I HATE MY DOG!!!
Ok, I admit, I am writing this in a fit of passion and I'm sure hate is a bit strong for what I am really feeling but I need your help! I'm going to be totally honest here, at this point and time I CAN'T STAND KIRBY! He is a terror. I'm sure most of you saw my post of him on the kitchen counter, as funny as that was it was just a quick example of hurricane Kirby and I'm at my wits end and don't know what to do with him. He makes Marley (of Marley and Me) look like an angel. Today I came home to find my absolute favorite sandals in the whole world chewed to pieces. He has chewed 2 phone chargers, a blue tooth, pulled textbooks and novels off my bookshelf and shredded them, chewed the bottom out of a chair, climbed on the counter and shredded and/or ate everything he could find, ate an entire bag of ranch sunflower seeds and the list goes on and on.
By now you are probably thinking "why dont' you confine him?" I've tried. He is a little Houdini and escapes any confinement I can put him in. I haven't crated him for a full day yet because honestly I am worried about him tearing toenails or breaking teeth trying to get out of his crate in addition to eating his bedding and peeing/pooping all over the crate. He has escaped ex-pens (extra tall ones) and babygates, I can't lock him in any room because he climbs up on bookshelves and counters and could likely open cupboards. He was fine with free range of the house for the first few weeks I had him so I don't know what his deal is. He has a million toys and gets plenty of exercise so that's not the issue. I can't reprimand him because I rarely ever catch him in the act so I don't know how to teach him this IS NOT OK. Especially eating my favorite shoes :-( I am so sad about that.
Anyway, advice? Suggestions? Stories? I'm wanting to stick it out with this dog but honestly I'm having a hard time even LIKING him at this point because he has done very little to make me want to keep him. Maybe even support or stories of bad dogs gone good?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kevan hudson on
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Hi Melissa ,I imagine you have managed to calm a bit by now (hopefully),I believe in my reply to this I forgot to mention that Abbie had not been housebroken and had never been on a leash before,we were aware of this, but it just added to everything else.I was thinking of Kirby today and it made me wonder,being thrust into a new environment,the way Abbie was, perhaps she was just,"testing the waters",she came to our home and had no idea of what WE expected of her,she had obviously come from a home that gave her no "structure",when I boil it all down , Abbie was like a 8 week old puppy with 18 months of bad training behind her,Melissa, think of Kirby as a project for you and Franklin ,I believe it's going to work out for you.
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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Yeah its pretty clear he either had no boundaries or his boundaries were not clear. I think there was likely just a lot of yelling and or hitting in his old home and he never learned to behave like a good dog. He will try to climb up onto furniture and one of my counters when I am sitting right there watching and he even started trying to chew the bottom out of a chair while I was watching, so he clearly doesn't know right from wrong. I didn't get the baby gates until today so this morning I gave him some Acepromazine and that seems to have really helped. Came home to a clean house and he still seems to be feeling quite mellow. I may combine the sedative with baby gates and start weaning him off over the course of a week or two to help take the edge off when I leave the house. I always give a rawhide when I leave but that doesn't seem to help. Now that I have the baby gates I probably won't need any sedation (hopefully!).
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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I recommend this for counter-surfing, though sometimes the bottles leak and that is maddening because it's pricey.
http://www.amazon.com/Innotek-SSSCAT-Cat-Training-Aid/dp/B000RIA95G...
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ooooooooooooooooooh somehow I missed this post! Very interesting! Thanks!
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Hi Melissa ,hopefully you will take this the right way,in no way do I mean to be judgmental .Kirby was added to your family, he is new,Franklin has been with you quite a while,is it possible that your expectations of Kirby are high? You are so used to Franklin and the way he is,yet Kirby is the polar opposite,You mentioned some kind of drug? I watched a documentary on Sunday night about the use of phscotropic drugs on dogs,very disturbing. On Monday Benson Abbie and I went to the vet for checks and shots, I asked him about the use of drugs on dogs,he said he has only prescribed in cases of anxiety, where the dog was doing damage to itself,Melissa it is obvious you know something about animal care,I am sure you will do the right things,We have been where you are ,we are fine,dogs are fine,house is still standing!
