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A little back history on the sitch:
Our one dog, Boris, like to chew. He's almost 3 years old and we still need to take precautionary measures such as putting our shoes and anything of value away. Over the almost 3 years that we've had him, he has chewed through many light cords...mostly because they were not wrapped up and away.
We unplug all of our lights, my husband is a fire marshal, so it has now become habit. We have a lamp on a buffet style table as soon as you enter into our home. I go to bed before my husband therefore his job is to unplug said lamp and wrap the cord up on the table so Boris cannot get to it the following work day. Because my husband is SO FREAKING LAZY, he just unplugs it. About a month ago, after he just had the lamp re-corded and he didn't pull the cord up, he went to plug it in, after I told him he'd better check the cord first...and BAM...all of our lights went out. Boris chewed the cord...because it was not pulled up on the table.
So now we have a different lamp there and I feel like I'm my husband's mommy constantly reminding him that when he unplugs the cord to wrap it up on the table because, we should remember from the past what happens. He always tells me I'm right and he will. So far this week when I've come home from work, the cord is laying there under the table. I've reminded him 3 times this week each before going to bed.
The story might sound funny or insignificant but this is how things are in our house. He just DOES NOT LISTEN OR IS TOO LAZY TO DO IT. And I'm at my freakin' whits end. This morning, the cord, again, was not wrapped up on the table. I almost lost my cool.
Again, this is one situation in a long line of many. Sometimes I just want to shake him and scream my frustrations to him.
@PinkMagnolia: oh my...not in a million years did this thought come to mind. Recessed lighting. Holy mamma leeoni. I'm going to have to run this one by hubster. Thanks for the idea!
@PinkMagnolia: That was going to be my suggestion! Good thinking.
Until then, start carrying a flash light, you will always have light and the hubby won't.....maybe he'll get the hint.
I love how everyone is suggesting ideas to fix the lights but seriously - your problem is the dog. I love love love dogs. And my own dog was so misbehaved that I know how hard it is. But seriously - you guys have to figure out a way to train the dog. What are you going to do - keep livign your life around the dogs behavior? This might be your hubbys passive aggressive way to show you that the dog needs to be trained.
What about spraying cords or stuff that the dog likes to chew with that "no chew" spray. I forget what it is, but it's bitter and dogs don't like it.
You definitely need to do something. eek most dogs only chew for the first year.
Yea I agree, the issue here is the dog not the husband but you can't fix the dog overnight.
I like the idea of moving the outlet so its the height of the table so if the lamp is plugged in or not then cord will never dangle down low.
I don't think your husband just doesn't listen (he obviously sees why you are asking him to do this) and its hopefully not becuase hes just lazy (again, because he sees the need) but maybe its just because he honestly forgets? What if you put a sign on the table or a tag on the cord reminding him to put it on the table.
We've tried everything with Boris. I think he does it out of boredom. But when they are alone during the day, we make sure they have all of their favorite chew toys, etc to stay occupied and they get a long afternoon walk with our dog walker.
I guess, in a nutshell, since I've done 99.9% of the training with both of our dogs, I'm going to have to do this one too. And still train the husband.
I think better training for the dog would help this situation. Not just for your sanity, but for the health of the dog.
Can you not block the dog off in a certain part of the house by putting up a baby gate or something? If he only does it while you guys are gone during the day this seems like a good solution. Just pick one room/area that is chew-safe and leave him there with his toys and some water.
Connected story-- I worked for the phone company once (when there was only one) and a lady called in and said "my phone never rings, but its ok because whenever someone is calling the dog barks." Oracle dog? No- she had tied the dog with the phone cord- which gave an electrical charge each time the phone rang.
We sent out a repairman...
@stephinPA: If he's only chewing when you leave him during the day it is either boredom or more likely separation anxiety and you need to either crate him or confine him to a small area of the house that you have dog proofed (although really, can you ever completely dog-proof? Our dog chewed baseboards and carpet before we realized we were just going to have to crate her).
@retreadbride: Oh my god. That is terrible!
Thanks for the advice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CRATING- imo- is simply giving a dog his own cave...
<--- lots of dog advice, none about kids or child bearing
@retreadbride: hahaha my mom used to work for the phone company. She has so many funny stories like that.
Steph-Leave a note. Right on the lamp. So he cannot possibly miss out.
We did crate, you see. And then they've earned privileges of not being crated. Not to mention there was anxiety ridden behavior taking place IN the crate. So we tried and in all honesty, they have been doing quite well, it's just these isolated instances.
They haven't been crated for several months now and we've taken them down.
I agree with some of the others that say it isn't the husband, it's the dog. It's ridiculous to have to alter your lifestyle that way for a horribly behaved pet. I say either train it or it's time to get rid of the dog. Your relationship is WAY more important than your dog. I love animals, but I'm not going to put up with one that's eating all my belongings. Get it some training, try the spray on the cords, and if that doesn't work get rid of it for the sake of your marriage and your sanity.
