Corgi Puppy Drastic Change In Behavior
So we have had zoey for a month now. She is 10 weeks. She has been FANTASTIC until the beginning of this week. She suddenly has felt the need to DESTROY EVERYTHING in her path when we aren't around. We have her baby gated in the kitchen when we are gone and there is a bathroom attached that we leave open for her because its cooler. The first night she had knocked over the bathroom garbage can, shredded everything in it. Somehow managed to pull my hair straightener off the counter. The wire wasnt low enough for her to reach. She then amazingly broke into the boarded off area we have for the cat box. I came home to shredded garbage all over the bathroom and kitchen along with cat poo smeared all over my floors. It covered her, the toys, was smashed into the dog bed. It was horrible. I disiplined her and she knew she was in trouble.
Second night i thought i would be clever and not let her have access to the bathroom. That didn't stop her path of destruction. she somehow managed to pull the dog food bag down, shred it, and between her and max they ate half the bag!!!
Third night there is nothing I think she can get a hold of. I was wrong once again....She this time knocked over the garbage can in the kitchen (which should be far to large for a puppy of her size to do any damage to). She ripped the lid off of it, pulled out every little bit of garbage (no food in it) and shredded EVERYTHING!
I have continually displined her and she even knows that she is in trouble when I get home because she sulks in a corner instead of running to me excitedly when i get home. Nothing has changed in the past week or so in our home. I have made her behave since day one and she knows i am the boss. They aren't getting bored because they are spoiled rotten and have tons of toys and a bunch of variety in them. Plus they have each other to play with.
I don't know whats happening or how to go about fixing it. Or if I am doing something wrong. My boyfriend who had max(our 3yo pem) before I was in the picture said that its just her testing her boundaries most puppies (especially corgis) do it. She is trying to decide who is more dominant; her or me. He said that if I keep disiplining her and trying to avoid giving her things to destroy she will realize soon I'm the dominant one.
I hope that is true but I wanted to hear everyone elses opinion. Have you gone through this? have you found something that worked for your dog? please help! I hate being mad at my baby girl.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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I don't think she is trying to dominate you! At her age she is just exploring her surroundings. I am afraid you are teaching her that your homecoming means she is in trouble. I never scold unless I catch them in the act. Puppies need a very well puppy proofed environment when left alone and that is on you. We have all been through this..the best behaved lonely puppy is tired from a walk or vigorous play session and can find nothing but safe toys to try to destroy. Right now she is driven to find something to do and you would be amazed what a bonus it was to get into the kitty litter! This stage passes and she will find even better ways to misbehave. A puppy class is highly recommended just look for class and/or books that emphasize positive training. Corgis respond best when it is fun to learn. This too shall pass..good to remember while raising a puppy (or a human). Good luck.
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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Yes this makes sense. If you discipline her after the act, she's already forgotten what it's about, she doesn't connect it with her behavior. She will connect her negative feelings from the discipline with you, not with her behavior.
Negative reinforcement usually doesn't work with humans, either, for the same reason.
You might talk to Wendy; her Ricky-Rafa earned a PhD in mischief:
http://www.mycorgi.com/profile/wsgf822
I don't know how it happened, but ours somehow learned what's off-limits and what's theirs. Give her plenty of toys, boxes, paper tubes, balls, and praise her while she's destroying those.
Also, make sure home is puppy-proofed, with special attention to dangerous stuff (garbage, live power cords, venetian blind strings, poisons, plastic bags).
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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I agree with Bev. Maybe get an exercise pen and a crate? Leave toys that she can have in there (Kongs or other chewy things that are safe). Mine still like to get holkd of a kleenex or something. She's a babe...she also will be teething soon and will want to chew even more.
Exercise before you leave and tire her out. Good luck.
