I am a bad mother.

[Angela Harlem]

My dog is a real crap head.

Since I got him a year ago, he has eaten the rubbish about 25 times, an empty can of cat food, a vacuum cleaner attachment [he ate the cat food tin and vacuum attachment at the same time and spent a night in hosptial on a drip cos of it], a thermometer [that includes the mercury, glass casing and plastic box it sits in], recently aluminium foil, cooked bones and regularly eats dirt.

He has chewed my syringes a few times too. This I feel really bad about. I break them before putting them in the bin, and even though they stink of insulin [insulin incase you are wndering reeeeeeally stinks, like a concentrated hosptial smell - I think they clean hospitals with it] he still tries to chew them. He has stabbed his mouth so many times. The first time he did this, I put the bin under the sink in the cupboard. But he has worked out how to open it.

I cannot lock him out all the time because he a big skirt and hates being alone. But he is worse than a child.

He chewed the Playstation1 once, but then he pee'd on it and it never worked again. We had only had it for about 4 weeks. We weren't too mad cos it was an excuse to buy a PS2.

He also sniffes out all chocolate and eats that. One day it will kill him. A dog cannot possibly keep living like this.

Woe. I'm a bad mother.

------------------
I don't think you're ready for this jelly

 

[bono_man]

Originally posted by Angela Harlem:
He chewed the Playstation1 once, but then he pee'd on it and it never worked again. We had only had it for about 4 weeks.

haha! I love it.


------------------
"Your sun so bright it leaves no shadows, only scars. Carved into stone on the face of earth"
- One Tree Hill

jonedwards80@hotmail.com

 

[wannabe]

This dog sounds like The Beast from "The Sandlot"

 

[Bonochick]

Your dog sounds like a real character!!!!

------------------
"Frisbetarians believe that when they die their soul goes up on the roof, and they can't get it down."

Bonochick's Place

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Holy crappola! Did you get a dog or a billygoat? j/k...if it makes you feel better, my dog eats and gets into a lot of stuff he shouldn't also.

------------------
Like a strand in the wind
In the web that is my own I begin again

 

[UV2001]

Dogs always eat everything even if it's not food. It's not that u aren't doing your best thats' just what dogs are like.

Ok some of that was funny though. Ive been laughing and am now in pain because I have a crushed rib and it hurts when I laugh

 

[melon]

Have you considered getting your dog on Prozac (yes, there are dogs on Prozac) or something? Even animals are subject to brain chemical imbalance.

Melon

------------------
"Still, I never understood the elevation of greed as a political credo. Why would anyone want to base a political programme on bottomless dissatisfaction and the impossibility of happiness? Perhaps that was its appeal: the promise of luxury that in fact promoted endless work." - Hanif Kureishi, Intimacy

 

[bono_man]

My dog eats butterflys.

------------------
"Your sun so bright it leaves no shadows, only scars. Carved into stone on the face of earth"
- One Tree Hill

jonedwards80@hotmail.com

 

[BabyGrace]

Angie dear, maybe you oughta feed him!

 

[HeartlandGirl]

Don't feel too bad.

My sister-in-law's dog eats everything: maxi pads, VCR tapes, plastic dog toys (it would poop blue plastic), socks, and best of all---the crotches out of underwear.

My sister's dog once at an entire BoyzIIMen CD. Scary.

------------------
U2 @ The Blooming Heart

 

[christiana]

My doggie eats me...

Yep... he bit me three times.

 

[foray]

haha @ billygoat.

Your pooch sounds like a darling Angie

furry-poo

 

[Angela Harlem]

Hahah thanks guys, you're all too funny

He really is a beautiful dawggie. I'm just sick of occasionally coming home to find him greet me with soft white pulpy stuff around his mouth to find he has been munching on toilet rolls straight off the roll holder. We dont buy scented rolls anymore.

I've thought about prozac for him. I'm not to aware of how it works. I'll ask the vet. Its not like they dont know me well by now anyway. Every time I ring its like "Oh, its you again, what's Angus eaten now?"

sigh. Thanks melon.

Heartlandgirl, that cracked me up! Maxi pads!?!?!?! We used to have an Irish Setter and he would pull bras off the clothes line and go running up the back of our place on this small cliff of rock we had and stand there breazily in the wind like a dog triumphant with a bra hanging from his mouth...He was a nutcase, lol.

Risti why does your dog bite? I hope its not serious and he's only playing

 

[foray]

Ugh, I know exactly how you feel, Angie and HeartlandGirl. My pup chewed up used sanitary towels. That was the grossest thing she ever got her chops on. ugh.

