Please what is the proper way of punishing and fixing destructive behavior

[Amanda F.]

That's great! Just do things like that while your home for short periods of time. If he only gets special treats like that in the crate, he will learn to love it! Do you always leave his food in there? I don't have bowls in Jax's crate. If I left water in it he would just knock it over and make a mess. You can feed him in it, that would help too, but I would take the bowl out after he's finished eating.

 

[mx5055]

Looking good! One suggestion I have, and I know a lot of others on this forum do it differently, but I have never fed my dogs in the crate. Give them a treat sometimes, and as a training tool to get them to want to go in there in the beginning, yes. But, I don't give them their meals in the crate. There are a couple of reasons for this, but the main one for me is that after they are crate trained, this is where they sleep at night, and hang out when I have to leave the house and they can't come. If they potty before they go to bed, and I potty them before I leave the house, then they should be comfortable until I let them out; if they have food and water in there, they are going to use it, and then they will be uncomfortable holding it, or I will come home to an "accident" (which is totally my fault). This is only my opinion. Also, I remember you saying in the beginning that your dog was asleep sometimes when you went to bed....if it were me, I would wake the dog up at the last possible moment before I went to bed, and take him outside to do his/her business. Your dog is old enough now, that I think if you do this you will not be waking up and having to deal with "accidents" in the morning. Only my thoughts...Good luck with whatever you decide to do

 

[DennasMom]

Wow, lots of good help here!

And such a handsome, sweet looking puppy! He's got that "but I didn't mean to make you mad" look on his face.

We've had Denna since she was 7 weeks old, did everything right (as much as we know how to, anyway), and she STILL feels a need to destroy things... when we're home or away... it's just fun and entertaining for her. Her humans are too boring. I know I've been ignoring her, sitting at my desk too long (I work at home), when I hear her throwing another potted plant around the yard outside... :\ That's when we leash up and go for a good walk - which is good for both of us.

You can't punish the bad behavior after the fact... the dog won't understand, and confusion leads to frustration, which leads to more destruction. You have to catch them IN the act to be able to let them know its unacceptable, and even then, a firm "NO" and redirecting to an appropriate behavior (i.e. sit, down, or 'here chew on this instead') should be all you need. Mastiffs are often very sensitive to their person's displeasure.

When we're gone, Denna has a BIG caste (54" - more than enough to stand up and turn around in - your's looks good for now, too) to stay safe in (which keeps our stuff safe, too). She knows we're leaving the house when I start filling her kong with treats and peanut butter. She only gets filled kongs in her crate - and she'll run to get in when I have one in my hand.

Find something Harley loves (cheese, hot dogs, peanut butter kongs, bully sticks, etc.) and he can ONLY have that type of treat in the crate. You don't have to shut the door on him at first - just get him to go inside, get the treat, and come out.

When he voluntarily goes into the crate to get the treat, then ask him to stay in the crate while he finishes eating it... door still open... you standing outside the crate just to block him from coming out.

When he's comfortable staying inside to eat his treat with the door open... start shutting the door on him when he eats his treat - but open it BEFORE he get's anxious about it being closed.
Start to ask for more time in the crate - maybe sit outside the closed door, read a book for a few minutes - something quiet and non-interactive, just being there to let him know you want him to stay in and be quiet, and it's not punishment (isolation from pack), it's just a place you want him to be. If he lays his head down and is quiet, tell him quietly and calmly how "good" he is for doing it. Maybe give him another treat.

Then you can start moving away from the crate when he's eating his treat - this is where filled kongs come in... it can take a LONG time for the dog to finish getting all the treats out of the kong. The best part is if you can leave and the dog doesn't even realize you've left the room... because he's still working on the treat.

It can be a long process - especially for a dog that might have had a bad experience in the past. Feeding him in the crate is good - that should help the whole process.

For bedtime - we had the crate in the bedroom for a while (when we used a smaller one... the 54" won't fit anywhere but the living room). Now Denna has her own bed on the bedroom floor, and we baby gate the door so she has to stay in the room with us. Half the time (or more) she ends up on the bed with us... but we're ok with that. She'll get off if we ask her to - and sometimes we do.

