 18, 2006)

Even if you are home watching tv and you cannot supervise him, you should crate him. Maybe you can make him an area in your house with a pen?


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

We dont want to have to crate him when we are home. We do it when we are eating, and when we have company...and like I said when we are out. It isnt fair to him to be in his crate for so many hours. I think that crating him for so long would make him be more destructive


----------



## MomofLeo (Aug 18, 2006)

That's why I said a pen would be a good idea. When you are doing stuff in your house, you can put him in a nice sized pen.

I've never heard of such a distructive dog, nevermind a chi.


----------



## lalaNlucky (Jan 10, 2006)

sorry but, it's your alls fault.
dogs are not born with problems..a dog is only good if it has a good owner. and the sooner you are able to realize that, the sooner you will have a happier dog.

Do you walk your dog daily for at least 30minutes?
Does your dog have rules?
Is he told firmly "NO!" or whatever, for unwanted behavior the second it happens..
Do you give affection at the wrong times? etc.

I feel awful for your dog, as NO dog is born with behavior problems, all dogs are capable of having them, it is solely based on how socialized, exercised, and structured your dogs schedule is.
Your dog is obviously NOT happy, and not living his life to the fullest, he has anxiety because of built up frustration/lack of dominance over him & not enough exercise (done properly) Your dog feeds off of YOUR energy, so if you are an angry/uptight/stressed out person your dog will feed off of that.


----------



## MomofLeo (Aug 18, 2006)

Yes, you need to exercise your dog and wear him out. He is probably bored which is causing a lot of the distruction problems.


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

We adopted him 5 months ago, and he was very wild, and liked to run around a lot. You can never tire this dog out. He is always ready to go. I walk him for 15 minutes in the morning, then again in the afternoon and in the evening. Plus I play ball with him in the yard, or house, and take him out other times during the day.

We have given him nothing but love and affection. My wife grew up with dogs, and she never had a dog like tiny before. She never had a chi but she has had other small dogs, and she also had cats.


----------



## MomofLeo (Aug 18, 2006)

According to Cesar (dog whisperer), love and affection are the last things you should give your dog. Your dog needs to be treated as a dog. Exercise is the most important thing. Your dog probably thinks that he is dominant over you and your wife and can get away with everything because of this.


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

So tell me - What should I be doing? I need all the advice I can get?
Thanks


----------



## CM Katie (Sep 28, 2005)

How old is Tiny? 
My dog Carl is almost a year old and he's going through this destructive "teenager phase". He just started getting into plants around the house- he dug around in a plant when my mom left him in the living room for a minute- tracked dirt all over. 
Have you taken obedience classes with Tiny or contacted a behaviorist? They can give you great tips.
Be consistent with Tiny, make sure he has enough toys and bones to keep him busy. If he's doing something bad say "No!" in a firm voice, and give him a toy, just like you're doing.
Keep working at it, don't give up on the cute little baby!

Also, dogs can sense your anger. If you're mad at Tiny or just frustrated and don't really like him at the moment, Tiny can sense that. It's better to be calm but still dominant.


----------



## holly&peanut (Feb 18, 2006)

dogs dont always want to be leader of the pack but if no one else is taking the role then they feel they have to be leader! So you really need to take charge!
Tips like making them eat after you've eaten, if hes on the sofa with u and he acts aggressive or nips put him on the floor give him a firm no and ignor him for a minute or two. 
-also my dogs got tons of toys in a toy basket, first thing he does in the mornin is come and tip the box over to get his toys- hes never bothered with biteing anything in the house because hes got plenty of stuff to occupy him --also ive found nylabones really good for that------->not sure if youve got one but i got peanut one for strong biters and its chicken flavoured and he loves it!

i really hope you persist with tiny he could be a lovely dog if you keep at it, i know its hard work but it will be really rewarding in the end!!


----------



## lecohen (Feb 13, 2005)

Hiya,

I know you have been given lots of good advice in your threads about Tiny and it's a shame that you haven't had much success with training Tiny.

