Could scream :-(

[SophieBlueRoanLover]

Is there any way that you could take him somewhere else, rather than the garden, so that he wouldn't get the opportunity to destroy anything? I say that, because I don't have a garden, and Henry only destroys (digs) gardens when he's in a particular place and is fine when I take him to the park. It might help to get him out of the habit. When he stays at my parents' house we don't let him loose in the garden - partly because he might be able to get out (you never know) and partly because on his penchant to dig. It takes more time, obviously, having to supervise all the time, but it might help break the habit.

PS. Did you ever email the breeder about his pedigree (sorry if I missed an update)?

[lettie10]

Am having the same problem with Bailey (16wks tomorrow) as she cannot stay out of the potato patch or the strawberries

Both were fenced off but Bailey was undeterred by this.

Having had a strawberry plant redecorate my living room last week and another 2 being used for playing tug of war (with my 15mnth old cocker who seems to have regressed back to puppyhood) I have relented and got rid of them.

I have also found potatoes (that have been dug up) on my lawn on several occasions so again I have got rid.

The two areas are now gone or covered completely.

Awful thing is Jazz was never like this as a pup and although she did hide in my strawberries she was never destructive, she is now making up for this as I have 2 excavators in the guise of cockers

It maybe a bit drastic but it has worked and luckily they have not transferred their digging anywhere else (yet!!)

I don't however have the growling or barking just innocent looking faces covered in mud so not sure the best way to deal with this except maybe distraction as mentioned before.

Good luck, it will get better

[PennyB]

Stella who's now a year old has this annoying habbit of opening the door to the hallway and getting in there to remove whatever she can to play with it or chew it (I tell her 'no' several times but she doesn't listen as she's now a teenager) - I've found the only way to stop it is to prevent her getting in there in 1st place so now she doesn't bother trying

[Toni-UK]

I'm obviously doing something wrong as everyone is giving me common sense advice, I'll just have to spend more time (if its possible) supervising him.  

That will be where you're going wrong 

[elaine.e]

I think you're going to have to invest in some chicken wire or similar for the time being, or take him in the garden on a long line and stay with him.

He's not being deliberately naughty, it's just that at the moment the veg. patch is the most interesting and exciting thing in his eyes. So as well as stopping him getting there you should find other interesting things for him to do, such as playing with him or givng him a Kong filled with some of his daily kibble plus some nice tasty things. Squeezy cheese, peanut butter, mashed banana are all good and if smeared inside the Kong could keep him occupied for a while if he's the sort of dog that likes his food and is determined to make an effort to get to it.

Placing him in his bed with no toys is pointless. He doesn't understand why you're doing it and you'll just end up with a bored and frustated puppy who will then be looking for more exciting things to do when he's released, such as returning to the vegetable patch.

William was a nightmare in the garden the first autumn we had him. He was a May puppy and by the autumn every time he went in the garden he wanted to get in pots and excavate them and go down the bottom of the garden and dig pits under the Rhodondedrons . I moved the pots into the front garden and used some puppy panels that I no longer needed in the house plus some plastic clematis trellis to fence off the bottom of the garden. I also spent more time playing games and doing short training sessions with him to use up some of his energy and after a while I was able to take down the temporary fencing and put the pots back in place because William was more interested in other things.

[jaybee]

What do you mean by "not listening"? Is he not responding to any treats/rewards at all? That is really all a dog understands - desired behaviour = reward; undesired behaviour = ignore. He can't "listen".

Yep, agree with this and JeffandAnnie's previous post.

It can feel very overwhelming when they're little and these things become problems, but if you stick with it and remain calm and consistent you will get past it.

Have you got a houseline or a longline you could put him on while in the garden? Putting him in his bed to punish him after the act won't work, so you need to try and prevent the undesirable behaviour happening. If you have him on a line in the garden you can guide him away from the patch and keep him entertained with other things. Like elaine says, short training sessions and games outside.

[YvonneC22]

I don't think he will understand that getting him to lie in his bed is a punishment for going on the veg plot. By the time you get him to his bed, he won't have a clue why. You've only got about one or two seconds to get to them if they are about to do something wrong.
Getting him to lie in his bed is fine as a time out to get him to calm down though.

Keep at it, I was in tears a few times with Jem but they do get there in the end

What would be a punishment for outside?
Its becoming a game for him... If he goes on there he gets a treat and played with in hid eyes!?

