Labradoodle money wasting chew monster

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\r\n \r\n <!-' + '- google_ad_section_start -' + '->Whoof! You have quite a conundrum!
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\r\nThe good news is, this behavior is changeable.
\r\nThe bad news is, it will take time (6 months to a year to change an already-established habit), consistency and patience. Think of a time you\'ve moved to a new house or reorganized your silverware drawer. How long did it take you to remember that the light switches were on the other side of the doorframe, or that the spoons were now stored on the left instead of the right? Same thing with all habits. It takes a while to relearn.
\r\nLabradoodles are generally an intelligent, active breed and she is still quite on the young side. Her behavior won\'t become consistent until she reaches emotional maturity, between 1.5-3 years of age, but you will be able to instill good habits now that will eventually solidify and last her for a lifetime.
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\r\nPlease do not utilize a shock collar. This will not solve the problem and could lead to further behavior issues down the line (such as increased stress and nervousness, resource guarding or pain/fear aggression). Instead, try to locate a trainer near you who uses positive techniques - different people have different definitions of the word "positive" but you are looking for someone who does not use fear, pain or aversive corrections such as shocking, shaking, jerking, shouting, hanging, choke or prong collars, etc. Try to find someone who will help you teach your dog desirable, substitute behaviors to replace the unwanted one going on right now. APDT.com is a good resource for locating someone in your area. Chewing and shredding are natural dog behaviors but when taken to the extreme, other than obviously quite problematic in a human household, can be indicative of another problem. Dogs chew and shred to reduce stress or out of boredom. A trainer should be able to come into your home, assess the environment, and perhaps recommend some adjustments that may help reduce your dog\'s stress or give her more appropriate "employment".
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\r\nExcellent job utilizing her crate as a management tool, and the gate at the bottom of the stairs, too! You may also consider asking a trainer to demonstrate appropriate tethering techniques (either tethered to a particular spot or piece of furniture, or tethered to you with a leash so she can\'t run off with a forbidden object) so your dog can be in a room with your but prevented from practicing any undesirable behaviors. This is what we call "setting the dog up for success." The more she can practice "good" behavior and the fewer opportunities she has to practice the old, "bad" ones, the faster her habits will change.What other training has she had, if any? Does she know any cues such as "go to your bed" or "leave it"? Do you play any of the "find it" games with her (Paul Owens\' books and DVDs have nice explanations of these). These are all very nice substitutes for grabbing forbidden items and running off with them, and the "find it" games give your dog appropriate employment so she does not need to employ herself as the resident shredder/mulcher.
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\r\nDoes she have any food allergies? Have you tried "appropriate" chews other than rawhide? Bully Sticks and treat-stuffed Kongs are also great options that some dogs find more desirable than rawhides. Are there other appropriate toys she likes to play with? You said you take her for walks (good!) - what other kinds of exercise, including play, does she get? Does she have any doggie friends? What\'s her daily routine like? Does she have a bed (other than her crate) or does she shred that, too?
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\r\nFinally, obviously this is hard for your family. It sounds like both you and your husband are absolutely at your wits\' end, and it can\'t be easy on your children, either. It\'s a terribly difficult conversation to have, but you really have to think seriously about whether you are able and willing to commit the time, effort, consistency and finances it will take to turn your dog\'s behavior around. If not, and you decide the best thing for your family and for your dog would be to rehome her, I would strongly urge you to contact a local breed rescue or general rescue agency rather than a shelter. Depending on where you live and what your shelter situation is like, even a good, sweet family dog may have a very difficult time getting out alive, and even if they do, the stress of the shelter may compound existing behavior problems. Be very honest with the rescue group about any behavior problems your dog may have so that they can help her with her issues and eventually match her with the best possible adopter.
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\r\nI\'m very sorry for this very frustrating situation, and wish you all the best.
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Anyone have any tips for getting a dog to stop destroying things?? My husband is ready to take our dog to the pound. Our kids love her so I would like to fix this problem. A little background: she is a 1 year old labradoodle. When potty training her we used the crate method. She did awesome and we started leaving her out of the crate for short amounts of time unsupervised but then she started destroying things. Not even things just left laying around, were talking books off the bookshelf, bottle of shampoo from the side of the tub, legs of chairs. So we started crating her every time we left the house or went to bed. Now she has turned into a major problem. She has chewed up about 50 kids toys. I started being really strict about "no toys outside of your rooms" but then she started sneaking upstairs when the kids were in their rooms playing and stealing toys and destroying them. Now i have to gate the bottom of the stairs and deal with her knocking it down constantly. She also has decided its a good idea to go into the laundry room and take clothes into the backyard (through the doggy door) to shred up. Yesterday it was a pair of nikes, 2 pairs of husbands shorts, my tshirt, baby socks, and 2 brand new (tags still on them) pairs of kids shorts. all ruined. Things that have met their fate with her: 3 boxes of crayons, 4 pairs of sneakers, 4 pairs of slippers, 3 pairs of sandals, 10-15 books, countless toys, dvds, shampoo, a rug, the shower curtain, wooden train, 5 hats, a wooden baseball bat, a bike tire, etc. I have tried: gently taking the object from her and giving her a bone/chew toy of her own. A nose slap while saying "no!". Spraying vinegar on things. Putting her outside in a "time out". Taking her for more walks. Giving her a constant supply of rawhides. Nothing has seemed to make any difference and her amount of chewing is just escalating. She doesnt even try to hide it, if you're taking clothes out of the dryer and drop a tshirt or a sock, she immediately grabs it and books it out the doggy door and you have to run out and try to get it back before she has ruined it. Now she pretty much only has freedom when i can follow her around the house watching her. Any time im making dinner, taking a shower, watching a tv show, etc she must be locked in the crate or outside. Anyone have any ideas for anything else i can try??? A friend recommended a shock collar: she said her boxer was the same way so she followed her around the house for a week shocking her everytime she tried to pick up something. And then she stopped chewing. That sounds excessive and mean but I definitely understand being at your wits end!!! Help!