But dogs are sooo cute.

furry-poo

 

[ghetofabu]

Originally posted by foray:
haha @ billygoat.

Ditto.

As for the Prozac it does help with most dogs that do have seperation disorders. Which is what he mostly likely has. As for the chocolate I would keep that stuff in a really high place.

------------------
When life hands you a lemon, say "Oh yeah, I like lemons. What else you got?" --Henry Rollins

 

[kariatari]

Angela, my dog used to be like that too! She's a lab and she used to chew anything she could get her mouth on. She would get into the kitchen cupboars too. We ended up putting those little plastic things on the top of the cupboard doors that catch the doors unless you depress them. (Sorry, bad explaination of those, but I'm not feeling very articulate right now! LOL!) After about 2 years she grew out of it - I think it's a puppy thing.

Another thing that seems to help is sour apple spray that you can get at Petco or other similar stores. However, since your dog likes insulin, I don't know if the sour apple stuff will work.

It's worth a shot thoough!

Just out of curiosity, what kind of dog do you have?

 

[ACROB@T]

Originally posted by kariatari:
Another thing that seems to help is sour apple spray that you can get at Petco or other similar stores

definately worth a try, some can work wonders..

..I've grown up with a few cocker spaniel puppies and they have had habits to make you skip daily meals

[This message has been edited by ACROB@T (edited 05-06-2002).]

 

[Lilly]

Originally posted by LarryMullen's_POPAngel:
Holy crappola!

OMC!! I thought I was the only fool to say that phrase!! Ahh the magic of the internet!


Anyhew...my dog has cancer (but he's in remission WOO!!) and he has meds that make him hungry for EVERYTHING (much like Lemom Meringue's dog). I had a Cardboard cutout of Adam...I came home one day...yep...my dog ate cardboard Adam.

but also

Meh, I'll live.

------------------
Official member of S.C.

Do rabbits get scurvy?

 

[Peaseblossom]

Why don't you get the locks they put on cupboards to baby proof houses. That way you can put the trash in a cupboard and he can't get in. It's really not healthy for him to have that stuff. Or, you could put the trash outside while he's inside. Just keep him away from that stuff before he kills himself.

 

[christiana]

Angie, the first time he bit me, he was barking at some strangers, and I was stupid enough to put my hand near his mouth.

The second time he was very sick and he just bit me when I went to look at him... Maybe he didn't want me to touch him at that time.

The third time we were playing and he was chewing my trousers. He then misjudged the space between my leg and the trousers and chewed into my leg.

You can't have any more stupid reasons for a dog to bite you!

[This message has been edited by christiana (edited 05-06-2002).]

 

[gvox]

AHhh, dogs...well this reply should get me flamed, but anyways...

My cousin is a very experienced dog trainer, and I got him to read the comments in this thread. He says that every single last bad thing that all of your dogs have been getting up to can be boiled down to one thing: lack of discipline.

Dogs are dogs, not humans. They DO have to be locked, chained, penned, or otherwise confined while you cannot attend to them. If you leave the dog unattended in your house, no matter how well trained he/she is, you have only yourself to blame. Also, don't get a big dog if you live in an apartment. Get a small one. It is very inhumane to keep a large breed dog in an apartment all day. THe other thing to remember is that a dog, especially a puppy, needs loads of sleep, something like 18 hrs a day. That means that if you do leave the dog in the crate or chained in the yard while you leave, sure he'll give you that sad eyed look (dont fall for it) but eventually he'll just go to sleep. A big dog would MUCH rather be left on a chain or in a pen in the yard during the day than left inside unleashed. Dogs like to be outdoors, especially big dogs. Even in winter, most average to large breed dogs are just fine outdoors. Overnight, bring the dog in and make him sleep in his crate. When he is young, you will have to lock the crate. WHen he gets used to that (this takes months, not days), you can leave the door open and he'll know to stay there. The crate method is also the way to teach the dog that he only shits and pisses when YOU say so, in other words, when the crate is opened (but then you have to IMMEDIATELY take him outside, and do that consistently EVERY time).

As for biting, a dog must NEVER be permitted to bite you or anyone else in your family. Puppies start this when they are young, and the way to break them from it is a firm slap under the chin, to close their mouth. Then offer your hand for them to lick, if they try to bite it again, slap again. Its not abuse or cruelty, its training. Any dog that intentionally bites as a form of attack more than 2 or 3 times is likely incurable and that's when you have to make a hard decision as to whether the dog lives. You could be charged if that dog bites someone else, and especially if you have kids, a biting dog could seriously maim or kill your far more important children.