If you plan on keeping him (I hope you are), I would suggest you go back to basics and teach him CONSISTENTLY some manners and even take him to obedience classes or have one on one sessions with a trainer or behaviourist. 

Sorry but if Tiny has turned into a problem dog, it is the product of your lack of training. 

Tiny needs to know his boundaries and learn who is boss and you need to be aware of this as in your past posts you have said that you let him get away with things.

I hope that you can work through this, for Tiny's sake!


----------



## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

FYI

Daniell&Scott comes along every few months and post how Tiny is such a horrible dog and asks for training advice for biting, chewing everything and potty training. It has been given many times. Try doing a search for all his posts.
Obviously it isn't taken seriously, or Tiny wouldn't be so bad.
I really wonder if Tiny is as bad as Scott says he is or if Scott is just bored at work.
If Scott seriously needs help, maybe it's time for a private trainer.


----------



## Katie (Apr 9, 2005)

To me, the things you are describing sound pretty nomral. I could be saying the same thing about my Jack. He was agressive and growly when we got him and he still doesn't like puting on his harness over his head. He'll fight with me for awhile before I actually get it on. He gave me potty training issues and he chews up stuff just about daily. I do my best to keep everything picked up but stray pens and toilet paper are a couple of his favorites. Luckily he doesn't like furnitue but I've heard of other chis who do. I think the majority of us on here go through similar stages. There was a thread awhile ago about all the items our dogs chewed up. Of course some are more extreme than others but dogs of any breed are a lot of work. I agree that walks should help and also chewies. Pig ears, dingos and other chewies keep the dog from being bored and they'd much rather chew something yummy like that than some carpet. Jack would chew this place to pieces without them. It usually goes from difficult to good to difficult and then back to good again. Patience is key. I agree that a pen for him or a baby gated area designated to him during his destructive phase will help you guys out. Obiedience training is another good alternative. I hope things get better for you guys and Tiny.


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

Yeah thats it - I am bored at work.....

Honestly though. Danielle and I have appreciated all of your advice. We have used plenty of it and still have problems with tiny. We have used advice from the Vet and our friends and still to no avail we are having problems with tiny.
Tiny has A few stuffed toys, nyla bones, and until a month agoi a Kong. No idea what happened to it, but its MIA.

Yes I come on here when I have problems with tINY. Isnt this forum a place for questions? Well I had a question. I am sorry if I didnt ask the right one.

Anyway, at this time Danielle and I cannot afford a personal trainer, or doggie classes, or a behaviorist. I wish I could afford to have the ghost whisperer come to my house. He is amazing.
Scott


----------



## appleblossom (Mar 10, 2005)

I think that you really need to sit down & decided if you really want to keep Tiny. Having a dog is just like having a baby it needs constant supervision, interaction, & love. It seems like Tiny is a bother to you most of the time yes it is annoying when a dog chews up stuff & destroys your house but if you really want to train Tiny not to do these things then its going to take time & proboly alot of crate time for Tiny until he learns that these things will not be tolerated. If you are mad at him all the time then he is going to pick up on that & act out upon those feelings your having toward him until you can actually accept him of his faults & deal with them then Tiny will always be a little terror.


----------



## lalaNlucky (Jan 10, 2006)

youreally need to read cesars way
affection & love is what makes HUMANS happy, not animals.
Animals need to be dominated, be given a routine, exercised, socialized etc. then affection last.
"training" wont fix these problems, as they are psychological issues that YOU need to correct by training yourself and how you handle your dog.
Dogs dont go through phases etc with their age, dogs live in the now (as cesar says) they don't know their age etc or why they are acting out, as dogs cant rationalize things, thats a human thing.


----------



## Lin (Jun 7, 2006)

Scott, Tiny is a beautiful little dog. How old is he? I don't want to offend you, but maybe re-homing him would be a possibility? It is very hard to work on healthy, productive training when one is so obviously fed-up with the animal. I think they sense that and exploit it. We wind up getting frustrated and scolding instead of training. I just don't know what the answer is. I know that if I was


danielle&Scott said:


> so mad at the dog and we dont know what to do with him... I regret getting a chihuahua. We have had nothing but problems with him. From his biting, to his growling, and aggresiveness, and now to this...