@stephinPA: - agree to disagree- crates are home- not punishment- We leave the door open and lol you should see my two (2) 100+lbs great pyrenese rush to get into same crate. ( As you can imagine the crate is the size of a piece of furniture)
@faye0314: whoa girl. Steph has trained them, dog better than husband. But no reason to go that far. And in fact, anyone who gives up on animal (unless we are discussing a dangerous biter) is iresponsible imo. I volunteer at a local rescue and when someone says "we dont have time, we are moving, whatever whatever" my blood boils. Its a forever committment. ok- stepping off soap box- or dog food bag as it were.
@retreadbride: My dog looooves her crate, too! She hangs out in there even when she doesn't have to!
@stephinPA: Apparently he hasn't really earned the priviledge of not being crated if he's still chewing cords, you still have to make sure your shoes are put away and you still have to make sure that valuable things are away from where he could reach. If he was truely ready to be out of the crate, you shouldn't have to think about any of these things as you'd know that he would leave them alone.
He's not going to get used to the crate immeadiately. It may actually take quite a bit of time (especially if he wasn't crate trained immeadiately as a puppy). Some crying / barking / etc while he's crated is to be expected, especially initially.
If a dog is chewing things he hasn't earned the privileges of not being in a crate. Our dogs don't chew but they're still don't have free run of the house when we're not there, just because we don't want them to get into anything/have an accident should it take us longer than normal to get home to let them out (really it's for their safety).
Perhaps you could put him in a room where he has some space to move around while you're gone. Or gate off all but one area of the house.
Really the problem here is the dog.
@faye0314: (PLEASE NOTE - MY TONE IS CALM AND NICE. PLEASE DO NOT MISINTERPRET) Well, while I appreciate all advice given here, otherwise I wouldn't have written the thread, I think your remark about my dog being horribly trained is a tad off base. I'm extremely passionate about my dogs and have done extensive training with them, especially Boris. So much so that I've driven to trainings that have been over an hour away from our home. I am dedicated to this and well, since they are kind of like my kids, took some offense to what you said. And in no, way, shape, or form would I ever 'get rid' of my dogs. If you get a dog and you're not willing to put the time and effort in to helping them with their issues, then you shouldn't have a pet.
My dogs earned the privileges of not being in the crates because they were doing really well. No chewing, nothing. So i'm not sure what is bringing this behavior back.
My dog really likes his kong toy. It's one of those toys that you put kibbles or peanut butter in, then he figures out how to get to it.
We bought it before we actually got him home, since the shelter said he was a nervous chewer, but he totally never was.
@retreadbride - I'm with you, I could never imagine getting rid of my furbabies because they chew. It drives me batty when people just give up on them. They need training and love. My DH also volunteers at a shelter and he tells me some stories and I want to run over there and bring all the dogs home with me (hence why I don't volunteer at the shelter or I'd probably end up on animal hoarders. lol)
To the OP, honestly, I see nothing wrong with "dog proofing" your home. I have to do it myself. My dogs don't chew every time we leave, but they like certain things, like DVD's. Our boy loves to munch on DVD cases. We just put something in front of our DVD stand so they can't get to them. He likes being in his crate when the door is open, but we can't lock him in the crate when we are gone because he tends to break out of it and when he does that, he has cut himself up. I'd rather he chew something than hurt himself trying to break out of his crate.
I have had your frustration when the hubs forgets to put something away and the dogs chew it, but until it is something that is super important to him that gets destroyed, he's probably not going to really think about it. My DH didn't get it until our boy nibbled the top of the Direct TV remote. It wasn't destroyed, but enough to make the hubby realize that he needs to dogproof a little better before he leaves the house. Now, he puts everything away and the dogs don't have any problems anymore.
@stephinPA: Your question was a great one-- Im wracking my brain for legit suggestions. Ive been blessed with dogs who got it- when we worked with the command Good Chew Bad Chew. Im a firm believer in re-direct training for both dogs and men. Have you tried correctly exactly when they chew?
Bad Chew- shoe- cord etc Good Chew- when you give them the replacement? Has to be immediate and focused for at least two weeks.
just a thought
@stephinPA: Sometimes dogs will revert to bad behavour if things in their environment change. At this point you need to re-train them - regardless of how much you've trained them before.
Ours started peeing at night. So we started walking them again like when they were puppys and not allowing them food or drink several hours before bed - now they've remembered how to be good dogs. Sometimes they need to have the correct behaviours reinforced and then they'll be back on track.