Its all about training. Dogs operate on a strict system of rewards and punishment. They are not 'intelligent' they work on experience recall (ie good behavior gets treats, bad behaviour gets discipline). A dog will also try to push the boundaries most times. If he senses that you are a softie, he will work that to no end. Be firm and a tough disciplinarian, consistently.

Another suggestion is, is your dog fixed? Ours was a real wild dog until we got him fixed, after which he calmed down considerably. Realistically, it should be law that you fix your pet unless you live on a large property and will care for the litters of puppies. Help stop the out of control unwanted pet situation!

If you doubt what Im saying, take your misbehaving dog to obedience training and see how the trainer deals with the dog: FIRMLY!

All of the above I learned while at obedience training and has worked well on my 1 year old lab/husky X..he chews NOTHING indoors, knows where his bed/crate is, and generally hangs out around it when he's indoors...he hasn't pissed or shit by mistake inside since he was 8 months old....funnily, the trainer on the first day said: "ok everyone, welcome to dog owner training - that's right, not dog training, but dog owner training"...in other words, it was us owner's who needed the lessons! : )

Hope that helps!

Gabriel



------------------
"...well the God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister!"
BTBS, Rattle and Hum

 

[BabyGrace]

Ang, I just had a brainstorm that's prolly entirely worthless but it might help with the syringes. WHy don't you get like a pretty container, you know like one of those metal cookie tins or something, and keep the used syringes in that like on the counter or something where he can't get them, and then when you go to take the garbage out you can empty it into the rest. Just an idea lol

and yeah anyway, you're not a bad mom, you should see my dogs and the way they eat my cats' shit, it's a hopeless struggle that I am giving up on, if they wanna have diarrhea for the rest of their lives, they can live outside from now on, and yeah, that's the point I'm at

christi, one of my doggies bit me when I was little because I tried to retrieve a chicken bone from her mouth (stupid, huh?)...that sounds kinda like your dog. It doesn't sound like he really meant any of those bites.

 

[BabyGrace]

do you see how many times I said "like" in the first paragraph

this is bad, I deserve to be shot

 

[Angela Harlem]

Wow thanks for all the advice!

First off BabyG. You make me laugh so much! I didnt notice all the 'likes' in your reply either! But your idea of using a container, one that looks like a functioning part of the kitchen id fantastic!! I honestly never thought of anything like that before. I am so going to try this! The disposal of my syringes is a pretty ongoing concern to me, im petrified we will get robbed one day by a druggie who will think I have ready access to lots of drugs and of course syringes. If I can hide them somewhere, it wont be a problem! That is sucha great idea, thankyou! And thanks for all your other replies too lol.

And gabrielvox

I dont know why you thought you'd get flamed! I agree totally with everything you said except one thing. Regardless of the dog's nature, age, or stage of training and development, I will never use any type of smacking or slapping method around a dog's muzzle area. I am not saying this because I dont agree with you, its not a reaction, it is something I have always believed in and that is because I have been told by soo many different people in the dog world, vets, breeders, trainers etc, that it is actually a very cruel practice. Reasonon: a dog's mouth, especially the area where their whiskers grow from is perhaps the most sensitive part of their whole body. To smack them, no matter how lightly gives them considerable pain. It is the equivilant of being belted hard on the soles of your feet with a strap or hard ruler. Most people have no idea how this feels, but is is an old torture method for prisoners etc, or people who want to inflict pain. Our soles are more sensitive than we are probably aware. But anyways, with dogs, it the fastest and most sure-fire way to instill that element of viciousness in them. Yes they will learn something from it, but it will create fear in them, and fear leads to biting which is usually on self defence in a dog. Its just a practice I cannot choose. Anyways, everything else you said was very true. Just to elaborate further though, my dog is approximately 8 years old. He is a Cocker Spaniel, a small-medium sized dog. We got him from a lady who died. She was old and spoiled him rotten. The fact that he is a Cocker, combined with his previous lack of training makes it very hard to teach him new behaviours. Especially at this late stage of his life. When we got him, we had only built our house a few months prior so he spent a lot of time indoors unsupervised as we didnt have adequate fencing. Now we do have, and he spends all day out when we aren't home. He has a good sized yard to run in, a perfect size for the type of dog he is. Things are much better now. He still is a trouble maker when we leave him unsupervised, but he is learning. He will do most things when we are in another room, or not inside with him.

Anyways, tnhankyou again, I better stop raving on and boring you all!

 

[Angela Harlem]

Oops, forgot to say thanks to kariatari. That is a great idea as well and something i should look at doing soon as the cats have a habit of pulling the cupboards open to go sleep in them.

I think I want fish instead.