 I wouldn't want the animal around and would try to find a good home for him.

No offense intended. I have just enjoyed every aspect of my dogs that I can't imagine being this distraut with them. Training is hard work and takes an exhorbitant amount of time. If you don't have the time to spend... 

appleblossom, seems I echoed your sentiments... didn't mean to get redundant. GMTA :-D


----------



## *Chloe* (Feb 6, 2006)

you do need to put some effort into making him obedient, training classes aren't all that expensive and even if you cant afford them, get a good training book and invest some time and effort in retraining him to behave as you want him to (at my training classes they teach us how to handle the dog, not train the dog themselves, it mainly about having control of your animal and dominance) 

if you dont want to put any effort into him, then i would think about rehoming him as im sure there is someone that will


----------



## Pookypeds (Jun 20, 2006)

Is Tiny neutered? If not, that can help some. All this advice is right on the dot on what you should do. Chi's especially need lots of attention, training, and guidance. If that is not something you can take the time to do, then getting him another home with someone who CAN do that would be better. Thats how I came about to be Pedro's owner. My daughter originally had him for a few weeks and found she couldn't be home with him enough to train and take care of him, and was going to find him another home; so I said I would take him. He's been a handful, too, but I stuck with him and have put a lot of effort and time into training him. Really, how they turn out is related to all the time and effort you put into them! Just curious....why doesn't Danielle talk on this chi forum???


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

Because Danielle is now playing with Tiny - She is off for the summer...I work on the computer, so I post online....

Tiny started this after he was neutered.....He was doing other things before he was neutered.

I bought the dog whisperer on amazon, but it turned out to be the wrong book. Can you tell me the title of Cesars book please.

Thanks


----------



## Pookypeds (Jun 20, 2006)

It's called Cesar's Way. Written by Cesar Millan. It has a picture of Cesar and his dogs on the front. Excellent book.


----------



## Roxys Mom (Apr 13, 2005)

I'm sorry you are having these problems with Tiny. I know it can be pretty frustrating. IMO, the first thing you need to realize is that you MUST make sure he is not out of your eyesight for even a moment. This will allow you to make the necessary corrections when he is misbehaving. When he is chewing on things that he is not supposed to you MUST correct him immediately with a command like NO! or LEAVE IT! Then you MUST replace the item he was chewing on with an appropriate toy. Once he is chewing on the right thing, you MUST reward/praise him for a job well done! You'll have to do this over and over and over until he gets it. Dogs really want to please you and he will get this in time. Repetition/consistency is the key. If you can not watch him at all times you're only option is to confine him in an area where he can not destroy anything. He's not a bad dog, he just needs to know what is ok to chew and what is not ok to chew. The burden falls upon you, the owner. You will really need to invest alot of time and energy into this, it won't be an easy fix since he's already allowed to do these things. Having a dog is like having a small child, you can't leave them unattended and must know where they are at all times. They can easily get into things they shouldn't. You also might want to invest in some doggy gates or an exercise pen to put him in if you need to concentrate on something other than him. If you're not willing to invest the time in him, you won't be able to correct his behavior. His training really needs to be the thing you focus on. These things are just part of the deal when you decide to get a pet. It's up to you to decide if you are willing to do what it takes. Good luck and please keep us posted!!


----------



## CM Katie (Sep 28, 2005)

How old is Tiny? I know a few of us have asked...
Sorry if you answered and I'm just blind.


----------



## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

You can keep him on a leash with you at all times...better than a crate, but then he won't wander off and get into trouble.

My sister had a peke and three babies and it was all too much for her and she ended up finding a good home for the little dog. Sometimes, it's best.

However, I really think he is basically a normal pup. He wants to chew, he wants to be in your face, etc etc.. A lot of these behaviors disappear with age. My six-year-old Border Collie was a PAIN! He is now practically perfect, as Mary Poppins would say. A lot of that was simply growing up. 

