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Adolescent, destructive chewer!
Oh, Lordy, where did my puppy go? 
My Lulu, a 10-month-old Kelpie mix, has never been great at being left during the day. She and my 3-year-old GSD get put in the basement between 7-9 a.m. M-F when I leave, and are let out around 2 p.m. when my husband gets home from work.
We tried crating her in a plastic travel crate, but she spent the days shredding the towels we left in there for her, and peeing in the crate. We switched to a wire crate, and she escaped--once tearing her collar into three pieces when (we assume) she got hung up. That scared the bejesus out of me, so no more wire crate. She would also be absolutely manic when we let her out ... we'd joke that we were going to "release the Kraaken" before opening her crate door, to have her shoot out, high-pitched whining and yelping all the way. We then started leaving her loose in our daylight basement with our GSD.
She does just okay ... we leave an old shirt for her to pee on, since she pees no matter what (she destorys anything else). The problem is that lately (in the past month) if we leave ANYTHING out, it's torn up when we get home. Knitting, paper towel rolls, Lysol wipes, blankets, couch cushions ... you name it, she tears it up.
Lulu is off-and-on (now off) in a local obedience school; and I've recently started trying to take both dogs for a 40-60 minute walk between 5 and 6 a.m. before work whenever possible. My husband is awaiting knee surgery, so they don't get a walk after he gets off work (but enjoy playtime in the backyard), and I don't get home until 6 p.m., so don't have time to do a long walk then. DH plans on walking the dogs as part of his post-surgery rehab, but since we live in Seattle the weather doesn't always cooperate.
I think we need to enroll her in something at her obedience school again, but I'm wondering if you all have any advice on what we can do to stop this behavior. I'm concerned about a lot of things with her ... she's VERY cranky when we have people over (growls and sometimes lunges and snaps at visitors), but is perfectly well-behaved outside our home. She growls at our GSD whenever he's in her line of sight, it seems like. (This week he's seemed to have enough and has put her in her place a couple times.) She's regressed on her housetraining, which seems normal for a "teenager." We've resorted to baby gates and keeping an extra close watch on her.
Please help, with advice or wonderful stories about how she's just an adolescent and will grow out of this! I would LOVE to be able to leave her alone someday in the basement with a comfy bed with the belief that she won't chew it up or pee all over it. Right now, we're planning on removing EVERYTHING that's not a dog toy from the basement, and calling it a day.
I would also love to have our friends and family see what a complete doll she is when they visit us, instead of having to use the baby gate to keep her away from company.
We love our dogs, and I want to give them the best life possible. I feel awful, and don't know what to do. Please help!
Re: Adolescent, destructive chewer!
Did you work on crate training before leaving her in there? It is important that they associate it with a happy place.
Do you leave anything for her to do during the day? I know when my dog gets bored she can be destructive, so we give things like antlers, nylabones, and stuffed kongs.
Have you tried a daycare? Just once a week really helps take the edge off my dogs energy.
I've heard that kelpies are extremely high energy, 40-60 minutes might not be enough exercise. I would also suggest working on mental stimulation, your husband could do training exercises to help work off energy.
Also, I would be hesitant to leave the dogs alone together all day if they have had problems. It would be awful to come home and see that a fight had broken out.
Welcome to life with a Kelpie! We adopted Cal when he was about 1 or 2. My H and I are super committed to rescue, and we believe 100% that animals are for life. But by 6 months with Cal, H said it was him or the dog. That's how bad things were at first. I remember back then wishing I could see the future, so I'd know that all the anguish and hard work would be worth it. It was BRUTAL.
Kelpies are an ungodly amount of work. Cal is about 6, and an hour of exercise a day isn't even enough for him now. And by exercise, I mean sprinting after a tennis ball nonstop, or going for a run with me. Not walking. Not that walking isn't good exercise, it's just not nearly enough for a Kelpie.
Here's what has worked best for us:
- Daycare: for about two years, he went every weekday for at least 6 hours. When we got home in the evening, we'd exercise more (dog park, running, walking, fetching, swimming, etc). That seemed to keep things under control. And yes, it was ungodly expensive (like $2.50 an hour with a pass). But we didn't have much choice.
- Crate training: for the first few weeks we had him, he pretty much lived in his crate. If he wasn't exercising, he was crated. We did treat drive-bys, we sat near him to keep him company, we gave him chews and toys...it was an awesome place. We're fortunate that it only took a few weeks for the anxiety to settle down (though Kelpies are naturally anxious dogs).
- Exercise: dog park every day for an hour minimum. Day care. Swimming. Fetch. Walking. Running. Every day, all the time, never ending. What seems like way too much exercise is just enough to take the edge off of a Kelpie's boundless energy.
