NDD.

joneve

This was Poppy at Agility last night. This is about a quarter of her actual top speed (i.e when she's bird or ball chasing in a field) - still working on that aspect! But she's mastering everything pretty well (only been doing it a couple of months, and she's easily the most consistent dog in our "advanced" class) - save for the brain fart coming back over the A-Frame on this video  

Loads of collie types do it and are pretty good at it. Poppy loves it (or at least she loves the treats she gets at the end of a run)

octatonic

Ok, we've hit a bit of a blip, perhaps more of a blip.
We were told she was destructive but I wasn't aware just how destructive she is.

We did 3.5 hours of walking today- covering about 15km- she would have run double that as I have a ball/flinger.
We've also done a lot of playing in the yard.

After getting back I left her alone in the house for 10-15 mins whilst I went upstairs to the studio to work on some music.
When I came back I found her dog bed shredded- completely shredded and strewn all over the place.
She is bouncing around here now- full of energy.

Going to talk to the RSPCA tomorrow and see what they think.
My theory is that as she is getting more comfortable and fitter her exercise requirement is going up.
I'm hoping we can find a solution to this- because it isn't possible for me to exercise her more than we currently are.
I need to be able to leave her for periods of time without the house being destroyed in the process.
I wonder if she might be happier on a farm or in a household with other dogs.

I'm not giving up on her but I simply can't spend the next 10+ years of my life 100% focussed on the dog and not doing the other things in my life that need to get done.
What do I do?

joneve

octatonic said:

Ok, we've hit a bit of a blip, perhaps more of a blip.
We were told she was destructive but I wasn't aware just how destructive she is.

We did 3.5 hours of walking today- covering about 15km- she would have run double that as I have a ball/flinger.
We've also done a lot of playing in the yard.

After getting back I left her alone in the house for 10-15 mins whilst I went upstairs to the studio to work on some music.
When I came back I found her dog bed shredded- completely shredded and strewn all over the place.
She is bouncing around here now- full of energy.

Going to talk to the RSPCA tomorrow and see what they think.
My theory is that as she is getting more comfortable and fitter her exercise requirement is going up.
I'm hoping we can find a solution to this- because it isn't possible for me to exercise her more than we currently are.
I need to be able to leave her for periods of time without the house being destroyed in the process.
I wonder if she might be happier on a farm or in a household with other dogs.

I'm not giving up on her but I simply can't spend the next 10+ years of my life 100% focussed on the dog and not doing the other things in my life that need to get done.
What do I do?

Does she have any 'wind down' time after her exercise? 

we don't have destructive issues but our Springer is a right knob and stays 'wired' if she doesn't have a proper wind down (ie 20 min lead walk back home) after masses of stimulation. So this could be a factor. 

She's buzzing her tits off after chasing the ball and exploring that when she gets home, she's completely wired and the destructive thing may be her way of releasing energy. 

Might not help and I would say what the RSPCA say but 15km should be enough exercise for even the fittest and most crazy of dogs 

Bridgehouse

Dog crate.

A really big one, with a bed, water etc. Make a game of it when she goes in, and a high value treat. Make it out to be a real treat to go in it and reinforce with the high value treat.

Give her a chew toy in there. Stay close but not too close so she knows it's you time for 10 mins, then go off and out of sight for 5 mins, then come back in sight but give her no attention for 10 mins. 

Rinse and repeat - she will get comfortable with it eventually and the anxiety will subside. 

octatonic

joneve said:

Does she have any 'wind down' time after her exercise? 

we don't have destructive issues but our Springer is a right knob and stays 'wired' if she doesn't have a proper wind down (ie 20 min lead walk back home) after masses of stimulation. So this could be a factor. 

She's buzzing her tits off after chasing the ball and exploring that when she gets home, she's completely wired and the destructive thing may be her way of releasing energy. 

Might not help and I would say what the RSPCA say but 15km should be enough exercise for even the fittest and most crazy of dogs 

Yes she has some wind down time.
We put her in her dog bed, give her a chewy dentastick type thing and leave her for 10-15 mins or so before letting her into the house.

octatonic

Bridgehouse said:

Dog crate.

A really big one, with a bed, water etc. Make a game of it when she goes in, and a high value treat. Make it out to be a real treat to go in it and reinforce with the high value treat.

Give her a chew toy in there. Stay close but not too close so she knows it's you time for 10 mins, then go off and out of sight for 5 mins, then come back in sight but give her no attention for 10 mins. 

Rinse and repeat - she will get comfortable with it eventually and the anxiety will subside. 

We bought a metal foldable crate in case we needed it- looks like I will have to give it a go.
I can't give her chew toys though- she destroys them and then eats them- the day we picked her up she was passing a tennis ball that someone forgot to take off her.

She slept downstairs last night- no massive problems.
No barking and no destruction.
She was super high energy when I let her into the garden- she was all over the shop, crazy dog energy.
So crazy that fetching stopped- she would chase the ball but then just keep running around in circles.
She is a bit calmer now.

It was just very weird that she was destructive when I was playing music/playing drums.
I very much hope that the two things aren't causally related.
Maybe she was being a music critic?

Bridgehouse

@octatonic - I wonder if it's routine related? You could try a set time for music each day so she gets used to you doing that at that time, and once used to it she will not stress if you then do it at other times?

octatonic

Bridgehouse said:

@octatonic - I wonder if it's routine related? You could try a set time for music each day so she gets used to you doing that at that time, and once used to it she will not stress if you then do it at other times?

