About 6 months ago my husband and I decided the kids (2 boys, almost 4 and 2) "needed" a dog to grow up with them. My husband wanted a German Shepard, while I think GS's are absoltely beatiful dogs I didn't want a horse running around the house, especially since I would be the main caretaker of the animal. We researched on the internet what breeds would make great family dogs with young kids. We found Corgi, Beagle, and few other breeds would be great and my in laws have a dachsund that my kids really like, etc etc etc. I'm just pointing out this was not an overnight decision. It was well thought out. In the end I decided we should visit an adoption center and see what sort of pets we available. To my surprise I ended up really falling for a German Shepard! However when we went back to meet her a second time she seemed insane and I remembered the "horse" thing! It turned out the center had a 4 month old corgi-german shepard mix that had just come in that morning and had just come out of surgery from being fixed. We signed up to adopt her when she was ready to go home. She was a really easy dog to house train and has always had biting/nipping issues. I've tried shaking a jar of pennies at her, I've grabbed her snot and told her "no", I've done the crying out thing when she puts her teeth on me... the problem seems to stem from my 4 year old that wants to grab her by her head and poke in her nose, etc etc. I've started keeping them apart. Well, that wasn't the point, she was supposed to be a dog for the kids. We've had her nearly 3 months now and I now put a muzzle of her (she can eat, drink and bark with it on) when she is around the kids. I feel like it reminds them not to mess with her face and her not to bite them. She's totally bmmed with the muzzle on so she pretty much goes away when I put it on her anyway. Recently, although she has 5 billion chew toys and squeek toys and varios other dog toys around she has taken to pulling up our lanolium kitchen floor, eating the wall and I caught her chewing a hole in the couch while she had a chew toy in her paws! Is she bored? I told my husbandn that maybe she needs another dog but i don't think I want to take on another dog. I know "a tired puppy in a good puppy", but its too cold here for her to be outdoors very long... I personally am not particularly attached to her, my husband really likes her but he's not around much b/c of work. I guess after all of this my question is for advice on how you know if you should keep a dog or not? The kids will get older and more understanding of the do's and don'ts with her and I'm hoping she'll get more understanding of whats expected of her... but what happens if she doesn't and continues to eat my house??
I can't really tell you what you should or shouldn't do. I can tell you your dog is stressed & that I hate to see animals get tossed back to shelters repeatedly because people really don't understand them. A dog takes as much time & patience, if not more than a 2 year old. THAT's ALOT!
Sounds like the kids need to learn as much as the dog, but you can't have bad habits forming in the process. You also have to train a dog the way you work with a child...consistency & don't give attention for the bad behaviors. Also, remember a dog does not remember what they did later so you have to correct the behavior when it is happening. Are you willing to try dog training? Here's a small stroy...I had a dog dumped on me a few months ago (a VERY large dog), approx 9 mths old at the time. I could immediately see why the owners dumped him, he jumped up in your face when he got excited, ate straight off of the kitchen table, dug in the trash (inside, not out), dug holes in the yard, & occasionally chewed shoes :)On the other hand he was house trained & slept through the night. I work full time & have a second part time job, with what little bit of attention & little knowledge of training I've picked up I had turned him into a respectable dog, still had a few issues, but was on the way, unfortunately he was hit by a car & died three days later. Try talking to Petsmart, they do dog training, maybe they can give you some free advice, otherwise, if you feel it is hopeless, give her back so she can find a home suitable for her before she gets too old or these behaviors are too habitual for her. Hope you find what works for you!
To answer your question of how do you know if you "should" keep your dog or not is really up to how much work and how much you are you willing to sacrifice (meaning chewed couches & carpet). I would encourage you to keep your dog and keep working at it. At one year you still have a puppy like dog which means energy and more energy. Also, sorry to inform you due to the age of your children and your husband not being around "you are it" α when it comes to correcting and training this dog not to mention training your family. So if you don't think you are up to this any reasonable person would understand giving her up. I would first and foremost encourage finding a trainer or obedience class. This is a good way of reducing energy, having questions answered, and involving your kids (there are trainers that will come to your house). Talk with your vet they might offer other training alternatives. Finally, exercise and more exercise, just letting a dog out to go to the bathroom is not enough. I know its cold, but giving her something to do is really important, it's a little cold or a destroyed house.
Does the house destruction occur when you leave, or while at home? If it happens while you are away maybe crate train your dog and put her in a crate when not at home. Finally, the nipping thing is still a puppy thing and with proper correction should go away. This does depend on what exactly is happening with the kids. She's probably taken to your sons as littermates where nipping and biting is perfectly acceptable . I understand teeth hurt and this is not acceptable in the human world, but for your dog to understand the correction your kids need to be consistent (which is hard for young children to do). Your family also needs some training on how to interact with her. It's hard to teach kids that pulling tails and ears is not a nice thing, but you need to get this through to them, if you don't want the dog to do it for you, which usually means nipping and biting (my four year old pulls, hugs, and lays on our dogs we've had to separate them and really work with my daughter to get her to understand this is not proper behavior). There are other reasons that dogs bite and chew that might be of concern. Try the internet and do some research. Talk with a vet or trainer in more detail. There are too many unwanted pets out there that with only a small amount of work make great family companions. If all else fails give her up sooner then later before bad habits become permanent.
Hi, Jennifer....you asked if your dog is bored...YES...your dog is bored. She needs to be walked for an hour ONCE A DAY (you will develop a bond this way, too). She is bored. She needs mental and olfactory stimulation by walking in a different area every day...this part of the neighborhood today, another part tomorrow, the 1st route later, etc. Another dog may not be the answer...two dogs are twice the work of one and three dogs are the work of seven! ;o)
Here's a thought to put dogs in perspective...all dogs are wolf-puppies...that's right...they are directly related to wolves. What do wolves do all day? They travel, travel, travel (exercise and mental and olfactory stimulation) in all kinds of weather. If you think it is too cold for your dog, get a doggie coat. :o)
I can't help you w/the nipping issue. I have never had a dog that nipped as they were all older, pass the puppy stage.
I do hope you work w/your dog. Millions are put down each year in shelters, and I hope yours won't be one of them.