Why is my adult dog suddenly so naughty, and what can I do about it?
November 28, 2009 by Admin
Filed under User Questions
mama2znc asked:
I have a Golden Retriever who will be 10 years old this year. She, typical of a golden, has been a superb pet over the years and very well behaved and mellow. Over the last several months she has begun chewing up my kids’ toys (she favors small plastic pieces and cardboard puzzle pieces) and raiding the pantry. Yesterday she ate two bags of Oreos and a bag of gummy candies. I have since rearranged the pantry so that she can’t reach any food anymore. I give her a nutritious, homemade meal consisting of hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, and sardines every morning and she gets a premium dry dog food each night. She gets walked and petted and talked to frequently throughout the day. She lives indoors with us and I would classify her as being pampered rather than neglected. I don’t understand the behavior change and I am very frustrated. My husband is ready to toss her out, but I don’t believe that pets are disposable–they are like kids as far as I’m concerned. I teach, not toss!
***To clarify, I use a published homemade food diet book for dogs to prepare her meals, and she gets 1 Tablespoon of sardines every morning as directed by the book.
If you own a Chow Chow or if you’re thinking about getting one, then this may be the most important letter you’ll ever read…
I have a Golden Retriever who will be 10 years old this year. She, typical of a golden, has been a superb pet over the years and very well behaved and mellow. Over the last several months she has begun chewing up my kids’ toys (she favors small plastic pieces and cardboard puzzle pieces) and raiding the pantry. Yesterday she ate two bags of Oreos and a bag of gummy candies. I have since rearranged the pantry so that she can’t reach any food anymore. I give her a nutritious, homemade meal consisting of hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, and sardines every morning and she gets a premium dry dog food each night. She gets walked and petted and talked to frequently throughout the day. She lives indoors with us and I would classify her as being pampered rather than neglected. I don’t understand the behavior change and I am very frustrated. My husband is ready to toss her out, but I don’t believe that pets are disposable–they are like kids as far as I’m concerned. I teach, not toss!
***To clarify, I use a published homemade food diet book for dogs to prepare her meals, and she gets 1 Tablespoon of sardines every morning as directed by the book.
If you own a Chow Chow or if you’re thinking about getting one, then this may be the most important letter you’ll ever read…
Has your dog been to the vet for bloodwork? Almost sounds like she has diabetes.
I think you should call a dog specelist to work with your dog and you.
She needs blood work – today. Good Luck
Has anything at all changed in the house? Sometimes that type of behavoir is a cry for attention because something has changed. You did mention you give her lots of attention, but has anything at all changed in the house? That could be the reason for her behavoir.
Sometimes when dogs reach their “Senior years” they may regress as do some humans. Just keep an eye on her and make sure everything else is normal. It may be time to have a senior check up with your vet. Have there been any changes in your household? This could also cause this behavior. I’m glad to hear you want to work this out with her. You may want to take her on some walks she may just be bored. If she were my dog I would get the vet check up. Hope this all works out. Take care;~)
I would be more concerned about the husband willing to toss her cause she chewed up some garbage laying around the house… Food that was left within her reach… You should be careful.. He’ll be tossing you next.
Anyhow, it might be related to age.. It might be she has a deficiency from eating sardines each day.. She should have balanced kibble morning and night.. Sardines are packed in salt.. ALl that salt isn’t good for her..
She might be bored.. Who knows.. You should take her to the vet and rule out health problems.. And tell your husband to start picking stuff up if he has such a problem with it.
-I think your dog is bored, needs something to chew on, and may need some vitamins/minerals she isn’t getting. Probably, the sardines may not be a plus in her diet and too salty, too. Suggestions: 1. Give her some duties like slipper delivery or toy put-away, or anything else that doesn’t annoy you or your husband. 2. Tell her not chew non-food items, using a disapproving tone of voice, and be consistent. 3. Get her some vitamins for elderly dogs. 4. Get her some chewy toys, rawhide, or maybe bones from the grocery store meat department. Insist that she only chew on these things.
Remember that your dog is eager to please you, but can only do that if she understands what you want her to do. As for discipline, I have found that praise should outnumber disapproval by a 6:1 margin. And master should be perfectly consistent with tone of voice. I love my dog and my cat.