I heartily agree with exercise, exercise, exercise. And make sure you are the boss. If you leash him and have him at your side at all times, he'll figure that out. You can give him a nice chewie and jerk a little on the leash if he starts to do something wrong (ie, chew on your chair leg) with a sharp NO. That will teach him that you are omnipotent. It's good for a dog to think its owner is God.

Good luck with him. He's really cute!


----------



## lalaNlucky (Jan 10, 2006)

crating a dog is very important though, it sets boundries, of course, not crating to discipline, but crating for their own safety and peace of mind, dogs are den animals, they prefer to feel safe in an area of their own, then to wander their house, its their time to focus and relax.


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

Tiny is 10 months old. About 6 weeks ago we brought Tiny to the vet to get his nails cut (he hates this) and I asked the vet if he could still be teething and she checked and said he had all of his adult teeth.


----------



## lalaNlucky (Jan 10, 2006)

this is a problem you all have created, the sooner you see that, the sooner you can fix it, its not his teeth, his age etc. its a dog. dogs form problems based on the sittuations they are in and the energy around them, which is why obiedence classes will not work, its not like your dog runs outside, or isnt listening when you call his name, or wont sit. He is destroying things because he is FRUSTRATED and has energy he cant release, dogs are only able to focus on ONE thing at a time, so you all are not destracting his mind with exercise & rules. dont try to humanize what the dog is doing, dogs dont think like we do. they arent like "oh im mad my mom left so im gonna chew this up.." or "im not getting attention so im gonna go pee over here" thats not how it works lol.


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

We try taking him for long walks and playing with him in the backyard. When we are not home or can't be on top of him, he is crated. We have tried several methods that continue to fail so we were looking for other advice.


----------



## MomofLeo (Aug 18, 2006)

How long did you try each of these methods for? You need to be consistant and keep a routine. Dogs thrive on a routine. If you are consistant about your training, there shouldn't be an issue or problem.


----------



## sourjayne (Jul 11, 2006)

Another book I've heard is good is "Don't Shoot the Dog" -- I think it would give you some ideas for training your dog and getting it responding to some positive attention instead of getting into trouble all the time.


----------



## lalaNlucky (Jan 10, 2006)

are you walking him EVERYDAY for at least 30 minutes, and properly? with the dog behind you, his ears should be back & he should be focused on the walk, he isnt allowed to stop and sniff, you decide where you want your dog to sniff, as that makes you the pack leader. he gets the slightest little tug when he barks, or pulls on the leash, so it snaps him out of his current frame of mind etc, your head up high, no tension on the leash, and you have to be enjoying the walk as well, dogs can pick up on the energy around them. the dog running in the backyard is NOT exercise, its playtime, just like letting a kid go to disney world isn't going to teach them how to behave. a dog must be walked, its what they do, dogs travel in a pack.


----------



## CM Katie (Sep 28, 2005)

Also he's only 10 months old. He's still a puppy and going through all the puppy phases. Keep being consistent.


----------



## Pookypeds (Jun 20, 2006)

He's still very much a puppy at 10 months old. Give him more of a chance...you have to be willing to spend the time to do things with him; you know, like you would a small child...he needs exercise, discipline, love and care. That all takes time. You cant expect perfection right away. My Pedro is almost 2 years old....he's been a handful. But I never gave up on him; and he's getting better!


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

Im not giving up on him. Believe me. We want to do anything we can to train him. I wish I could afford to have a professional come and train him, but we cannot right now. 

I went to the book store but Cesars book was sold out


----------



## rachel (Jun 16, 2006)

Try watching some of his (Ceasar's) shows on tv. I think they're mostly on the National Geographic channel. They may not be specific to your problems, but they'll still show you how to become the dominant one which should help with training him to not eat your whole house! Good luck! I wish I had more advice for you!


----------



## lalaNlucky (Jan 10, 2006)

yes you can also buy a dvd set of his first season i believe so you can see the things he talks about on his book in action to better help you, so you know exactly what to do.


