HELP! ANYONE! :)

[Jennifer089]

Our neighbor mentioned that he was thinking about getting another dog so I asked him to consider going to the pound and adopting one. Well, he did. He found a 1-2 year old (nobody really knows) unaltered Mastiff.

I went over there to see him this evening and he is beautiful. The only problem is, he's tearing the hell out of his backyard. He's torn the cable wires off the house, insulation from the vents on the side of the house and basically shredded everything in sight. He has plenty of toys and bones to keep him busy but evidently they aren't as entertaining as destroying the house and yard.

They've had him for about a month. This evening while I was there, they were busy filling holes and the places around the yard where the dog has dug with dog poop. They say this is his last chance. They don't know what to do. Our neighbor's girlfriend is at the house most of the day and the dog prefers to be outside rather than inside. Even with someone present, he still shreds.

From the looks of the backyard, this problem is much, much bigger than an occasional digging dog. It's bad.

Otherwise the dog is great. He loves the kids, he's easy to walk, and he gets along great with their other dog.

Any suggestions? I hate to see such a beautiful dog go back to the pound.

Jennifer

[Virtues]

They might try chicken wire or something similiar between layers of poop in the holes. They also might give the dog a sandbox, a 2' deep area of sand to dig in, and encourage him to dig there.

Mastiffs are like our Presas, they need to be with us. They're job is guarding and being a companion. Try to see if they're up to bringing him inside. Crate training (he can't destroy anything when he's crated), and a good long walk each day (could they go with you?) would help a lot. I've trained a few Mastiffs and they're not generally destructive. The dog may need some more time to settle in, but sounds like he needs a job to do.

I know YOU probably know how to help but getting the neighbors to do what it takes can be a little harder. Let us know how it works out!

[josebrwn]

My dog used to dig when she was young. It was bad the first year, a little better the next. It happens for two reasons, the dog has energy and needs to do something, the dog is frustrated and needs to vent.

You can't toss a dog out into the backyard and say "now be happy". The dog is either happy or he is not. If he is happy, well-exercised, obsessive behaviour should stop, eventually. So the secret is not so much making it impossible to dig, but finding the underlying problem and addressing it. Why is this dog not happy?

Not enough exercise. How many MILES does he RUN every DAY? Zero, is my bet.

Too much isolation. How much time does the dog spend absolutely alone every day?

Not enough stimulation. How many HOURS does he TRAIN every DAY? Zero, is my bet.

Last, his past can be a big part. When we adopt a dog we adopt his past and all his problems. A good owner who got the dogs for the right reasons delves into these problems and solves them. A bad owner puts the dog back out for adoption with a whole new set of problems. Sometimes the problems are too much. You have to decide if it's worth the effort or not, but I think the best course is to fix the problem, not its symptom.

[Jennifer089]

I asked him if he was bringing the dog inside to be part of the family and possibly benefit from the interaction. He said the dog doesn't want to be inside. He comes in, wanders around, refuses to engage in any play and then asks to be let back out. He won't even sleep inside the house, even though he is welcome to do so. He's happy to play with them outside but that's it.

I have no idea how much exercise he gets, but apparently he is walked because I was told he's very good on the leash and has excellent manners when taken out. Most likely whatever he gets, he needs much, much more.

He spends approximately four hours a day during the week alone. Otherwise, someone is always home for him.

Digging is one thing but actually *destroying* the outside of a house and all that surrounds it seems like something far worse. I have never heard of a dog being this destructive and if it were my dog I'd be at a loss as well. They asked for my help because they know Choya and I work together all the time.

I was the one who told him to try putting poop in the holes. I learned that from Choya's first obedience class as digging and other problem behaviors were covered. No one ever mentioned what to do if a dog digs *and* tears the hell out of the outside of a house.

I want to help him, I don't want to see the dog be sent back to the pound. And actually, neither he nor his girlfriend want him to go back, either. They love him. I'll offer him the suggestions offered so far here. I'd take the dog but we have an older, intact male Shar Pei who has ZERO tolerance for other male dogs.

Jennifer

[Virtues]

How long have they had him? Is it possible he's depressed and still adjusting? Just curious...

A good heavy chain link kennel can be bought for aboutr $200 and used as kind of an "outdoor crate" if he's only alone for that long and destroys the house.

Hope it works out for him!

[peaches17]

http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/lib-prob.htm#chew