Comment

Comment by Lucy & Ricky (Wendy/Jack ) on May 3, 2010 at 11:10pm

the key is to catch her in the act. i actually moved a sofa out of my family room because, as a puppy, lucy would poop behind it. she was, and still is, shorter than the sofa! if you're not there at the moment, your puppy may look guilty, but probably has no idea what she's done wrong. she just knows by your body language that you're not happy with her. your puppy loves you & wants to please. she will understand best when you discipline to the misdeed AT THE TIME it occurs. If you are vigilant for a weekend, it will pay off big time. catch her in the act and say "no" or whatever your word is for misbehavior, and she will learn very quickly what she needs to do.

Comment by Rebecca Brooks on May 3, 2010 at 9:24pm

Thanks for some of the tips.. She's a sneaky one and tends to only destroy things when we aren't around. We have caught her a hand full of times. Apple spray doesn't work. It seems like it's just extra flavor to her. I will try the leave it lessons with my shoes. (Crossing my fingers!) I love my baby and I hate to have to crate her so much.

Comment by Lucy & Ricky (Wendy/Jack ) on May 3, 2010 at 8:16pm

PS
LOL. Our "cure" was probably coincidence. Maybe this is just a maturational stage of Corgi's adolescence; a last-ditch test of who's REALLY the boss.

Comment by Lucy & Ricky (Wendy/Jack ) on May 3, 2010 at 7:52pm

I'm assuming that you tried spraying your carpet with Bitter Apple. It's always worked for us. Yet, after Lucy was (we thought) house-trained & no longer crated, she started chewing on a rug. We stopped buying and using stuffed animal toys that may have seemed similar to the rugs. It worked for us.

Comment by Sunni A. on May 3, 2010 at 7:06pm

Molly will eventually stop destroying these things, don't forget that! My tip is to not think the phase is over. Supervision or crating is completely necessary even at 9 months to protect your stuff. Eddy would go a month with angellic behavior, we would even leave him alone, roaming the house while we work, and then RANDOMLY we would come home to destruction and have to start all over again with the trust.

Comment by Gail and Ashton on May 3, 2010 at 7:01pm

I feel your pain. Ashton went though a strange carpet destruction stage. He chewed a couple of holes in the carpet. One in the front room, one in the hallway. I chalked it up to me saying I wish I could tear up the carpet and get hardwood floors. I am sure my sweet little boy only wanted to help his mommy get her wish by getting rid of the carpet! lol Lucky for me it was a short lived stage and after a couple of weeks of "leave it!" it broke the habit and now he doesn't even give those spots a second glance.

I still don't have my wood floors and now the carpet REALLY needs to go. lol

Comment by Kimberlie on May 3, 2010 at 12:00pm

My sisters Pitbull use to do that. What she did was have halo in the same area as her when she was home and every time she tried going for something she was not suppose to her would say "leave it" When she looked away or backed off she would have give halo a chew, raw hide, bully stick, nalybone whatever was around to grab. She also did it when halo would get excited and jump. she would get her to sit and submit then give her a chew as a way to get the excitement out. Now when halo get bored or excited halo know to go get a chew. Sometimes she stills tries chewing something bad or jumping and my sister just says "get you chew" and she does. The trick it to make sure they know that it is bad, and then show them what is acceptable to do. Chewing carpet bad, chewing chews good.

Comment by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on May 3, 2010 at 8:46am

i had the same problem before. with the shoes leave them out where u can see them and when she goes near them say in a firm voice "leave it" and if she insists say "no, leave it" and when she does leave it say good girl. another method is put a shoe behind your back and have her sit in front of u and then put it in front of her and and tell her to leave it. if she looks away. praise her. do this in repetitions through out the day not all at once. i had a little carpet trouble. i would cut off access to rooms that she likes to tear up the carpet, and keep her in your sight and watch her but so she cant see u but u can see her and try to catch her in the act and scare her by saying "no leave it" it will startle her. the more u do it the better it gets

Comment by Bev Levy on May 3, 2010 at 8:41am

This too shall pass! Meanwhile give her kongs or cow bones with a little spray cheese smeared around. Cover the areas she chews if you can with something (a heavy box, a chair something). Also do not leave her unsupervised for more than a couple minutes at a time. When you catch her be very DRAMATIC about you disappointment. I used to throw my hands up and loudly say Whaaat a Disaaaaster!!! She has a really strong drive to chew right now so keeping her with you is the best defense. Good luck.

Comment by Jane Christensen on May 3, 2010 at 8:22am

Does she know "leave it"? Not that this will always help especially if you are gone but it is a very important request. I don't know because I have never used a bitter apple spray on the shoes and maybe???? on the carpet. I'm sure someone on here can tell you more!