# 8 month old destroy the couch



## Linck (Mar 25, 2013)

If you would like to skip the story you can just look at the picture.... 

We left Lincoln home from 2 pm to 2 am the next morning on Saturday night (we went to the college football game at the town 2 hours away). He has always been left home alone 8 hours a day since he was 4 months old and never cause any big trouble.. (maybe a piece of mail stolen from the counter was chew up or something) so I WAS trusting him somewhat with the house. I keep checking on my webcam and I didn't see him almost all day. So I was a little nervous. When I got home, I saw that my leather couch was... well as you can see in the picture

I'm not blaming him as much as I blame myself... I was warned that bored puppy can get destructive. I just trust him too much I guess. But now the question is.... *how do I make sure he doesn't do it again? Since I didn't catch him in the action I didn't know how to tell him this is not OK. *

And to top his accomplishment of the day.. he figured out that he could jump on the bed. Our bed is a little tall and he never try to jump on before. So there we were wrestling to get him down and stay down at 3 am Sunday morning. Oh! and the next morning I was drinking coffee watching my show on my macbook and he knock my cup and it spill on my laptop.. I haven't get a call back from the shop yet how much the damage is. 

It is crazy how much lack of exercise can do so much damage... I had to see it to believe it.

And if anyone knows what I can do with that couch, please share. Can it be fixed by some... I don't know place??


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## Freddy (Apr 23, 2009)

Keep in mind leaving most 8 mo GSDs home alone is like leaving a 4 or 5 year old child home alone. Mine are all kenneled until 16 to 18 months, depending on the dog. 

I lost a couch once. Luckily, it was a starter that wasn't worth much. I have nicer things now, and try to eliminate the OPPORTUNITY to make mistakes whenever possible.


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## NTexFoster (Jul 18, 2013)

That is an awesome looking dog. Your couch....call it post zombie apocalypse modern. Or rearrange the room so the back of the couch is on a wall...or maybe you need a buffet table to put back there....I guess I'm not much help.

As for avoiding future destructive behavior: do you have a room you can turn in to the doggie den? The usual thing is to use a kennel, but a guest bedroom or other room that can be adjusted will also work. Leaving a puppy unsupervised with free access to the entire house is a recipe for much entertainment. For other people to read about after the fact, not for you. 

I'm really not sure how to teach dogs not to do this, we've just gotten insanely lucky with our older dogs. I'm hoping that Kaiser and Hawk will just play together when I have to be away instead of Kaiser demonstrating his redecorating skills. The other thing my dogs have taught us is to not leave food (or tasty trash) where they can get to it. The trash can is in the pantry behind a closed door. My office trash can only gets paper and empty coke bottles. Food wrappers, old pizza boxes, or anything potentially tasty goes in the trash where they can't get to it. The counters are always cleaned off, unless I intentionally leave a surprise for them to find (I didn't say I was a good dog trainer).


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## KatsMuse (Jun 5, 2012)

Hi!
Hmmm...fixing it? IDK. Fix what you can and place it against a wall to hide the back (chewed part)?

Maybe if you have to be gone that long again, you can have a friend or relative come over & let him out? Or spend some a little time with him?

12 hours is a long time, IMO.

Just a suggestion 
Kat


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## Linck (Mar 25, 2013)

*@Freddy:* 

What is your kennel like?? We have a dog run in the yard which is a pretty good size but its very hot here in Texas I didn't want to leave him in there..

*@NTexFoster*

As for our house I can't work any other room to make it a den for him. My living room the only room that will give him access to go to the potty spot  

Put that couch up against the wall is also my first option pop up in my mind lol so yes you are helpful

*@KatsMuse*

Yeah I would definitely have someone come over. I usually do that on the day we work late. But that particular day all our friends were at the game with us so I thought I would take a shot. Needless to say that wasn't a wise decision lol


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## NTexFoster (Jul 18, 2013)

Linck said:


> *@Freddy:*
> *@NTexFoster*
> 
> As for our house I can't work any other room to make it a den for him. My living room the only room that will give him access to go to the potty spot
> ...


Get some gates to restrict access to the rest of the house so at least you can control the blast radius. Your couch has already been seasoned so you're not going to lose there. If you have a flat screen TV perhaps bolting it down or mounting to the wall would be a good idea. And get Grandmas 150 year old china closet out of there.

Good luck and welcome to the joys of owning your own personal hurricane.

We have finished concrete floors so we have also become dust bunny ranchers.