----------



## Sidech (Apr 3, 2006)

I used to have a miniature poodle who was a handful. She was about 9 pounds but she was a hurricane. She would pee everywhere in the house (and poop), chew on everything (and I mean everything) and eat anything she'd find. Until I decided enough was enough. Then I started keeping her on a 20 foot lead at all times in the house. I would shorten the lead according to the room I was in and just tie her up in a spot I could watch her, or keeping the lead in my hands so I could correct her if I had to. 10 months old is a teenager for a dog and it's perfectly normal (but not acceptable) that your dog is behaving like he is, even though he's finished teething, he's not mature enough yet to understand what he can and cannot do. The most efficient thing to do is to keep him in your sight AT ALL TIMES. Make sure he can't get into anything he's not supposed to and correct him when he manages to. Be consistent and patient. Small dogs mature around 1 year of age. Your dog is almost there. If you do a good job, you still have a few rough months before you see changes happening. Your dog will always be an active dog, but he will have mastered the rules in your house, such as no chewing on furniture. My dog was very active too and still is. But she stopped being destructive.


----------



## sourjayne (Jul 11, 2006)

I'm reading "The Culture Clash" right now, it's about humans and dogs living together, with a nice chapter on "chew training." In a nutshell, it says you must give the dog chew toys and establish what they're for, THEN interrupt unwanted chewing on other objects. If you don't do it in that order, the dog basically thinks "why did they interrupt my nice fun with this stupid thing?"

It also doesn't say much for the the dog vs owner dominance theory. The book makes the argument that the dog is chewing on the carpet because... why not? It's fun, and he doesn't know it's wrong, and he needs to chew on something. So I think it's a matter of doing some good chew-training.

The chew toys you train your dog with should be REALLY interesting, especially now that he's developed an interest in other things. You should try stuffed kongs, real actual raw bones, bully sticks, Buster cubes stuffed with treats... the book even suggests rope bones dipped in soup stock and allowed to dry. If he's got a sensitive stomach (I know all about that!) stick with a kong or hollow bone stuffed with his kibble, maybe mixed with canned food or bits of cottage cheese to make it a little sticky so it doesn't fall right out, and maybe a really smelly treat he can get to after he gets out all the boring kibble.

With the stuffed chew toys in your possession, 1.) get the dog hooked on them, 2.) don't allow access to anything you don't want him to chew on (keep him in a dog-proofed room/crate/etc) -- give him no opportunity to test temptation -- don't set him up to fail, 3.) After these measure have been in place, consistently, for a while (doesn't say how long, days? weeks? months?) and only then, start giving the dog access to the house ONLY under close supervision so you can give him feedback about his choices of chew objects. At this stage, you're setting the dog up to make choices, being prepared to redirect immediately if he guesses wrong.

The book explains that if you just try step 3 without the first two steps, you're only teaching the dog not to chew on those objects IN YOUR PRESENCE. Only when you've taught him what he CAN chew on can you stop him from chewing on anything else. It does take time, patience, and consistency, like all redirection of natural dog behavior. My favorite quote from this section of the book: 


> If you can't or don't want to provide for the basic behavioral needs of a dog, do not own one.


The book is "The Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson and is available at Amazon.com, and I got it from my public library. It goes into detail about the behavioral needs of dogs (they chew, they bark, they chase moving objects, they have a fight/flight reflex when they feel threatened, etc.) and how to go about dealing with that behavior to teach the dog what is acceptable in human society. All you need is knowledge, understanding, patience, and the willingness to work on it. I like this book so far and find its advice much more useful than anything I read in Cesar's Way, personally. 

Good luck!


----------



## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

I really like that advice. I always take away whatever Dolly has that she shouldn't with a sharp NO, then give her an appropriate chew toy with a "good dog". She seems to get it most of the time! She is still a puppy and I give her some latitude for that as well!!!

I'm going to get that book. I LOVE dog psychology SO much.


