Lola Is Becoming Destructive! PLEASE HELP!

[Ali]

Hi Doodle Lovers,

I am need of your help! Lola has started becoming destructive. Last night or in the early morning when I was sleeping she dug into my wall. I am a very deep sleeper at times, so I did not hear any scratching, but it was obvious due to the scratch marks in the wall (see attached pictures). I do not understand why she started doing this, or what to do. It could have been she was bored during the night, but I do provide her plenty of toys. She was also went on an hour walk to the park and back.

Since then, when I went to work, she scratched the wall through her crate too. So she has now learned that it is fun to dig into the wall. This is a huge problem considering I rent an apartment and will have to pay for the damages. How do I get this destructive behavior to stop? Any advice will help. Also, if you are Mr. or Mrs. fix it, how can I fix my wall my self? I am afraid the apartment complex will charge me some outrageous amount to fix it. Help!

- Ali & Lola -

[Ali]

Oh yeah, I haven't caught her in the act yet, so I haven't been able to punish her for this. If I do catch her in the act, how should she be punished or how do I let her know that is wrong?

[Tamara & Giada]

Oh, I am so sorry!! I would hire a professional trainer. This sounds to me like anxierty. Also............how much exercise does she get? I suggest wearing her out, putting her in her crate with a nice bone (away from any walls), and put some nice music on for her while you are away. They also sell calming "plug in thingys" at the pet store......I'm really not sure how well they work because I have never used them. Good luck! Let us know how she does.

[Ali]

I do exercise her a lot, and play with her, and do training. We also mix up the exercising, sometimes we go to dog parks, doggy day care, and walk in different places. I don't leave her out when I leave, she always goes to her crate, and I always put music on or leave the TV on (I think it is just as important as putting her in the crate). However, her crate will not fit in my bedroom without blocking my closet or bathroom. I think I will try the "plug in thingys". I'll let you know how it goes. I hope this information helps with other suggestions as well.

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

Ah, the things that puppies put us through! Years ago, my chocolate labradoodle ATE a hole in my kitchen nook wall. Couldn't believe it... ended up that he smelled moisture in the wall and wanted to get to it. Saved me from having to remove mold from the inside of the house!

I too, think it's a bit of anxiety - sounds like Lola needs to really get worn out. Do you have any doggie daycare places in your area? Places like PetSmart are putting them in, and they popping up in places all over. A couple of days a week, leaving Lola there to play her heart out for a few hours (even 3 or 4 hours) will wear her out.

In the meantime, you might try draping a sheet over the crate, leaving the front open so she can see. It's more "cave" like, she'll feel less anxious, and if she has a bone to chew on, that might help. Good luck!

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Is there a possibility that she hears something in the wall? - squirrel??

[Ali]

I have no idea... I haven't heard anything.

[Ali]

Great Ideas! I will for sure put something up against the wall between the wall and her crate. I don't know how to do a web cam... so maybe I will look into that.

[Cam & Oski]

I've read that sometimes this is related anxiety alone & not necessarily lack of activity/not enough exercise. I agree with Tamara that it would be helpful to run this by a trainer because if anxiety is causing her to do this, it will be hard to manage on your own & they've probably seen it before/have strategies for helping her. Poor boo-boo. Hope this clears up soon for your guys!

[Adina P]

I'm guessing her crate is a wire crate, not necessarily an answer as to WHY she is doing this, but perhaps a plastic solid sided crate will help in the meantime.

Normally I would have thought anxiety...but she did this while you were HOME and asleep...sooooo...I dunno. Makes me think it was a fluke that she found to be FUN...but maybe NOT.
I'm no expert in anxiety, does she show ANY other evidence of anxiety that you can think of? Has she normally been totally cool in her crate thus far?

I think the wall is totally fixable without it being super expensive, we'll see if Clark has a chance to peek in and give his manly estimation of damages ;-)

I would do the best to 'manage' the situation so she can't REACH the wall. Either a plastic solid crate (Vari-Kennel variety) or an exercise pen AROUND her crate to keep the distance between her and the wall until you can figure out what is going on.

[Ali]

She has never shown any signs of separation anxiety since day one. She has never cried when I leave the house and she seems like she just woke up when I get home. I just started teaching her to go to her crate on her own when it is time for me to leave and she seems willing because she knows she gets a greenie treat. I leave music on, the fan, and a dim light. Nothing has really changed in my life. I am going to be leaving her for the first time in a few weeks for an interview and I am kind of worried about that, but I have also been a lot more anxious around her before. I am not sure what is going on. I am going to the pet store tomorrow to get that plug-in thingy to see if that works, as well as e-mail my trainer/behaviorist. She does LOVE digging, but I taught her the only appropriate place is in her bed and in the blanket in her crate. Do you think she dug so much and accidently started on the wall and then learned it was fun? This is so frustrating.

[ClarkP]

Lola... YOU STINKER!!! ;-)

I don't know why she did it but I can help you fix your wall.

From the hardware store:

• Tub of spackling compound
• Plastic putty knives - one 2-3" wide and another fairly wide one (6-8")
• Sandpaper or sponge sanding block
• Knockdown texture spray (Here's an example: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00176TPHK. You can find it at most home centers.)
• Drywall primer
• Touch-up paint (hopefully your apartment maintenance dudette has some because it is difficult to match colors exactly)

It will probably cost $25-30 for all the supplies if you can score some free touch up paint.

Here are my tips for getting your wall patched and looking like the wall around it. First of all, your wall is not smooth. It has a texture known as knockdown on it. So matching the texture will be the trickiest part. But you can do it. First we will patch the hole and make it flat. Then we will add the texture on top of the flat patched area.

• First clean the surface and follow manufacturer instructions on mixing/applying the spackle.
• Apply the compound using the broadknife spreader making sure you completely fill the scratches. This is one of those cases where more is not better, use just the amount needed to make the wall flat. Don't make a raised bump of spackle.
• Let it dry completely, then sand lightly, you want it to be smooth to the touch and "feathered" with the existing wall surface. What this means is that there are no "bumps or raised edges between the spackle and existing wall surface.
• If the gouges are deep you may need to repeat this process more than once.
• Once you have a flat wall, it's time to match the knockdown texture. It's called knockdown because the plaster is sprayed on with a texture sprayer, allowed to partially dry, then "knocked down" with a wide putty knife. This gives you the distinctive texture that still has a texture but is flattened on top. Make sense? So get your can of knockdown texture spray, follow the directions on the can and practice using it on some cardboard until you get the results like your wall.
• Once you are satisfied with the result, prime and then add a coat or two of paint.

You didn't know you would learn so much when you got Lola did you?

Have fun!
-Clark

[ClarkP]

And one more thing... if you fly Adina and I down to visit you and Lola, I'll do all of this repair work for you AND buy all the supplies!