Destruction!

[Smartie]

Hi Corinne and wow!  Your pup does sound like a handful too!  Max chewed through an electrical lead to a lamp at my parents one day but luckily it wasn't plugged in at the time!  It's a scary thought knowing how easily they could come to harm though isn't it.  When I did use a crate he also got out of it somehow but I think I just hadn't pushed the bolt across properly.

Max always knows he's done wrong when I come in to the mess as like your dog - he just sort of cowers away from me.

Max is so loveable most of the time that you do forgive him but it also can be depressing to come in and have to cope with all the destruction he causes!  I am persevering though and keeping fingers that we will get there eventually with him.

[Ruby Tuesday]

I just wanted to say, be really careful if he can get over the child gate. Someone on COL not long ago came home to find their pup hanging upside down from the gate after trying to jump over. Luckily she got there in time and after vet treatment he was ok.

Sounds like your pup really doesn't like being left. He is just being a typical cocker pup, our Jem destroyed quite a few bits but she has our other dog for company. He will be going through a teenage phase right now too.

Have you looked into doggy day care at all? Obviously there is a cost involved, but it might give your parents a break.

[BeeBoo]

Grrr. Sorry but dogs do NOT "know that they have done wrong"!!! They merely sense impending threats and cower or run off in self protection. Their memories don't work like ours, and their body language is to ward off violence be that from your hand or your shouty voice. If you have such old fashioned view then no wonder your dogs do things they should not, you obviously don't know how to communicate or stimulate your Cockers in the right ways. Leaving them for hours is wrong, as is your attitude to behaviour these dogs cannot control... Your posts have upset me greatly, I suggest you educate yourselves and stop blaming the dogs!

[Millipede]

Umm, not sure your post BeeBoo is very helpful, this forum is for sharing experiences not berating others. We all have to leave our dogs on their own, and I have read with interest tips from others.
For what it is worth, I think in some instances dogs do know when they are done something wrong. If they have been told to leave something repeatedly and then manage to get it when you are not looking,  there can definitely be a guilty look!
ps Millie has also chewed through a power cable (to my laptop), luckily electrocuted me when I found it not her!

[Lovely]

I may have imagined this but i thought i once saw a programme where they said most destructive behaviour occurs within the first hour of leaving them? In any case, it's definitely best to make as little fuss as possible when you go out, no fussing and kissing goodbye! Some individual dogs are more destructive than others, Duffy our springer destroyed our kitchen when he was little and i was at home with him most of the time! As for dogs looking guilty, i always know when spud has been up to mischief, he just looks different somehow. I guess as in when humans look guilty, we're awaiting our fate having been found out!

[maddy74]

You say you have been giving him a kong all the time now? I think if I were you I would keep it for when you go out to take his mind off you leaving at least then the kong still remains a novelty.   As soon as you come home lift the kong. We do this with Willow and it seems to work. When I tell her I am going to work she now runs to the fridge as I always leave her with 2 filled kongs. Use a filler that you know your dogs will love and keep this as a treat associated with the kong.

We decided to leave Willow un-crated when we went out at 7 months old and I had advice from the breeder it was too young to do this as she was still in adolescence and if she did wrong we were not around to correct her. When a dog has done wrong I think the rule is something like you have to tell them/correct them within a second of them doing it or they dont associate them doing wrong with being corrected, what im trying to say is if you leave your dog for a few hours and they have caused destruction as soon as you go out they dont understand when you come home what they have done wrong, hope this makes sense.  

I think if I were you I would go back to leaving him alone for a very short time and build up to leaving them for longer when you feel you can. Good luck, bringing up puppies can be stressful. xx

[maddy74]

Just a couple of other thoughts you say you have only had him for a few months but he is 10 months, what was his history before he came to you?

Could you say leave him in the kitchen making sure all the cupboards are safe so there is perhaps less there that would tempt him to destroy?

Do you live and work near your parents, could a possibility be you build him up up to being left for half a day at home returning home at lunch and dropping him to your parents?

You say your dog has a lot of physical activity but does he get much in terms of mental stimulation? Clicker trainer, find it games, hunting scents in the garden. Willow seems to tire quicker after her brain has been challenged more than when she has had physical activity.  xx

[Archie bean]

Just been reading your first post again and I'm wondering about his exercise regime? You say he goes with you on most of your runs. Does that mean that he goes out with you every day or only on some days? Is he on lead just running alongside you. I've never run with a dog (never actually run without one either!  ) but I feel that a dog gets more stimulation if it is off lead, able to follow scents, practice recalls, play with other dogs or with a ball etc. rather than just running along keeping up with a running owner. If he isn't going out every day, preferably more than once, then maybe the problem is that he isn't actually getting enough exercise? Are your parents able to take him out or do some training games with him to occupy his brain?
I think Maddy has made some excellent points re his previous history and also going back to square one and leaving him for very short periods and building up. This means it may start with just a couple of minutes etc. Hard work but I'm sure he will get there in the end.
If your parents are not able to cope the I agree that doggy daycare or even a dog walker to come in once or twice a day would be something to look into. Hope things improve for you soon.

[elaine.e]

Grrr. Sorry but dogs do NOT "know that they have done wrong"!!! They merely sense impending threats and cower or run off in self protection. Their memories don't work like ours, and their body language is to ward off violence be that from your hand or your shouty voice. If you have such old fashioned view then no wonder your dogs do things they should not, you obviously don't know how to communicate or stimulate your Cockers in the right ways. Leaving them for hours is wrong, as is your attitude to behaviour these dogs cannot control... Your posts have upset me greatly, I suggest you educate yourselves and stop blaming the dogs!