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## Sergeantsays (Jul 6, 2013)

Oh he looks sooo cute though. Sorry I had to lol at the pic. What a handsome boy, but def too young to be left alone for 8 hours. Gotta put him in the crate til at least a year or longer. Just put the couch against a wall like everyone suggests. And make a poster if that pic and sell it! $$$


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## KatsMuse (Jun 5, 2012)

Well, Lincoln is a cutie! :wub:

Sorry, but I had to laugh a little too...
It'd be hard for me to stay mad at that sweetheart too long.

 Kat


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

I know it's not funny, But...

I _had_ to giggle at that photo. He looks so proud, haha. The same satisfied grin my Mattie used to give me when she "helped" out in the yard by digging yet another bigger, better hole (that I never really needed).

We live and learn, when it comes to management. I agree, just put the couch against the wall 

Oh, and Good Owner for not yelling at your dog when you didn't catch him in the act.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Oh my

Thank you for not punishing him...unless you catch him it's done & over.

He has not earned his freedom from the crate yet. Back he goes when your not home.

I too, giggled at the picture. Couldn't help it. He does look like he's showing off his handy work.


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## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

I have to agree with everyone here that I know its not funny but he looks so darn cute and proud of himself. Like you my almost 8 month has pulled chunks out of both my livingroom couch and myleather den couch. I know it's just a phase as my sisters golden retriever tore her couch apart at the same age. At 9 years old now hes been the best dog for years. Like her I have vowed not to replace the couches until hes a little older. Until then im hiding the holes the best I can by purchasing a re upholstery needle and sewing them up lol


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

What a pretty dog! If you enter that in the photo contest, I will vote for him -- that is this month isn't? Maybe not. 

I thought of shoving the couch up against a wall too. 

Actually my dogs do not get the run of the house all at once. I separate my house into sections. When I am home, one can be in the study or in the dining/living room. When I am not home, I have one that I leave in my bedroom/hall/bathroom area, and others are in the dog room -- separated from the rest of the house with baby gates. It just contains the possibilitities. 

My leather couch is normally off limits unless I am there because I don't want to have to replace that. Everything else is pretty much ok -- not going to be sick over it. 

8 months is such a puppy. And he is so darn cute. I mean, how can you even be mad at him???


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

crate


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## Heidigsd (Sep 4, 2004)

Oh Lincoln...what a face and the poor couch :shocked:

Since you have an outdoor run can you put up some misters to keep him cooler? You can get them at Lowe's or Home Depot. Patio Misters | Outdoor Misters

Nikki still isn't allowed run of the house when I am gone and she is almost four. It just depends on the dog but I think 8 months is too young. What if he chewed an electrical cord


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

I was doing laundry & had to come back to this thread....do you think he ingested any of the couch?


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## KMH (Jul 24, 2013)

Yep - I laughed. Not my house or mess, so I could. However, you do need to watch him as he could have eaten part of your couch. It's a hard lesson, but now you know not to trust him loose. 

I've had this happen too. The Navy moved my stuff and a mouse was inside the frame of the couch. My GSD at the time removed it. Unfortunately, the entire back of the couch was gone. Fortunately, we could put it against the wall to hide it. She never did it again - hopefully your boy won't either.


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## RugerRoni (Aug 2, 2013)

I know it's not funny, but that picture is way too cute. Did he do it while you were at the house? 8 months old is way too young to trust a dog to have run of the house, just crate him while you're gone or keep him contained in the same room with you at all times if you are home (leash and collar). It may seem cruel but you're keeping your dog from destructive behavior and potentially saving his life (next time he could chew on an electrical cord, or get under the sink and eat a bottle of drain cleaner, etc.).


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Definitely crate and put the couch against the wall. Sorry this happened to you. I'm not laughing. Really, I'm not. Hee,Hee,Hee.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I had to snicker, too.:wild:

Looks as if he has earned crate time when he can't be supervised.