I am pretty much doing that- we get up, I let her go to the toilet, I eat, then she eats.
Then we wait for 40 mins or so for her food to settle (to avoid bloat) then we walk for several hours.
Then she comes back and quietens down, then I go up to the studio or workshop.
She can follow me to either place, although in the workshop she has to sit away from the machines.
Then after lunch we walk/run again, I go back to the studio/workshop.
At dinner time I eat first, she eats after us.
We go for another walk before bedtime.

I just don't see what else I can be doing.
I just caught her pawing at her bed again just now- I was able to correct it but eventually she will do it in a moment where she is not being watched- unless I confine her to her crate anytime I am doing something, which doesn't seem fair to her.
RSPCA open in 30 mins or so- hopefully they have some ideas.

Axe_meister

She is still settling in working out what she can and can't do.
All three of my dogs have gone through the distructive phase (albeit at puppy stage).

ThePrettyDamned

That sounds quite tough to deal with. 

Have you tried "indestructible" toys? I'm sure you have already, but you never know. Some kongs and ropes are very, very tough indeed (although they are not indestructible, regardless of marketing). 

Sounds like a wonderful dog though - I hope you get it all worked out. She's a beaut! 

Bridgehouse

The crate thing should help fix the behaviour and thus would only be temporary. 

I must admit it does sound like she is finding her feet and still a bit anxious in a new environment.

Stick with it mate - sounds like she is really worth it

octatonic

ThePrettyDamned said:

That sounds quite tough to deal with. 

Have you tried "indestructible" toys? I'm sure you have already, but you never know. Some kongs and ropes are very, very tough indeed (although they are not indestructible, regardless of marketing). 

Sounds like a wonderful dog though - I hope you get it all worked out. She's a beaut! 

She can have Nylabones and that is it- the kennel warned us about this but we assumed it would be fixed with exercise.

I'm hoping this is temporary because we can't deal with this if it is the new normal.
I spoke to the RSPCA- they have referred is to their dog behaviourist who is calling at 5pm.
Fingers crossed.

Bridgehouse

octatonic said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

That sounds quite tough to deal with. 

Have you tried "indestructible" toys? I'm sure you have already, but you never know. Some kongs and ropes are very, very tough indeed (although they are not indestructible, regardless of marketing). 

Sounds like a wonderful dog though - I hope you get it all worked out. She's a beaut! 

She can have Nylabones and that is it- the kennel warned us about this but we assumed it would be fixed with exercise.

I'm hoping this is temporary because we can't deal with this if it is the new normal.
I spoke to the RSPCA- they have referred is to their dog behaviourist who is calling at 5pm.
Fingers crossed.

Keep the faith - it will get sorted. Dogs seem to have a knack of adjusting to suit their owners. She will know if she's causing you stress

octatonic

Bridgehouse said:

octatonic said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

That sounds quite tough to deal with. 

Have you tried "indestructible" toys? I'm sure you have already, but you never know. Some kongs and ropes are very, very tough indeed (although they are not indestructible, regardless of marketing). 

Sounds like a wonderful dog though - I hope you get it all worked out. She's a beaut! 

She can have Nylabones and that is it- the kennel warned us about this but we assumed it would be fixed with exercise.

I'm hoping this is temporary because we can't deal with this if it is the new normal.
I spoke to the RSPCA- they have referred is to their dog behaviourist who is calling at 5pm.
Fingers crossed.

Keep the faith - it will get sorted. Dogs seem to have a knack of adjusting to suit their owners. She will know if she's causing you stress

I'm trying but it pretty tough right now.
We won't give up unless we really feel that that it isn't working- we aren't there yet but I do have some significant reservations right now.

Axe_meister

Does your daily schedule allow you to break up the walks? Rather than a 3 hour walk 3x1 hour may be better.
She's getting massive stimulation for a long period of time and is then bored waiting for the next walk.

octatonic

Axe_meister said:

Does your daily schedule allow you to break up the walks? Rather than a 3 hour walk 3x1 hour may be better.
She's getting massive stimulation for a long period of time and is then bored waiting for the next walk.

That is what we are doing- we did 5km this morning, then will do another 5km after lunch and then another one after dinner.
They are different walks, although in roughly the same area with a few variations.

octatonic

We did 30 mins of crate training.
She went in ok- there was a nice treat in there for her.

She was ok, although would much prefer to be out of the crate than in- but that is understandable.
I'll start feeding her in the crate from this evening in the hope that she associates it with 'good things'.

octatonic

She has been an absolute angel for the last 4 days.
The Adaptil pheromone collar is doing its work.
I have her booked for doggy day care for when I start at Solid State Logic- she will be run ragged with two staffies.

She doesn't have house privileges when we are not in at the moment but she will get there.
So pleased, because after she started shredding things I was really unsure if we could do what she needed.
I was an idiot, of course. She just wants to do the right thing and she is so desperate to please.
Yes, I'm smitten.

Also, she does things like this that make us laugh.

Bridgehouse

Excellent result - sounds a lot like our new addition. Very eager to please and having to learn the right way to fit in. Ours is adopting similar poses to yours

octatonic

She is a real sweetie.