[The crazy hut]

I have also found potatoes (that have been dug up) on my lawn on several occasions so again I have got rid.

Lawn?!!! You have cockers AND a lawn?  How did you manage that?

Yvonnec22, I feel your pain.  Wisp rarely dug until Perri and Jazz joined us.  I now have 3 digging cockers and a mud cell where my grass used to be 

I try to distract them as best I can.  The minute it looks like any of them are about to dig, I initiate play either with a tuggy or a ball. For mine that's far higher value than digging the grass.

Unfortunately, Jazz took a liking to the strawberry plants and nothing would distract her until all of the ripe fruit had been eaten 
I had to resort to lead walks and fun in the park rather than free play in the garden until all of the fruit was gone 

[jaybee]

i don't really use 'punishments' so to speak, the punishment is not getting attention/praise/treat whatever it is.
If you had him on a lead/long line you could keep him away from the veg plot, entertain and play with him and reward him for good behaviour away from that area. Don't allow him to perform the undersired behaviour by keeping him away from there.

[elaine.e]

This thread is sort of going round in circles. Punishing Alex isn't the way to solve the problem because he won't understand what you're doing so you need to find a way to stop him getting to the vegetable patch in the first place. If you can't fence it off could you instead restrict him to a different area of the back garden for the time being? If not, then I think taking him outside on a long line is the only answer at the moment and finding interesting things for him to do inside and out so that his puppy energy and curiosity is channelled into more constructive and rewarding things, which will also help build a strong bond between you (or whoever does the training and plays the games) and Alex.

[twiceover2]

i don't really use 'punishments' so to speak, the punishment is not getting attention/praise/treat whatever it is.
If you had him on a lead/long line you could keep him away from the veg plot, entertain and play with him and reward him for good behaviour away from that area. Don't allow him to perform the undersired behaviour by keeping him away from there.

I have to agree with this.  You need to reward him for not being on the veg plot rather than for coming off it to stop him thinking that's the game you're playing.  I would call him off but make him sit and wait by the veg plot.  When he sits nicely, focused on you, reward him.  Don't wait too long at first, just a couple of seconds.  After you treat once, ask him to sit and wait again and then reward again.  Do it 3-4 times, each time extending the waiting time and then take him away from the veg plot altogether.  The next time he goes near it, call him and repeat the process again.  While you're doing it, if he even looks at the veg plot, say "ah-ah" and treat again when he looks away.  It will help him realise he is rewarded for not going on the veg plot at all.  If you have him on a long line while training, if he gets on the veg plot you can calmly lead him off to the side and go through the exercise.This could take a few sessions but sit/stay is the most useful command you can teach anyway and will be well worth it in the long run.

[Ruby Tuesday]

You shouldnt be thinking in terms of punishing your puppy, he is a baby and this might damage your bond with him. Praise good behaviour, ignore or distract from bad. I do realise how difficult and frustrating this can be!

[Bluebell]

This thread is sort of going round in circles. Punishing Alex isn't the way to solve the problem because he won't understand what you're doing so you need to find a way to stop him getting to the vegetable patch in the first place. If you can't fence it off could you instead restrict him to a different area of the back garden for the time being? If not, then I think taking him outside on a long line is the only answer at the moment and finding interesting things for him to do inside and out so that his puppy energy and curiosity is channelled into more constructive and rewarding things, which will also help build a strong bond between you (or whoever does the training and plays the games) and Alex.

Completely agree with Elaine. I don't really understand why you want to 'punish' him, when there are lots of alternatives Surely it is better to show/give him something better to do and avoid the need to 'punish' 
Cover up the raised beds until next year, when he has matured, and he has been given a better, alternative, past time 

[lettie10]

I have also found potatoes (that have been dug up) on my lawn on several occasions so again I have got rid.

Lawn?!!! You have cockers AND a lawn?  How did you manage that?


Unfortunately, Jazz took a liking to the strawberry plants and nothing would distract her until all of the ripe fruit had been eaten 
I had to resort to lead walks and fun in the park rather than free play in the garden until all of the fruit was gone 

  I was using the word "lawn" in a very loose sense of the word, what I should have said was the "urine patchy mud swamp" where the lawn used to be

It seems we have a "Jazz" in common too

[YvonneC22]

We have dug the veg up and completely covered the area, maybe try again next march.