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Another new BC owner needs advice pls...


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Hi, I am new here and I have my BC boy for about 5months, he is almost 2 years old.

He has been very sweet in general. Starting from summer, I noticed he bacame trouble maker at night from time to time. He started to chew on things he is not suppose to touch, remote control, my glasses, pillows...at first,I thought it happened when he was lack of excercise because some days it was just too hot outside, so now I make sure he has 2 hours of excercise a day. But accidents still happen and it only happen at night. During the day, he behaves well at home alone. I couldn't figure out why.

Right now I wonder there might be two possibilities that he is doing it: he wants my companion during the night? He is sleeping in the living room. If I come to check out what damage he has made and I stay in sofa the rest of that night, he will be quiet and calm and no more bad behavior. Or the other reason maybe, I gave him raw bones to chew at dinner time largely, is it possible his mind is too busy afterward so he can't stop chewing even I took the bones away before sleeping nights?

Any advice and thoughts?

Many thanks.

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I think the answer you will hear most is "crate the dog at night". a crate is not cruel, it is a home. you can put it in your room, so he will be near you. both the dog and your belongings will be safe.

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Thanks, I will do that.

 

The only problem is, he will wake up early in the morning and scratch the door, even I ignores him, He will wake me up and I end up lack of sleep myself for the following day...guess no solution for his short sleep? he is behaving well most of the nights w/o me closing the crate door, just sometimes became "hyper"

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What kind of exercise is he getting during the day? Where does he stay during the day when you are gone and for how long?

 

I feel if my bcs were alone during the day, 8 to 10 hours, then had a few hours with me in the evening before bed they would be BORED and chewing up things also. Remember he needs both physical activity but also Mental.

Have you considered allowing him to sleep in the bedroom on his own bed? I would think he is wanting companionship.

 

Most border collies want two things most in life - a job, something constructive to do- and the biggy - to be With their People.

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What kind of exercise is he getting during the day? Where does he stay during the day when you are gone and for how long?

 

I feel if my bcs were alone during the day, 8 to 10 hours, then had a few hours with me in the evening before bed they would be BORED and chewing up things also. Remember he needs both physical activity but also Mental.

Have you considered allowing him to sleep in the bedroom on his own bed? I would think he is wanting companionship.

 

Most border collies want two things most in life - a job, something constructive to do- and the biggy - to be With their People.

Mostly walking (5miles/day)+ dog park if temperature is ok, to the point he somewhat likes to lie on the ground not moving because he is hot or tired, so I think physical excercise he is ok. Mental one I need to do more I guess, we don't have it everyday.

 

My bedroom door is not closed, so he comes to check me up if he wants but he likes to sleep in his crate or in the hallway, I guess it is cooler on the ground?

 

Thanks all for the advice!

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I think the answer you will hear most is "crate the dog at night". a crate is not cruel, it is a home. you can put it in your room, so he will be near you. both the dog and your belongings will be safe.

 

I'll third this one.

 

It may be he needs more mental stimulation, but until this resolves he needs to be prevented from entertaining himself in destructive ways. It's self-rewarding and only likely to get worse, not better, if he's permitted to do it.

 

If he wakes too early for you and wakes you up, grit your teeth and ignore him. Pretend you're still asleep and don't hear him. Relenting will teach him that this behavior works and you'll be stuck with it if you give in, which, again, rewards him for doing it. You'll have some sleepless morning hours for a few days, but he'll eventually get it.

 

Since you say he isn't destructive if you're in the living room with him, an alternative might be to bring him into the bedroom with you and either close the bedroom door or block it with a baby gate.

 

Freedom to have full access to the house at night should be earned. Prevent the unwanted behavior and it should end on its own after a while. How long that is will vary from dog to dog, but it should end. If not, well then he hasn't earned his freedom and should be restricted. Simple as that.

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Also, put away the remote, your glasses, and your shoes and whatever else needs to never be chewed. If you have want, you can leave appropriate chewies out -- antlers, rawhide chips, etc.

 

All of my dogs know "five more minutes" -- i.e. a verbal that tells them that something may be happening soon, but it isn't happening NOW. I tend to hit the snooze button on my alarm, and added that verbal. After x months, even the puppy knew I wasn't going to get up just then.

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he seems not whining much. if i tell him to stop, he will. i am still trying to figure out why he's doing it.

 

just ordered two books "the other end of the leash: why we do what we do around the dogs" and the other one "fired up: Frantic and Freaked out: Training the crazy dog from over the top to under control"

 

Hope the books can also help.

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Sounds like you've got some good advice and are ordering good books! So I'll just second the suggestion to make sure he is sleeping in his crate with the door closed, and that it's covered with something like a towel or light blanket. We're not saying to smother him, just make sure his crate is a little more den-like, as that may help him sleep longer.

As to why he's doing it? He's doing it because it works! So long as he can wake you up and make you let him out, he'll keep doing it. Be careful about who is training who ... you're supposed to be the one with the big brain! :D

If he's 2 years old and you've only had him 5 months, remember that he's still learning what's acceptable with you AND he's right at an age where they like to try new things and test their boundaries. He's like a teenager now and you must be the firm but fair parent. :) If you have room for his crate in your bedroom, you might consider letting him sleep near you. You may still have to growl at him to be quiet, but they do like to be near us. However, if that only encourages him to wake you up more, then leave him out in the living room.

 

And like GentleLake said, freedom of the house must be earned. It could take many months for him to become a reliable and responsible citizen. Remember, before he came to you, he had a year and a half of doing who knows what, so he still has a lot to learn. Hang in there and just be consistent! We've all been there with our young dogs.

~ Gloria

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