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on
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she is not at all trying to dominate you:). she is just a bored puppy. i know u said she has plenty of toys but u can only play with those for so long so shes like "well i wonder what that is" so she "explores" it. get on her level and take everything out that u can see that u even think she can get too. also how long are u gone? and how long of a walk does she get? a tired puppy is a happy one:)
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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How are you disciplining her? A dog doesn't understand what they're being punished for unless you actually catch them in the act. So if you're coming home and punishing her, all she is learning is that you coming home is a bad thing. She doesn't understand that she did something naughty hours ago. I would get a crate or an xpen for her to be in when you can't watch her, and look into a good puppy class for her. She has too much freedom IMO, at 10 weeks she is just a baby and doesn't know any better.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Oh my gosh, she's just a baby! She is NOT trying to dominate you. She's just playing. She has no idea what's ok to play with and what's not, and she has way too much freedom. Everything she destroys is because you let her reach it, not because she's a bad puppy! If a puppy that young eats something, I think to myself "Whoops, I wasn't paying attention" not "What a bad puppy."
DON'T discipline her when you get home. She cowers because she knows you are mad, not because she knows she did something wrong. Cowering is appeasement, and she's just trying to appease you so you stop the scolding; she's not fessing up to being destructive.
Get an exercise pen, attach it to her crate, and put it in the middle of the room where she can't reach anything; not drywall, not wood trim, not edges of flooring. Give her some puppy-safe toys and some water in there. This will be her home each and every time you are not paying 100% attention to the puppy until she is at least a year old.You have a perfectly normal puppy. :-) You have been given bad advice about dominance. If a two-year-old child breaks something, is it because they think they want to be the mommy? No, of course not.
Remember she's a baby. Shredding garbage is what puppies do. Knocking things down and chewing them is what puppies do. Every time she pees on something or destroys something that she should not, take a deep breath and remember the fault is with the owners for not confining safely, NOT with the puppy for being a puppy. If you are standing right there and catch her in the act, you can gently say "Ah-ah" once and replace the improper object with a toy, and then play with her vigorously to reward her. If she ruins something and you don't actually see her doing it, just ignore her and clean it up.
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Permalink Reply by Darlene Hennessy on
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I so agree..with you Beth.
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Andersen on
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Puppies can be an armful, that's for sure. But don't let yourself get frustrated with her (easy for me to say NOW that mine are all grown...). Everyone's posted good advice. When mine were babies and I'd get home to find something messed up or an accident or whatever, since I wasn't there to see it happening, I just cleaned it up and paid no mind to the pooch. The only time I'd discipline them is when I actually saw the 'crime' take place. A crate and an x-pen kinda thing (like others have mentioned) for your little sweetie until you can leave her alone with confidence will be a huge help and a load of your mind.
Oh...and the kitty litter! Woooooo tootsie rolls!!!!! The treasures in kitty litter are a real treat for pooches. I had to move my (well, the cat's) litter box to another area for a while.
Good luck, hon. Hang in there, this too shall pass.
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Permalink Reply by Susan Stanton on
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I'm in agreement with the above. She's a baby (and she's teething!). So make sure she's well exercised and even a little tired before you contain her. Maybe at night, let her sleep in a crate rather than an open space. Give her kongs and also, there are these fabric bones you can get, you soak in water and freeze, feels great to chew on those with sore gums. She should be running to you with total abandon when you come home, not hiding or sulking. If, while you are home, she starts chewing on things she shouldn't, don't yell or get upset -- switch it for a toy that you want her to chew, then praise her to the SKIES when she chews it. Corgis are smart and they get the message fast, when positively reinforced.
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Permalink Reply by Erika & Cooper on
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I had the same problem with Cooper around 5-6 m/o, but it only lasted for about a month and then miraculously went away. He shredded all of my magazines and a few books I had on the table, ripped up the toilet paper on the roll, chewed part of the wall/molding and tore up my carpet (padding and all), even though I left him plenty of other things to play with. He always did this when I was at work, so it was difficult to discipline him. I found that walking him more frequently and for longer amounts of time helped a little bit. I also leave him a treat sealed inside one of those gladware containers. It keeps him really busy trying to get it out, but he's gotten them out before so I know it's not so impossible that he'll give up and get bored.
Good luck!
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