----------



## lalaNlucky (Jan 10, 2006)

you shouldn't grab what you want out of a dogs mouth, in a real pack the pack leader makes its followers drop it out of their mouth.
So by taking it from them, it's not doing too much, your goal should be for them to drop it from their mouth for you, and you can do this by having dominant energy & saying whatever *word* you use for "no!" i don't use words, i point my finger & my dogs know! If your dog puts its ears back and looks up at you thats GOOD he isn't sad and like "whhyy is my owner being meann" he is being submissive to you and paying attention to what youd like him to do. you can also curl your fingers and emulate a dog bite on his neck, thats what a real dog in a pack does when he/she doesnt like what one of the pack members are doing, she/he gives a firm bite on the neck, obviously with chis they are so tiny and frail, so you can mimmick this with two fingers and enough so the dog gets the point that you are doing a "biting" motion, but not enough to obviously inflict any type of pain, you can hold the grip there until the doggy releases what you want. but just like anything, this tecninique (or even the one above) will not work unless you are doing it properly in every other aspect of your baby's life, exercising it everyday, having other rules as well, giving affection at the right times etc. it has to be a combo of everything, not just one or the other.

im sure there are other methods that work, but none that match what happens in a real dog pack

Cesars Way book & the dog whisperer dvd's alll talk about it, im tellin you his season 1 dvds or whatever cover EVERYTHING lol. i recorded like every episode


----------



## Pookypeds (Jun 20, 2006)

Last night on Cesar Millans' show Dog Whisperer, they had a dog on there that was doing EXACTLY what Tiny is doing. The cure? Lots of walking and exercise. At least 45 minutes worth each and everyday. The dog was eating everything in the house and tearing things up because of frustration of being cooped up and boredom. On the show they said after a few days of doing the walking and letting him work off the frustration, he no longer tore things up and quit eating everything like the furniture, etc. Cesar stressed that you HAVE to do that EVERY DAY. Really, walking your dog for 45 minutes every day isn't that much. I used to do it sometimes an hour or more with my chi. But the point being, walking, at least, works off the frustration that your dog feels at being alone and cooped up all day. Try it for a week, at least, and see if that doesn't make Tiny quit eating everything he shouldn't!!!


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

Scott and I went to the book store the other day to buy the book, but they were sold out. We have watched a few of the episodes and love his techniques. We are trying to take Tiny on long walks, but right now it seems as though we can only get the really long walks at night. It's not that we don't want to spend the time, it's just that there are situations right now in our lives that do not always allow us. 
Scott's dad has been in the hospital since July 29th and is not doing well. We spend a lot of time at the hospital.


----------



## Pookypeds (Jun 20, 2006)

I can understand that....but you still have to get the exercising and walking in somehow. When I walked my chi before, the ONLY time we could do it was at night. But we still did it. The point being is that walking is EXERCISE to relieve the pent up frustration. Maybe when you can't walk, maybe another form of play or exercise to do with Tiny.


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

At times I will play with him in the backyard, he loves playing fetch. We are trying to take himf or long walks at night since wee all can use the excerise lol. Once we go back to our "normal" routinue, we can get him more ona exercise schedule.


----------



## Pookypeds (Jun 20, 2006)

I think that is what will really help Tiny to stop. Our older chi, who is 12 yrs. old, kind of did that tearing things up when he was around 2 yrs. old. So we just automatically back then started taking him for walks...and that stopped it. I believe when they're alone and bored and frustrated by that, they just automatically have to tear things up. If you cant go for walks, at least maybe some form of play or exercise inside to work off his frustrations. You'll have a totally different acting dog if you do. It's worked on my dogs...you just HAVE to take the time. Think of Tiny as if he were a human child in the sense that you HAVE to take the time, no matter what. You wouldn't expect a child to be in a playpen all day, or confined to a room all day with no one to interact with. Same with a dog. They need the interaction and attention. Good luck!!!


----------



## ngtah00 (Jun 20, 2005)

does anyone have the cesar milan book that they could borrow? 

I have the everything puppy book and dog tricks book if you're interested. I hate to see tiny being resented. 