- Mental stimulation: Kelpies are geniuses. Cal had been a stray and had apparently never lived in a house. Within 30 minutes on his first day with us, he had learned "sit." He knows TONS of commands and loves to learn them. Other things for his brain to do include Kongs, Nina Ottosson toys, and the "find the toy under the blanket" game. We toss a toy under an old comforter on the floor, and he frantically tries to get it out. Usually takes him a few minutes. Repeat.
- Agility: OK, so we can't really do agility with Cal because he is aggressive toward other dogs he doesn't know. But Kelpies are incredible agility dogs, and they can jump SO high. Might be worth looking into, along with flyball.
- Positive reinforcement: Kelpies are naturally wary of strangers and strange dogs. Don't try too hard to get her to interact with people who scare her. Give her a safe place to be when things are scary, and if she does decide to approach people, give them treats they can offer her. Her behavior sounds like fear rather than aggression. Cal used to display fear aggression to people he didn't know (especially people with hats on), and we've given him the time and space to grow out of it.
I think that the bottom line is that she needs more exercise. She's bored out of her mind. That's hardly a reflection on you...it's just a fact of life with Kelpies. Commitment to owning a Kelpie is HUGE. We have a greyhound and a Kelpie and it's like night and day (LOL...the greyhound's name is Nite...anyway...).
Commit to a week of extreme daily exercise. See if that helps things. Your husband has a bad leg, but he can still get around, right? Can he get her to a dog park? A big field where she can fetch? Does she fetch? Get a Kong. Get toys that make her think. Spend every waking moment trying to exhaust her. Do it for a week and re-evaluate.
We worked with three trainers and later a behaviorist to finally get Cal under control. The behaviorist in particular really helped us to understand the root/motivation of his behavior, and how to work on it.
Good luck! If I'm remembering correctly, your pup is absolutely adorable. Wanna post a pic?
I'm so biased, but I think Kelpies are the world's most beautiful dogs.
My Lunch Blog
My Lunch Blog
OK, I realize I'm taking over this thread, but whatever.
You could also try taking her to herding. Here's an article I just found with a list of a few places you could go. I know that Cal would absolutely love to herd, but there's just no place to do it here.
My Lunch Blog
OMG, you guys. Thank you so much! Is there a support group out there for Kelpie owners?
We adopted her at 3 months old from a shelter that told us she was a GSD/doberman mix. High energy, yeah, but nothing we couldn't handle. She'd been starved and was sick ... parasites and kennel cough. By the time we'd gotten her healthy, we'd fallen in love. So when our trainer said, "Uh-uh, she's a Kelpie," it was too late.
She is whip-smart. What takes our extremely bright GSD a week to learn, she has in under an hour. She knows tricks galore ... I just bought two books to teach her MORE tricks.
Daycare is a good idea, and one I half-heartedly looked into. I'm not sure we could afford every day, but I'm certain we could swing a day or two a week. I'm also looking into a Treibbal class at a local agility center. Heck, maybe agility too. That'd be once a week.
She's got toys, and loves to chew them, but is SO picky. So despite a half-dozen toys ready and available to her when we're gone, she chooses the basement sofa. I guess I should try some frozen Kongs, too.
Here are some pics ... I swear, she can pee on the sofa and then look at me with those eyes, and everything is forgiven!
Around 3 months:
Around 6 months:
Most recent:
By the way, THIS is totally where we're at! Before we adopted Lulu, DH was all, "Oh, don't worry, Koa is such a good dog, he'll teach her how to behave!" Well, surprise, surprise, the opposite has happened!
Do you think I could work on crate training on weekends when I'm home? I'd love for her to feel safe and secure in her crate, and we could leave it anywhere in the house then (not just the basement with Koa).
Yes, we will be your support group! Katie really helped me get through the first few months with Doby. When he was eating everything in sight INCLUDING my wedding centerpieces 3 days before the wedding I told my husband that I didn't care where he took him or what he did with him, he just COULD NOT stay with us anymore.
H took him to his brother's house for the night and I really missed having is snuggly butt around, so I changed my mind pretty quickly.
Also, your story of how you got your puppy sounds a lot like Doby's story. He had been on the streets of chicago and they found him and his brothers. We got him from a doberman rescue group under the assumption that he was a doberman gsd mix. He was skinny, sick and had worms also. When he got healthy We were surprised to find out that he was a kelpie and was going to be a lot more work that we expected!
Doby stayed in a crate (even though he didn't like it) until he could not chew things when we were gone for a short period. Again, he was 2 when this happened, and we had had him since 14 weeks. He is totally fine out of his crate now, it just took A LOT of training about what he can and cannot chew on.
We also hoped that our lab's wonderful behavior would rub off on Doby, but no such luck. They are just completely different dogs. Cosmo is very food motivated, where as, Doby sometimes doesn't even eat dinner b/c he would rather be playing with a toy.