Your post is not in the least bit helpful Beeboo, in fact it's rude, and makes assumptions about others who have posted on the thread asking for help or sharing a similar problem. Please remember that members of the forum are required to be polite when expressing their views.

To those who posted about "dogs knowing they've done wrong", they don't, but I'm sure many of us will have seen our dogs, especially the more sensitive ones, appear to look guilty when they've done something that has upset us. They're very quick to pick up on our tone of voice, facial expressions and body language. It doesn't even take a voice raised in a moment of grumpiness, let alone a telling off or worse, for many dogs to then appear to look guilty.

[JeffD]

Grrr. Sorry but dogs do NOT "know that they have done wrong"!!! They merely sense impending threats and cower or run off in self protection. Their memories don't work like ours, and their body language is to ward off violence be that from your hand or your shouty voice. If you have such old fashioned view then no wonder your dogs do things they should not, you obviously don't know how to communicate or stimulate your Cockers in the right ways. Leaving them for hours is wrong, as is your attitude to behaviour these dogs cannot control... Your posts have upset me greatly, I suggest you educate yourselves and stop blaming the dogs!

Your post is not in the least bit helpful Beeboo, in fact it's rude, and makes assumptions about others who have posted on the thread asking for help or sharing a similar problem. Please remember that members of the forum are required to be polite when expressing their views.

To those who posted about "dogs knowing they've done wrong", they don't, but I'm sure many of us will have seen our dogs, especially the more sensitive ones, appear to look guilty when they've done something that has upset us. They're very quick to pick up on our tone of voice, facial expressions and body language. It doesn't even take a voice raised in a moment of grumpiness, let alone a telling off or worse, for many dogs to then appear to look guilty.

Yes I must agree with both points Elaine. Its a pity Teal can't read my body language when she has pinched the TV remote for the tenth time, I swear the little angel is laughing at me.

[Smartie]

Hadn't checked on here for a few days and see that I've had lots of posts.  I still believe Max knows he's done something naughty even though I don't tell him off because I totally get that he won't understand why when it's after the event. 

I run pretty much every day but I also train (he can't always train with me but has been known to).  I go off road as much as possible so yes he is let off the lead.  I also walk with him so he gets his opportunity to sniff everything out.  We also have playtime in the house with his toys and I do a short session of training every day.  I don't use a clicker but use the usual commands.

His history is that he came from a lovely family with young childrenn who had got him to keep their other pup company but it (he) became too much for them and they made the heartbreaking decision to let him go. I don't advocate using violence to correct any behaviour which is why I have asked for help on here and am willingly try more pleasant remedies such as the diffuser.  He doesn't get left for long periods of time as he is at my parents daily and with me the rest of the time.  However, I have a life and he can't always come along with me when I go out (which could be as simple as just going to the shops for a short while) and my worry is that each time I am going to come back to a bit more of a chewed up house!  Since I last posted he's had his moments of still chewing the odd thing to not causing damage to anything.  I have considered doggie day care but still need to build up to a timescale where he can be left for short periods of time first I think. 

Please know that I love my little pooch and the fantastic moments I have with him outweigh any not so fantastic moments 

[Lovely]

I think we know you love him, sometimes misunderstandings happen on here but i'm not going to speak for others. You're right, you do need to be able to leave him and it sounds like you're making progress which is great. I guess it's understandable he has some separation issues given his history, and it will take time for him to realise that when you go out, you will come back! Keep going, you'll get there.

[Ruby Tuesday]

Just re reading your posts, you said he isn't very responsive when you train with him on a walk. It might help to let him have a good run and let off steam before you do a bit of training. We tend to train on the way back from a walk when Jem is more responsive!

The other thing that just occurred to me is what do you feed him? Maybe his food is making him more hyperactive?

[maddy74]

I agree with Ruby Tuesday, I know when we take Willow out she is like a coiled spring for at least the first 15 mins until she has had a good run. When she was younger I did any mental exercise after her physical exercise to get her focus. 

It sounds like you are doing everything right it just might take a little time. Might be worth getting him one of these to chew on...
http://www.puredog.co.uk/stagbar-antler-dog-chews.php

[JohnK]

Hi folks - I am new on here.  I got a myself golden cocker called Max about 3 months ago - he's 10 months old now.  I work fulltime but take him to my parents for the day.  I have tried to build up time where he is left alone as they can't have him permanently as they are fairly elderley.  At first things seemed to work ok and he didn't cause too much damage.  I will add that initially I used a crate but he got so stressed in it that by the time I got back to him he was hoarse with howling (I couldn't leave water in there for him) and had defacated.  I gave up on using the crate because of the stress it caused him.  I have tried to keep him in the back area of my house by use of a child gate but he can leap frog it.  The thing is, even when at my parents, if they go out for just an hour he will have destroyed things by the time they get back and I feel really bad.  At mine when I've left him he has chewed up magazines, photoframes, ornaments and also wrecked window blinds and a new carpet!  I am at present trying one of those plug-in infuser things - it worked the first time of use but not since.  I am also training him the usual commands but he is an extremely lively dog and doesn't always respond very quickly.  He gets plenty of exercise as I am a runner so he gets to go with me most of the time on my runs.  The damage he is causing is really getting me down so I would appreciate any advise any of you can give!  Thank you

Maybe you need another cocker