Why is Ammo Destroying?!

[DeafAmmo]

So, my now 7 month old Great Dane/English Mastiff neutered male is destroying things. He has SOOO many toys thats its ridiculous. He has rawhides (different flavors, brands, and animal antlers too), squeaker toys (stuffed toys, stuff less toys, and balls), balls (soft balls, baseballs, tennis balls, dog balls), rope toys (of different lengths, thicknesses, and knot numbers), a few kings, and a jolly ball for dogs! He learns quick, knows the basic commands down pat. We have 1.5 acres of unfenced land that he stays in our yard. On occasion he visits the lab and golden next door but all four of our dogs grew up together. He doesn't go in the street *knock on wood* either. I'm not sure where this is coming from. Hershey, my 2.5 year old lab was never destructive. Ammo chews shoes, the edge of the couch, he's shredded his dog bed, and my mom has this 36'' teddy bear that he's started shredding too. I have a feeling this is stemming from lack of stimulus. I'm now on summer break so I can do more with him and play more and I'm hoping this solves the problem. Have any of you guys had this issue, or is it perhaps a breed issue, with Great Danes and/or English Mastiffs? Thanks y'all!

 

[musicdeb]

Welcome aboard~

First, I'd like to say, get rid of the rawhides and any treat made in China. They are dangerous to your dog!

How often do you exercise him? At 7 months he can exercise 35 minutes at each outing (5 minutes of exercise for every month of age), however, avoid excessive running, jumping, playing and navigating stairs until he's 12 months of age. His bones and joints will not mature until 12 months of age.

He's bored and needs to exercise and have some mental stimulation. Play hide n seek with him by hiding yourself and hiding treats.

Give him frozen wash cloth/hand towels to chew on, ice cubes with treats in the middle and/or Kongs with frozen yogurt with treats.

Once he's past the 12 month mark, try a flirt pole which will provide exercise and mental stimulation.

Do you have pics of your pup?

Check the products & equipment sub section of the forum for a number of posts regarding toys your dog cannot destroy.

Hope that helps!

 

[DennasMom]

Welcome to adolescence!
Denna did the same thing at about that age. She was confined in a crate when home alone due to her knack for de-stuffing pillows from the bed...

A couple thing you could try:

1. He may be OVER stimulated with TOO many toys to choose from. Put all but, say, 3 toys up in a closet. Then rotate the toys every few days, so they are "new" again. [They suggest this for toddlers... ADHD symptoms occur when there are too many toys to play with; they can't decide which is their favorite and bounce between them all, and just get frustrated and unhappy... give them ONE toy, and THAT is the favorite toy, and they will be content to play with that one for long periods of time.]

2. Provide more mental exercise - such as obedience training/practice, teach some new trick, and add structured activities (like 30-40min controlled walks).

3. Keep socializing - visit new places, try new things... walk on different surfaces (asphalt, gravel, bark, rubber running tracks, moving walkways, etc.), visit a baseball field to watch a game... sitting still while humans run around the bases can be extremely exhausting for a puppy! Visit the local garden center, strip mall or pet shop and meet new people... practice good "greeting" behavior (sit & wait for the 'ok' to approach a stranger)

4. Sign up for some classes - obedience, agility, scent work, anything that looks like fun. That will provide more structure and mental exercise and socialization, too.

5. Look on meetup.com for groups getting together for local hikes or other doggie-related activities - again, great for socialization, mental and physical exercise.

Have Fun!!
Denna finally gave up her destructive phase around the 16-18 month range... but, you're mileage may vary.

You can also put something unpleasantly stinky on items you don't want chewed... my sister was successful using Vicks on her coffee table legs... our dogs always seem to find Vicks tasty?
Bitter apple spray, lemon juice (or pledge) and hot pepper sauce are other options... put some on your hand to see your dog's reaction first - if he winces and moves away - that's a good one to use. If he licks it and comes back for more... not so much. LOL.

 

[Robtouw]

I can tell you that at 7 months English mastiffs go through a stupid phase where all training and good behaviors are turned off! They will test you from every direction and will drive you nuts! It is short lived.

When your pup touches something not theirs, make sure you make him understand it is "Mine" and give him something of "his" reinforce the words and snap him on leash and do any type of training to reinforce your message and put yourself in the leadership roll. Make him understand that if he does something wrong, he has to work. Dogs are smarter then you think. I leave disposable items that they can destroy legally, like taped up boxes and limit the number of toys you leave out, rotate them to keep your pup interested.

 

[2nd Chance]

he's being a plonker, as teens hit.
training his brain and exercising that is going to help
Up your anti, with what behaviours you accept. If that sit is not perfect, make it perfect, then reward. If that fetched toy is not very close/in your hand, dont put up with that. Start getting in touch with your innner anally retentive bastard, and demand more, lots lots more of this teenager, start getting fussy over him, so slow response = no reward, fast response = reward
No more sunday sits, no more crooked sits, no more plodding back to you on recall-make him run back before treating.

And its not just teens. Occasionally one of my mature dogs goes suddenly deaf. I tend to compensate by doubling the tasks i set the dogs effort wise, before they get rewarded. Usually done n dusted in the adult dog in hours. But for pups, patience, persistence. NILF