We only buy Doby rubber toys, mostly b/c it takes more than 1 minute for him to destroy them, and all others are gon in under 60 seconds.
Also, Katie, I know what you mean about THE BALL. Doby has gotten into a few scuffles over his ball and always ends up bleeding from some place on his body but he NEVER cares. he just brings you the ball and wants to keep playing!
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Oh man, am I glad you guys are around!
There have been a few moments that I have said, "That's it! She's better off somewhere else, I can't take it!" Then she'll come over and give me THAT LOOK (I'm wondering if it's a Kelpie thing or a Lulu thing, with the ears back and those intense eyes!) and I melt.
I adore her, I do. Not many people can understand it, since she's all cranky to Outsiders. Even DH says he wishes he'd have held out for another GSD. But she's just my heart dog.
Today I removed EVERYTHING not OK to chew on from their basement area and hooked up a TV. (I'm looking at the over/under on when she starts tearing up the linoleum!) I'm going to call around on some daycare facilities around my work to see what they have to offer, and I've found an Agility 101 class that we can start in February.
I will try to start making time to teach some tricks at home. She is so bright, and actually better at commands than our GSD.
Are your kelpies vocal? She was SILENT (except for barking), and now has started what we call "grumbling" when she's getting settled and comfortable. It sounds like a growl, but it's not ... way different than our moaning GSD. It doesn't help her "cranky" image much.
As for toys: What lasts? She's just discovered the Nylabone I bought her about 3 months ago. Not very interested in her Kong, and totally ignored that Everlasting Chew Treatball thing I bought her. Even with the treat in it! Bones she adores, but DH is really uncomfortable with the dogs having actual bones. She loves rawhides too, but they upset her stomach if we let her have a whole one. Plus, they bring out the resource guarding. Recommendations? I will go to PetSmart TODAY if I have to!
She will NOT retrieve. She prefers chasing Koa when HE is retrieving the ball! Herding is her life.
I'm so glad you guys found me!!!!
Raw meaty bones would be a good alternative-and they're also mentally stimulating. NO rawhides. They can cause obstructions, and are processed in formaldehyde and other chemicals. Antlers, Goughnuts, and Bully sticks are good.
I would go to Goughnuts.com and bestbullysticks.com. I think BBS is running a 5% off special right now. We have three dogs and order their 50 pack of 12 inch standard sticks every couple of months.
Is she motivated or more toy motivated?
She'll do anything for food. Or anything that resembles food.
Toys are definitely second. She'd much prefer to wrassle with DH or nip at Koa's heels than play with a toy ... unless there's a chance she can pick it apart to get at something inside. I've been tempted to sew up a bone in several layers of burlap just to see if that's cheaper than buying the $7.99 Costco dog toys we seem to pick up monthly!
Can't bones hurt her teeth or get lodged in her intestines or something? I keep getting conflicting information about that.
I'm on a mac, so i can't make them clicky but Doby has these toys:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA05P0816210&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle2&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle2-_-Dogs+-+Toys-_-JW+Pet-_-9SIA05P0816210
http://compare.ebay.com/like/260891769757?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=orka+dog+toys&gs_upl=11632l12104l2l12761l4l4l0l0l0l1l155l381l3.1l4l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1204&bih=612&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=1453748366914310094&sa=X&ei=LrkhT-S9JMfq0gHri8DwCA&ved=0CIQBEPMCMAA#ps-sellers
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=rubber+dog+toys&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1204&bih=612&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=946330336942899679&sa=X&ei=jrkhT7a0Aun10gGr_pDqCA&ved=0CMYBEPMCMAk4Hg#ps-sellers
As long as they are raw bones, she will be just fine. You want to stay away from having her eat big, weight-bearing bones, but she can gnaw the meat off them.
She should never have cooked bones of any sort.
Preymodelraw.com will have information on feeding raw bones, as does http://www.rawmeatybones.com/petowners/whatisrmb.php
Quite a few of us on this board feed a raw diet to our dogs and cats.
Also, yes he is very vocal. He talks to us a lot. pretty much whenever he wants ANYTHING. if we ignore him when he brings us a toy he makes a series of noises showing his displeasure is us ignoring him, and they get louder and louder. If we "talk" back to him he will continue doing it and imitating us.
He also makes noises like a horse where he blows air out of his nose and mouth at the same time.
And when he yawns, he is always loud. We call them his big puppy yawns.
if he needs to go outside he whines and jumps VERY high at the door. like above my head, straight up. it's very funny, but not so funny that our back patio door has scratches from his nails.
It's funny that your kelpie is so food motivated and mine and katie's could care less about food if there is a toy near by, but that's good, bc i think it's easier to train a food motivated dog!