@camrie: over holiday El Toro took to standing right in front of me, while in the kitchen and taking a longggggggg leek. I was so frustrated with him. We took water away, and added walks. And of course scrubbed and scrubbed the tile. I think we are good now. Boy was that hard not take personally
@retreadbride: I guess maybe that came across as a little harsh, but maybe it's my farm girl mentality. I love animals too, but I feel as though you've tried everything and a really undesirable behavior can't be fixed, then I'm not going to be miserable for the sake of having an animal in my house. Yes, that's a little selfish- I'm well aware of that and I'm just giving my opinion. I would never get rid of an animal for the reasons you mentioned- because of moving, nor would I get an animal if I didn't have time for it. That doesn't mean that other people shouldn't give their pets up- sometimes they are better off with someone else who is better at training or has more time for them (that is not at all directed at the OP, she seems to care a lot about her dog and is willing to do anything to ensure its safety).
I get the 'forever' commitment thing- I spend about $5000 on surgery for my cat to save it's life after it ate a string. If that had happened at my parents house that cat would have gotten taken out back. True story- we had a cat growing up that was peeing all over the house- we tried everything to get it to use a litter box- and it was fixed so that wasn't the problem. Well one day my dad took it out back and shot it without telling anyone he was going to do it. I was definitely traumatized by that and would NEVER do that to a pet of mine.
In my original post I wasn't trying to say that she should have the dog put down or anything, but just consider that if it's really hurting her marriage maybe it would be better for her to find a new home for it. It sounds like she still has some options for training the dog, so that should definitely be tried first. *end of threadjack*
To the OP- if it's an anxiety problem, I believe there are doggie anxiety pills out there. Our dog has some separation anxiety issues and he used to get really anxious when my husband went out of town for work. He's gotten a lot better since I've been around because I'm at the house a lot more than his brother who lives with us (and used to take care of the dog when my husband wasn't home before I moved in). I don't like the idea of drugging pets or people, but it might be helpful in combination with training?
Train the dog. Again and again and again and again and.....
The dog will learn eventually. Your hubby won't.
Now take your pick of whom to train.
@faye0314: i appreciate the update. My job takes me to lots of Ag shows and sometimes I take Countess Pocono with me. Most farmers/ranchers have never seen a fluffed and puffed Pyrenese, as they are lifestock guardian dogs and meant to guard sheep, llamas, goats, and not the couch or my trade show booth.
I know this is not what you were looking for, but I used to spray all of my cords and the bottoms of my furniture with bitter apple spray and my puppy left them alone and eventually stopped trying to chew everything she could get her mouth on.
Whenever something like this happens to DH and I, I gently, nicely remind him about it. I give him a serious/smile look and say "Honey, you know you forgot to pull the cord up today?" And he takes it well. On days when he remembers to do it, I make sure to thank him for doing it when he gets home.
>@FutureKMM: +1
There's been a lot of good suggestions. Especially going back to crating or confining the dog to a "safe room" while gone. You should not be thinking of re-wiring or renovating your lighting because of your dog behavior or husbands apparent laziness.
Other things: Exercise. Before leaving for work the dog needs a good kick in the butt tiring exercise. FREEZE the treats in the kong (like peanut butter, etc). Get good natural bones that are stuffed that will take them a while. They make dog puzzles with hidden treats to occupy as well. Try and come home on your lunch if possible to exercise the dog. Vary the walk/run routes. Depending on breed he may need to be given a "job" to do. Get him a backpack and put water bottles in it so he knows he's "carrying" something. Look into weight pulling if the breed is right... or herding classes etc...
I agree with most of the PP... the issue is your dogs behavior, not DH's.
Honestly I know you have said that you feel like it is punishment but I would crate your dog again. My dog LOVES his crate.
I initially thought that crating was a punishment because when we would put our dog in his crate at night he would cry himself to sleep. It was heart breaking. So we decided that he was a good dog and he could stay out of his crate all day while at work and he started to sleep in the bed with us. Then he started humping. He would hump our couch, couch pillows, blankets, or basically anythign that he could (stuffed animals, clothes, side of chair, etc) We realized that it was because he was very very anxious when we were not around so we started to crate him again. He really enjoys being in his crate. His crate = his little cave that is comfortable and it is "his" spot. We have lots of blankets in there for him and a pillow and we cover the crate with a blanket so it is dark in there all day and he can just sleep. He goes in very willingly every morning and sometimes he will just go sleep in there because he likes it. I don't think that chewing is a trainable problem. Have you taken him to the vet? Maybe he is chewing because of something going on with his gums/teeth/mouth?
Do you praise hubby when he does remember the cord? I think we humans are more like dogs than we want to think. If you only are mad at the negative and don't praise the positive, he won't do it as often.
Now, my DH and I have similar issues, and we are in therapy for it, so I don't just see this as a dog related issue. To me, if DH says he'll do something, and he repeatedly doesn't...it will eventually lead to trust issues and nagging related issues. We were at a tolerable level on that until we had a kid, then it exploded with him not doing what he said he'd do. Just a thought that you might want to see if there is something else going on with him that he forgets. Luckily, we are learning a lot about each other through our therapist, even though we would've said we had a strong rel'nship before, but we are better to communicate even better now! Good luck.
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