Hello, My 1 year old German Shepherd has started retreiving parts from our yard in the back, past our landscaped area. The back is our construction yard. We are contractors. We have a fenced-in acre, in the back are trucks, trailers, and cable tv parts, conduit etc. At night she has been retreiving parts, she brings them to our lawn, and chews them up. She's chewing off electrical connections from trailers, also sprinkler wiring. I have used the Bitter Apple, now I am putting her in her kennel at night. Although- yesterday I let her out in the morning, and she proceeded to chew up sprinkler wiring right afterwards. Any suggestions would be so appreciated. She has been spayed.

Just wanted to add more info. She has a buddy, a queensland heeler. Two teen boys who play with her, and I work at home. So I'm here all the time. She's had basic dog obedience. Anyone have any ideas to make her stop?

I would bring her in the house to sleep at night - or fence off the area she is getting into; but then she would most likely find something else to get into. Some dogs don't like to be separated from their "pack" I know lots of people have kennel dogs; but my two gsds have run of the house and yard and sleep on the floor by my bed at night. They are now 2 and 3 yrs old and I've never had a chewing, digging, or any other kind of issues with them. Except at 3am when they tree my neighbors cat for coming in our yard. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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Just wanted to add more info. She has a buddy, a queensland heeler. Two teen boys who play with her, and I work at home. So I'm here all the time. She's had basic dog obedience. Anyone have any ideas to make her stop?

More structured exercise.......preferably a fast and long walk at least 2X a day. I know many people think a big yard is enough. It's not. It's still behind walls (or a fence), and it doesn't give the focused exercise needed to release frustrated energy.

The broken record part follows: A tired, well-exercised dog is *much* less likely to engage in destructive or obsessive activity, which is what's happening here.

Training not to do it is great, but exercise has so many other benefits besides that it's really, IMHO, the number one step after basic obedience (or really, *with* basic obedience).

What's worked for me in the past is two things, or a combination of the two.

1. Get a bunch of jalapeno's and put them in the blender to liquify them (seeds and all). When you have the jalapenos liquified place in a container and put it under your dogs nose (not to be confused with rubbing their nose in it, there should be no contact unless the dog actually licks it him/herself). Most dogs will back away from it. Then you can pour it on the objects that he/she is destructively chewing. In time, with due diligence and lots of jalapeno's, they'll stay away from the desired objects.

2. Get some wasabi powder and mix it with some water to make it a bit more watery than ready-to-eat wasabi. Do the same "introduction" to the dog as above and brush on whatever objects (cords, equipment, etc) he/she is chewing up.

If they, for some unbelievable reason, like either one alone, just add them together. This usually always does the trick for me in conjunction with proper exercise and proper toys in the yard.

You can try building a hangman like structure and attaching a bunge cord with a Kong attached to the end (just drill a hole in the upper part of the kong to get the bunge in there). Make it low enough for the dog to get to it, but not low enough for it to be too easy. They will most likely reach up to get it, start eating the "guts" (treats) out of it and have a paw slip and BAM!, it now becomes alive. A great mental stimulation and exercise contraption. Not to mention prey drive outlet.

Good luck!

Fence off the construction part of the yard before your dog dies
from it. One or two licks of over flowing or leaking antifreeze and you dogs are dead. Give your dog a job it sounds like it wants one. Train your kids to walk the dog while they ride a bike. No access to construction area or find a good home for your dogs before they die.

Brian,
I like that kong bungee idea. If i am not snowed in tomorow I am goin to get er in action.

Steve