Question - Help Please

My friend's APBT is a male, 5 years old. For the past 2 weeks the dog has been acting out. First, he started peeing in the house. They took him to the vet and he has no UTI. Then, he took the woman's doll (from her doll collection) and ripped it to shreds. The dog did this while the guy and girl were in the room. The guys work schedule has changed. He used to come home for lunch every day and now he cant. Could this be the problem? He no longer is peeing in the house. The dog is the only dog in the household. This is the first time he has acted out and tore something up. Any advise is appreciated. Thanks...

 

Well, the peeing was from the UTI, so that should have NOTHING to do with ANYTHING because he stopped after treatment, so, that should be completely ERASED from the mind. I am emphasizing this because I get the feeling someone is keeping a mental list of "Bad things my dog is doing" but this isn't a behavioral problem, it was medical.

The dog is starting to show some signs that will only get worse unless things change. The dog is bored and lonely. It's that simple. Dogs are incredibly intelligent! Problem-solving intelligent! and dogs like the APBT are incredibly ACTIVE to add to that! They are also very family oriented.

The owner needs to do some things to ensure the dog is getting enough physical, mental, and emotional stimulation. Walk and/or run the dog in the mornings before heading to work. Provide lots of toys that are fun and rotate them every day. Also, make sure the dog gets love in the end. OH! and training... that is what love is to many dogs.

A pet is not like "owning" anything else because you can't turn it off.

 

reread the post

 

Of course people might suggest NILF. But it sounds like the dog is being a brat because of LACK of exercise. A tired dog is a good dog and if you make dogs sit around all the time then they WILL act out (or any with any fire will). This is just my take and I could well be wrong. I haven't seen the dog and don't know how much the guy exercises the dog. But some dogs need a LOT of exercise to be happy and well adjusted. Same is true of people too, thats why our sedentary culture so bad for both people and dogs. Both of us were meant to be on the move (with our feet) quite a bit. WAY up the exercise and do some positive traning or ANYTHING (weightpull, agility, whatever) to exercise the dogs mind and body.


If its real cold where he is he might consider buying a treadmill for the dog.

 

autistic dog. lol ya dogs don't like change sometimes. Those dolls freak me out too. Good dog. lol

 

LOL....you crack me up.......but yes, dolls freak me out too....hehe....

ok, i'm going to suggest getting a treadmill, although these people have acres and acres of land that the dog runs around on, I still think a treadmill is a good idea. Thanks everyone....for the fast answers

 

My husband gets home before I do (at 3:30 I get home at 5:30) and he says that when it gets time for me to get home Big Girl and Paco pace back and forth, they know I'm about to pull up and when they hear my truck they get all excited. Dogs don't know that schedules change, their days are marked by routines, feeding time, sleeping time, walk time, etc. Maybe the dog was just frustrated by the change in schedule and didn't know what to do with that energy. If so, I am sure that after an adjustment period, he will be fine.

 

I was leaning towards this earlier, because when my husbands schedule and mine had changed this one week in particular, got home and Tabious had over turuned his dog house and water and everything, which was odd because NORMALLY he doesn't do that. But that particular week he did, and I think it had something to with the fact that nobody was getting home until late that week, which was about 4-5 hours later than normal. They get used to things like we do. When something changes, they tend to change a little too.
My little mutt dog stays in the house when we are at work and is let out before and after....he is so east to deal with. But with him being in that terrier family, he has a high energy level. SOmetimes he doesn't like to get up too early and will let out late. But then brought back due to us leaving for work. So the most of the day is spent in the house......in the end he will soemtimes go crazy.......starts pouncing the floor, snapping (playfully) has been known to chew something up, but only at that given time. A little more excersice was all he needed.

 

i agree with:

the change in routine theory.
i think once he has adjusted, he'll be ok.
and agreed: a tired dog is a good thing!