 

[doctorwho]

When my dog was a younger, he chewed up and "ate" chairs, tile from the floor, the wall (how he chewed the wall is beyond me), tons of garbage, cabinets, clothing, paper, pens and pencils - basically anything he had a chance to reach.

He's now nearing 10. Even now, from time to time, he will chew up something. For the most part though, he outgrew it around 5. Yes, 5. LOL!

Part of it is probably him being left alone. Dogs do have feelings and they don't like being alone. Part of it is boredom. Part of it is curiosity. Part of it is instinct. And part (like garbage) could be food/hunger-related.

I recommend dog-proofing your house as much as possible. Buy various gates and restrict the rooms he has access to. Close doors if you must. Far better for him to stay in a large pantry or closet, with his food, water, toys and blanket, when you leave than to have him eat needles! As he matures, you can expand his living space when you leave your home. Eventually, you'll get a dog that just sleeps all day and, barring a rare token exception is good.

I'm wondering how "good" my dog will be today. I had some chicken wings last night and forgot to throw the bones in the outside garbage. Even though I put the remains in a bag on the back of my kitchen counter, my guess is that there will be garbage on the floor when I come home. Oh well...

 

[doctorwho]

Originally posted by christiana:
Angie, the first time he bit me, he was barking at some strangers, and I was stupid enough to put my hand near his mouth. The second time he was very sick and he just bit me when I went to look at him... Maybe he didn't want me to touch him at that time. The third time we were playing and he was chewing my trousers. He then misjudged the space between my leg and the trousers and chewed into my leg.

I don't know about this...

My dog barks at strangers too (like all dogs). But when I come by, either he stops or he looks up to me for how he should behave. He has no problems with me touching him while he is barking - I think he may even view it as a sign of support.

As for him being sick, granted, I will get growls, but no biting. I don't think he would ever truly think of biting me.

Are you the dog's #1 owner? If so, then something is wrong. But if you are just part of the household, then this might explain it. Either way, he may view you as subordinate and that you shouldn't be touching him under certain circumstances. Looks like some training is in need.

The only excusable "bite" is the playful one as that was clearly an accident.

 

[doctorwho]

Originally posted by gabrielvox:
Its all about training. Dogs operate on a strict system of rewards and punishment. They are not 'intelligent' they work on experience recall (ie good behavior gets treats, bad behaviour gets discipline).

I agree with the bulk of your post, except the above. Dogs are intelligent. Obviously not at the level of other animals, but they are not some unthinking creatures.

I tried numerous methods to break my dog's chewing habits. I dog-proofed the house. I used a crate. I rewarded him. I punished him. I restricted his area. However, over time, he learned to open gates, he learned how to get into the garbage and he still would do what he wanted.

Some dogs run away - he never does. He has had plenty of chances to run - never takes them. This is a decision he made, which indicates intelligence.

He is still a well-trained dog and it took me a lot of time to train him. However, the challenging times were more than worth it.

 

[gvox]

Originally posted by doctorwho:
Dogs are intelligent...they are not some unthinking creatures.

I'd have to disagree here. It would be correct to say that dogs exhibit instinctual 'intelligence' that drives them to do certain things. Can a dog form an intelligent thought process that leads them to a logical action? I dont think so. If that were the case, then their misbehaving must be deliberate, thought out, even malicious or spiteful? If they are truly intelligent, why do they repeat silly things, some of which harm them?

They are creatures of habit, and some of the most effective training methods seek to positively reinforce good habits and eliminate bad ones. These methods dont work so much on the dog's brain power per se, but more on emotional response.

Your dog doesnt stay home because he's intelligent. He does it because you've obviously trained him (and well I might add) that his home is with you. After all, you do feed him, and have for a long time, thus satisfying his most important primal need. Also, it sounds like you do a great job satisfying his second most important need, love and affection. After this many years, he is hardly going to run away, you're his god!

Not to discount ANY of the other methods mentioned here, hey, if it works for you, go for it!

Gabriel

 

[christiana]

Angie, actually I wasn't his first owner... My uncle gave him to me.(Or I begged my uncle to give hime to me...

) But I forgot to mention a very important thing... He's no longer with me now.

I owned him when I was little. (I think I've posted a pic of him with me a few months ago in lemonade stand... ) The first incident was my fault I'm sure. My mom told me that I actually put my hand INTO his mouth. (I don't know what exactly happened, but he was barking, I wanted to stop him, I was very little, maybe I put my hand into his mouth and I didn't even aware of it.)

He didn't have any problem most of the time though. He loved to play (like most of the doggies) and he loved to chase behind me and chew my dresses or trousers)

I think I'm starting to miss him again...