# stop destructive behavior?



## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

Nadi has been with me since June 1st and has made great progress. Until a few days ago, when she suddenly seemed to regress. All of a sudden she is doing things, like chewing everything in site, but ONLY at night when I am alseep. Night before last, she chewed a hole in the arm of the couch and last night she found my glasses and pretty much destroyed them. I know it is my fault about the glasses .. I must have dropped them and didn't realise. She also got into the garbage shortly after I went to bed last night. She will be crated at night for awhile but she has been great for so long now that it has just been natural to not crate her. I just don't get why the sudden setback in her behavior. I thought the hole in the couch was boredom due to less excercise than she normally gets, but yesterday I made sure to work OB, play and walk them both as much if not more than normal to wear them both out. I hate to always say it is Nadi that does this stuff, but I have caught her red handed several times lately, like with the trash last night. I should have trusted my instincts and crated her last night after that!

As far as the glasses go, like I said, my fault. Still I don't know if the eye Dr and his team can make them work for another week. I have not ordered my new glasses quite yet, but will be there when they open this morning!! All I can say is hopefully they can do something to this pair to make them work while they make my new glasses and thank goodness the office opens in a mere 2 hours!!


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## Smy3pitas (Jan 26, 2006)

Hi Zisso,

How old is Nadi? I have experienced with my GSD's between 6mths and 18/24mths the 2 steps forward and 1 step backward periods. Just going thru this with Sarge, who is 17mths as I am leaving him out of his crate when we leave house (he is in the "angel stage" now) Personally, I would just keep up on training, maybe go back to night crating (as you said) as Nadi might not like it, but it keeps EVERYTHING SAFE!!. The glasses. . .ouuuuuch! sarge did that to me too. I had them on the counter and apparently, he snatched them. My husband and kids had a field day with it because I repeatedly told the kids, DO NOT leave anything where Sarge can get it. Well, you can only imagine what I got when he got my glasses.??!

Regarding staying out of crate. . . .I did little by little. I was able to block off with gate the hall, so Sarge could only go so far at night. I admit, everynight I go thru house and make sure all is picked up too. Ahhhhhh what i will do for my GSD!


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

Nadi will be 2 in Dec. She is a rescue and I have had her since June 1st. Right now she knows I am not happy with her...I can tell by the way she is acting..

Am on my way to eye doc now to see if they can do anything to salvage these glasses!!


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

Just got back from the eye doc and they did manage to repair my glasses to some extent. Now I have to find $200 for new ones...grrr


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## Dinahmyte (Sep 26, 2004)

I would definitely go back to the crate at night. I would probably do more obedience and other trainig during the day. Mental and physical stimulation. Many dogs enjoy their crates, so don't think it is bad to crate her at night. If it keeps everyone safe, and saves your house then do it! My 3 year old is still crated most nights and most days while I am gone. You can always give her a kong or other treat to enjoy while she is crated.


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

Yep...she is definitely going to be crated at night for awhile. I normally only keep one crate set up in the living room, because Z loves to lay in it. So I got the other one out and set up so he can still do this while she is crated tonight. They actually got less excercise today than normal because of the torrential rain all day today and I feel like I am getting sick(tonsilitis). We have worked on some OB indoors and outdoors today and they got a good game of fetch this afternoon. I also bought some bones at the butcher. Figured it will be a nice treat for them and keep them busy tonight. They don't get them often due to tummy issues.


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## Smy3pitas (Jan 26, 2006)

I hear ya on the glasses! I had the same "expensive lesson" too. . . I remember looking at Sarge and thinking glasses??!?? why??! Excercize, training, crating. . . routine and hopefully all will work out! Hope you feel better!


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

Well, I have bad news. 

First of all, i straight up forgot to crate Nadi when I went to bed last night. They spent about an hour in the crates with bones to chew on and I was lovin the space and freedom to do a few thing without tripping over them. She did not shred anything last night







BUT....one of them(I assume it was Nadi) pooped in the living room which woke me up gagging at 4am. So now her behavior feels like it has gone full circle. This was one of the last things she did before she was fully adjusted and on a good routine. Now our routine has not changed...if anything it has improved because I am laid off and have more time to work with them. 

On a good note (I think) ~ we have been having lots of rain so I try to time our activities around the downpours. When there was a break in the rain today we went out for a short game of fetch then headed to the park. As we started the walk, I heard thunder. About halfway into our walk, it started downpouring on us and I was good with that, until I saw a few strikes of lightening. We came home at that point. It looks pretty nice out now tho Go Figure!


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