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## Linck (Mar 25, 2013)

Thank you for all suggestion! I still haven't get an idea about how to tell him couch is a no no though... thought about lure him into chewing it and this time tell him no when he is about to do it... but it seems like a risky game 


What we have been doing since the incident was to keep our normal schedule and to never leave him home that long full of energy like that again. But as far as the normal weekdays go... I'm gonna give him another chance before I crate him. I couldn't make myself put him in the crate 8 hours long.... I could get a pet sitter to come over in the mid day but all I can find is more than $25 a day plus gas to come to my house which is not feasible. As I mentioned I watched him through the camera in the pass 5 months and he never get destructive. He usually sleeps during the day and get all worked up when we get home around 5.15 pm cos he knows it is play time. By the time our dinner he is a tired puppy. The incident of him destroying my couch that game night was solely my fault. He is a good boy.. but sometime it feels like i'm living with a terrorist :wild:


*@Msmaria*



Msmaria said:


> I have to agree with everyone here that I know its not funny but he looks so darn cute and proud of himself. Like you my almost 8 month has pulled chunks out of both my livingroom couch and myleather den couch. I know it's just a phase as my sisters golden retriever tore her couch apart at the same age. At 9 years old now hes been the best dog for years. Like her I have vowed not to replace the couches until hes a little older. Until then im hiding the holes the best I can by purchasing a re upholstery needle and sewing them up lol


Yeah we are not replacing it anytime soon either... It is an electric recliner (which also doesn't work cos he chew the cord that operates it - unplug tho). I wonder if I can get a piece of leather from somewhere and sew it up..... 
*
@Heidigsd*


Heidigsd said:


> Oh Lincoln...what a face and the poor couch :shocked:
> 
> Since you have an outdoor run can you put up some misters to keep him cooler? You can get them at Lowe's or Home Depot. Patio Misters | Outdoor Misters
> 
> Nikki still isn't allowed run of the house when I am gone and she is almost four. It just depends on the dog but I think 8 months is too young. What if he chewed an electrical cord


When I said it is a run it might be overstating. I will post a picture when I get home tonight. What it is is we fence up one side of the yard that connect to the doggie door.. the main purpose is so he has his own side of yard and I have mine which is where my firepit and flower located. Oh and that I can contain his pooping area. But it is still grass and no roof. In Texas weather I wouldn't want to leave him out there all day.. Plus, he is probably going to dig a pond out there in the yard if he gets bored too


*@Courtney*


Courtney said:


> I was doing laundry & had to come back to this thread....do you think he ingested any of the couch?


I don't think he did... but again how could I tell right? There is nothing outstanding in his poop and he doesn't seem sick or anything... so I assume he didn't :crazy:


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## Freddy (Apr 23, 2009)

I should have said crated, because that's what we did. Dogs are 7 and 4 now, so we just use it occasionally. Always indoors.

I have a custom crates stainless side entry for my car, and a 300 series (plastic with swinging metal door for the house. My male doesn't mind the crate at all, in fact sometimes when I'm gone my wife says he goes in it to nap.


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## Kovinator (Mar 24, 2013)

Thanks for posting what had to be a rough homecoming. Sometimes pulling out the camera is all you can do to keep from getting too upset. I have an 8 month old as well and remember when he was only about 3 months old when he chewed my back door as I was mowing the lawn (thought he was just sitting and looking at me!) as others mentioned crates and gates might be the answer for a while. 


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## lalachka (Aug 13, 2013)

Kovinator said:


> he chewed my back door as I was mowing the lawn (*thought he was just sitting and looking at me*!)
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


lol, i just remembered an episode when i also thought my boy was sitting there looking at me when i was sowing a handle on his 30 ft leash.

so when i was done i picked it up and realized that it looks too short, and yep, he bit it in half. so back to sowing the 2 pieces together)))))


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

my dog had free roam of the house from 4 months old untill
he was 8 months old. then at 8 months he decided to eat the 
house and everything in it. he was crated from 8 month untill 
yesterday. he's 6 yrs old now. i had a special crate built.
he wore it like armour. it was fitted around his legs so he
could walk, lay down and eat with it own. people asked me "why
do you walk your dog with a crate around him". a few people at 
the dog park ordered them.


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## lalachka (Aug 13, 2013)

doggiedad said:


> my dog had free roam of the house from 4 months old untill
> he was 8 months old. then at 8 months he decided to eat the
> house and everything in it. he was crated from 8 month untill
> yesterday. he's 6 yrs old now. i had a special crate built.
> ...


Can you post a pic? I've never heard of this before. 

You took him to the park with it as well?


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## NTexFoster (Jul 18, 2013)

I cant help but think that Doggiedad was just having some fun, but if not I do look forward to the pictures. Video would rock.


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## lalachka (Aug 13, 2013)

NTexFoster said:


> I cant help but think that Doggiedad was just having some fun, but if not I do look forward to the pictures. Video would rock.


I thought so too but then want sure. I get caught on things like these sometimes.


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## lalachka (Aug 13, 2013)

i thought so too but then waSn't sure. I get caught on things like these sometimes.


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