 

Our senior APBT (RIP) would NEVER have an accident in the house...ever. I went out of town and left her behind with my husband (she always came with me to my parents house except this time). When I came home and greeted them- she seemed a little put out but I shrugged it off. That night she wasn't waiting in bed for us as usual, she was on the couch. Again I shrugged it off and climbed into bed...to find my pillow sopping wet. She must have saved every ounce of her tee tee that day for the hour before I went to bed. That girl knew what she was doing.:p

 

IMO, the dog is freakin out because things have changed... He might need a hobby... if you cant run out and get a tread mill... does it like to chew?? go get him/her a nice meaty soup bone... My huse dog will chew his feet out of boredom... so he has soup bones... the mill is a good idea, except they can be expensive, and in some places they are considered dog fighting paraphanilia (not sure how to spell that... lol) play tug-o-war in the house or fetch in the house if you can... (down a hallway??) anything to wear them down...

 

Here's some pictures of Duke...

 

Oh, he looks too sweet to do anything bad...That was definately an accident...He did not mean to shred it!!!

 

Don't go get a treadmill! That's paraphanelia!!!! Can you imagine what ppl would think if they saw a dog exercising on a treadmill to burn energy?

"Oh, they *must* fight their dogs, thay have a treadmill for it."

But with the chewing, I've always had a plethora of bones, hides, & bull sticks the dogs can chew on laying around. I have never had a dog tear up any slippers, pillows, papers, anything at all. I think the three 2 mile walks a day help (I get two during the day, as I work nights, and the wifey takes them on the last one before they eat at night since she works days), that and the pile of chewy things for them.

From the time my pup was about 9 to 12 or 13 weeks old, I had to constantly follow her around in put a chew-toy in her mouth when she started poking around and diggin through the closet, behind the couches, etc. Now when she comes inside off of her chain, her house manners are great! She sits on the dog bed by the register, and chews until she's let back out or the bone is gone. She loves chewing so much, we make sure if she's inside when nieces, nephews, cousins, or grandparents come over, they make her focus on them, sit, lay down, and stay for the bone, and then she's their best friend. Next time they come over, (at least her memory's good so far) she won't be so excited to jump on them if they go outback to see her or if she's inside, becuase she waits patiently for her bone.

If your friend's husband can't come home for lunch, why don't he wake up an hour earlier and take the dog on a wlk or directly when he gets home from work? It does look a little cold in that pic, but maybe they should be keeping him a bit more active He looks kind of heavy?

 

thanks....this past weekend he was fine. I think it's the change in the routine. He might of been having a bit of separation anxiety. They do exercise him alot in the morning before work.

 

um ok so since they have acres and acres of land like u said, why not just set up a really nice big chain spot for him during the day while they are gone. The dog can get all the excersize he needs while on the chain and will never be bored because there will always be birds or other animals around that can keep the dog busy.

 

oh, because chaining a dog is "wrong" to some AR ppl.

when aubrey turned 4.5-5 mos old, she got in a habit of going out to the bathroom, and she wouldn't come back inside for hours.

my wife pleaded with me not to put her on a chain. I told her that's where she needs to be.

She runs all day long hitting the end of her chain at anything that comes by (although she don't hit it too hard, she's only 19 lbs) and stays active all day. She sleep in her crate inside at night (it's still mighty cold here in OH but she'll be outside day & night come March), but at 6 am after I get up, it's out on the chain. My wife basically has to drag her in the house at night to crate her up. When she comes back in the yard from her walks, you know where she runs to? Her chain spot. And wags her tail while I buckle her collar through the ring.

You give that big dog a 17-20 ft chain, or put it on a cable run, and he'll burn a good amount of energy.

 

i dont know if they will go for the "chain" suggestion but I will tell them. I'll get an update the end of this week. These people treat Duke like a human, which IMO, is not too good. Duke has never ever acted out until the guy's schedule changed. I think once he adapts to this new schedule, he should be ok.

 

this is a great idea but these people keep him in the house while they are working. I think they might be nervous about someone stealing him, I don't know. For years, this dog had free rein of the house, and was always good. This just started when the guy's schedule changed. So, now he doesnt come home for lunch anymore.

 

maybe that's why he's fat, b/c he sits on a couch all day.......