Overall - I'd say more exercise - and more mental exercise - would be good for Harley. Try doing 10 minutes a day of obedience, commands and tricks... something new each week. Have him learn to "Hold" a treat on his nose and then catch it when you say "Break" (or "OK", or "Catch it")... if the treat hits the floor, he can't have it... he has to catch it! This teaches focus and patience, both... along with eye-nose-mouth coordination (not sure what good that is... but, you never know).

And, have FUN! I'm sure the boys are loving having him around, too. Just be sure they can all be calm together as well as fun and excited together. Napping and reading books together is almost as good as walking together for pack bonding.

 

[SavingGrace]

Beautiful pup! Or handsome I should say! Destruction is generally a behavior that comes out of boredom, at 1 years old the teething process should be over - so I'd continue the walks and definitely add in some mental stimulation with obedience training. If he's got the basics down, start him in a more advanced obedience class. It will certainly strengthen the bond with you for him; and dogs, especially a working breed like the Corso, like to have things to work for. Corso's aren't your typical lab type breed that is just happy hanging around. They need a job to do, mentally and physically and respond really well to being asked to do that. He would likely enjoy training.

When my 'kids' are itchy to do things or a little too rambunctious I play our new favorite game. I'll hide 5-10 treats in the backyard (all over) and tell them "Go find!" - it keeps them busy for at least 20 minutes and wears them out a little mentally. My trainer has said that 20 minutes of 'mental exercise' can equate to an hour or more of physical exercise, with regards to wearing them out.

Our first Corso ate our wall too, so they definitely can be destructive. A firm NO when you catch them in the act and a quick squeeze/pinch of the neck skin (sort of like mimicking a momma dog bite) can also help, but you have to be consistent. I only use the word NO for my dogs when it comes to something I don't want them to do - one command is easier for them to understand then 5 different ones (off, leave it, no, stop, etc) - so anytime they do anything I don't want them to, it's a firm NO. IF they try to do that same thing again, I'll either correct them by using my hands to pinch their neck (not hard) like a momma dog would - or if we're walking, I'll correct them with the prong collar. This way, any time they hear me say NO they are aware they are doing something I don't want them to. If the behavior is harder to stop, you could also try using a prong collar in the house for corrections, but again, you have to catch him in the act and you should be properly trained in using prong collars. Corso's are smart and can be stubborn so stand your ground!!

 

[HappyHound]

Contempt is a wonderful thing when used in a timely manner. Dogs are pack animals and they feel bad when you pointedly exclude them- you don't need to get angry, just exclude them- don't look at them, keep your chin held high,your ams folded and make sure they stay a few arm's length from you.

I keep this up for a length of time in relation to the offence- in one case for an entire night, but heck, it *was* the furniture and he could have gotten sick, usually it's ten minutes for a moderate offence like sniffing a visitor's unattended plate ( silly guests ) When time's up I call my dog back, get him to sit, reward him for that and after the reward he sems to realise we're square and he's OK

Someone once told me that there is no point in getting angry with a dog, they see it as a loss of control and if you weren't there at the time they screwed up then they don't understand what you're on about, they just see irrational anger. I used to get really angry with my previous dogs, now I understand why it didn't work and thank heavens I was told this before I got my CC pup. He's never seen me angry at him, well, except once with the rug overdose, but it was only a minute.

Maybe for a dog an angry owner is like a boss you quite like being angry with you, only they don't speak your language and their body language is weird, so it's very confusing and all you want is a clear answer so you can go back to doing the right thing and making them happy

A tired puppy is a well behaved puppy.

ROFL yes! And nothing on this planet I've ever seen sleeps like a tired mastiff puppy

 

[Cody]

Also you must remember that you have only had him for 3 months. It takes a dog that is rehomed a long time to feel safe and at home with it's new family. They do not adjust over night, nor do they rationalize. The Corso is also a VERY sensitive breed, they are very in tune to their owners wants and desires. Their only purpose is to be with their people and make them happy. You being angry and spanking scares them and will make it harder to build up that trust. I would follow the above advise, kennel and NILF training. Also you need to know that Corso are incredibly needy dogs with their people. They are perpetually toddlers who always want to be touching you, even having a shower here involves faces pressed against the glass shower door. There are not independent dogs who are fine being in another room, they want to be RIGHT with you, beside you, on you at all times. The upside is that they do not want to run away from you, being with you is their purpose.