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I gave him Acepromazine which is a mild tranquilizer. I actually gave it at the suggestion of my vet. It takes the edge off and she suggested giving a low dose for a few days and then slowly weaning him off to decrease the anxiety. My vet is also a dog trainer so she has been helping me with him. I've been working with him for almost 2 months now and he is steadily getting worse so she suggested this until I got the baby gates (which I got today). Ace is a VERY safe drug, in fact Franklin had to have it for 2 months when he broke his foot (the second time) and had complications with the recovery. You can give it long term with no ill effects and it is commonly prescribed to dogs with anxiety (its the go-to firework and thunderstorm drug). I also have a prescription of valium which I am not going to use at this point because I'm hoping having 2 baby gates supported with chairs will be enough to keep him confined. The stuff he is doing really does have the potential to harm him (such as chewing wires and climbing on counters, not to mention the risk of obstruction). Crating is ok for short periods but he can easily break toes, nails, and teeth chewing and scratching to get out and so until he is used to being crated for longer periods its not ideal either. Hoping I can take him to the vet I work at 3 days a week because we have a doggy daycare there. Its expensive but I'm going to see if they will give me some kind of discount since I'm an employee.
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Hi Melissa ,thought you would like to know this,my little(2yr.old ) Benson despite all his training,despite all those books, despite all my,I can handle it attitude,has been enrolled in a series of one on one behavioural classes, We start Saturday , you are definitely not alone in the bewilderment category ,gotta love the corgi!
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I just keep reminding myself over and over and over and over and over (lol) how many classes Frank and I have been through. Franklin was by no means a perfect puppy and the reason I DID NOT WANT A PUPPY. I, however, ended up with the equivalent of young puppy so must remind myself of the terror that was baby Franklin. I have hopes that I can undo the mess that Kirby's previous owners made of him and end up with a well balanced and obedient little guy. I'm not expecting a Franklin #2, because honestly in all my life and with all the dogs I have owned, worked with, and trained, I have NEVER met a dog like Franklin. He just knows what I want without me having to ask and is my angel. I just have to remember (and I chant over and over in my head) that it took Franklin about 6-8 months to get over the puppy chaos and turn into my perfect little boy. So I figure I have to dig deep and find the patience to give Kirby another 4-6 months before I can even begin to expect him to be well behaved. If by then he is still a terror, maybe my parents will be ready for another dog lol. My mom is head over heels for Kirby and I've offered him to her on many occassions lol.
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Permalink Reply by Snickmom on
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Melissa; Wendy had almost identical problems with Ricky-Rafa when she got him. She was able to help him turn around and be a great dog. She has torn a ligament in her hand and can't type easily, but said she would be glad to talk to you, if you want to exchange phone numbers. (you are already friends) http://www.mycorgi.com/profile/wsgf822?xg_source=profiles_friendList
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Permalink Reply by mosesbotbol on
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FWIW, our Camber was rescue and all my friends thought we were making a mistake. She was 4+ years old and did not know how to walk on a leash. I'd drag her on her back across the back yard and she'd shiver and cower all the time. Fast foward 4 year and now she is a dog everyone loves and is quite friendly. This is all to say it takes time. You are doing the right thing and eventually Kirby will figure it out with your love and repeitition. Keep up the good work.
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Today was the first day with the baby gates. I put 2 baby gates supported from behind with 3 dining room chairs..... I came home today and he was out. I have NO IDEA how he got out and can't even begin to guess. As I type this I have placed him on one side of the baby gate and his dinner on the other. Now its just a waiting game to see how long it takes him to show me how he is escaping. He is leaving me with no other option but to crate him. He hasn't been crated for long periods of time before so I can only hope he doesn't hurt himself trying to break out of the crate and/or doesn't bark and whine all day thereby getting me evicted. Today he pulled a box off my bookshelf with some nice clippers in it and ate the box and the chord to the clippers, as well as chewed the plug on Franklin's new cooling bed and destroyed some more books. I"m running out of patience and its hard to think I may have to put up with this behavior for months. I'm starting to understand why he ended up in the shelter to begin with the little punk!
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Be interesting to set up a video camera to gain insight on when & how he doing things while you are away.
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