I agree with the exercise part, try that consistently and let us know what happens. I've been told a good dog is a tired dog...and I am sure you will understand as well. Also, what about a puppy play group? Dogs in the neighborhood? Friend of yours that have dogs? A park nearby? Those dog parks are a good way for your dog to exercise, play, and learn proper puppy/doggy behavior. 

Please keep up updated


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

Today I didn't go with Scott to the hospital, so I am about to take Tiny for a walk. This will hopefully benefit both of us.


----------



## Pookypeds (Jun 20, 2006)

It will work......remember...at least 45 minutes!! Good luck, and let us know!


----------



## ngtah00 (Jun 20, 2005)

I noticed you're from long island, ny. I did a search on google for dog parks...i don't know if this near you bc i don't know where you live

http://www.longisland.com/askmrli/faq2.php?ID=6

Also how about posting on craigslist for a dog play time group? 
http://longisland.craigslist.org/pet/


----------



## lalaNlucky (Jan 10, 2006)

makesure you walk him properly, he needs to follow behind you and not tug on the leash, do not let him stop and sniff where he wants etc. you make the decisions & have a positive energy while you are walking cause mr. tiny will pick up on that. good luck


----------



## danielle&Scott (Mar 24, 2006)

We went for a long walk and I walk him in the street otherwise he tries to stop and sniff everything. The hard part is to get him to walk behind me. For a little guy he walks very fast. I try to get him to walk a long side of me instead and if he tries to stop and stiff I tug on the leash almost like the reins (spelling?) of a horse.


----------



## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

He obviously does NOT see you as dominent.
There is the sorce of your problems.


----------



## *Chloe* (Feb 6, 2006)

danielle&Scott said:


> We went for a long walk and I walk him in the street otherwise he tries to stop and sniff everything. The hard part is to get him to walk behind me. For a little guy he walks very fast. I try to get him to walk a long side of me instead and if he tries to stop and stiff I tug on the leash almost like the reins (spelling?) of a horse.


if he walks out in front correct him by taking hold of the lead with the left hand, take 2 or 3 paces backwards at the same time guiding your dog backwards extending your arm behind u release ur left hand and continue to walk do not wait for ur dog and correct him every time u should be holding ur lead in ur right hand with ur dog on the left....ive got some handouts from my training classes if u pm me ur email address i'll scan them and send them to u if u want


----------



## lalaNlucky (Jan 10, 2006)

you need to tug upward on the leash, not pull on the side, the minute you feel him pulling or trying to sniff, walk by the temptations, like dont walk in the road to cater to him, walk on the sidewalk so he is tempted so you can teach him that you decide, that way he is getting the full benefit of the walk, because its just as much mental as it is physical and its not benefiting him if he is the one trying to be in charge the whole time, dont give him enough slack on the leash so that he's able to go in front of you either.


----------



## jcx1 (May 17, 2005)

*I can understand*

Our Baxter is 12 lbs and 1 1/2 years old. He has eaten our house up. He doesnt do it now finally but as a puppy he was horrible. I gave him chewee bones and everything but he liked the furniture better. It has stopped. I think some are worse than others.It was making me crazy too but I decided I cared more for him than the furniture. Its not easy!!!


----------



## Pookypeds (Jun 20, 2006)

Like I said before, a lot of stopping it is exercise....the dogs are frustrated when they chew up things they are not suppose to!


----------



## Katie (Apr 9, 2005)

I read that also. It's probably at least partly separation anxiety. Most chis don't do well being left alone often for long hours. They take our their frustration by chewing and acting up like Tiny is. The book I have suggested taking about 15 minutes before leaving for the day to play with him and have some one on one time together. They also suggested giving him a special toy or treat before you leave to keep him busy for awhile. Daily walks are suppose to help and they also said including them in an activity other than their normal routine can help. They said you could do it once a week and suggested taking them with you on a short errand like returning a movie or a trip to the petstore. Somehow the inclusion into your life makes them feel special. Different books have different information and theories. I say try them all and see what works best for your own dog. I don't think a certain method will always work for every dog. :wave:


----------

