Destructive Behavior

[Erin]

I'm looking for a little advice or recommendations for our situation.  Hershey is well-behaved for the most part.  She's about two and a half years old.  We're progressing on the walking without pulling, she knows commands, doesn't jump on people, generally laid back, things are good...

However, in the past few months, she's started to get into stuff.  She's not alone much of the time.   My husband works from home, so he's around most everyday.  She never exhibits any anxious behavior when we are leaving her.  However, when we go out,  about 30% of the time, she'll finds something to destroy!  She always does it right in front of the door, like she wants us to see it first thing when we comes home. 

We try really really hard to keep things up off the floor.  We shut all the 2nd floor doors.  She doesn't chew on furniture, walls, etc.  She never grabs thing when we're home with her, but in the past 2 months, she's eaten two bags of rolls off the counter (shredding the plastic bag), a bunch of strawberry bits from the compost bin on my counter top, shredded a baseball cap, and several pieces of paper that were on a book shelf, and my phone charger (unplugged, on the floor next to the outlet).  All items were brought directly in front of the front door!  Oh and the Ghiradelli chocolate which many of you remember...

Is she acting out for attention?  We never yell at her or anything when we come home and find her "suprise" - beyond exasperating, "Ugh, Hershey..."  and cleaning it up...  Anybody deal with this before?  She seems to understand the difference between Her Stuff and OUR Stuff.  She has plenty of her toys about the floor when we are gone, but something needs to find something of OUR's to display in tiny tiny pieces at the door. 

[Laura & Chewie]

I really don't know, but would guess it is her way of telling you she didn't like that you left her. My only suggestion would be to make sure there is nothing dangerous or valuable within her reach when you leave. She's definitely telling you something. Aren't they so smart!

[BG and Gavin]

Do you give her something to do when you leave? For example a Kong frozen with kibble and peanut butter, cheese spread or canned dog food inside? Also a treat ball that she can roll around and get treats from to tire her out and keep her mind occupied? Just two things we do with our guy. Also we give him a good walk in the morning before we leave so that he is in "recovery phase" when we put him away and he sleeps when we are gone. Good luck!

[Debbie and Thomas]

Terrible Two's? You say it started just a few months ago so it sounds like just another phase. I can hardly wait! Our doodle Thomas steels our dishcloth (J cloth) every night(unless it is hidden) after or during dinner and shreds it aprt on the floor. He KNOWS this is bad behaviour yet he continues to do it. I keep forgetting and leave the cloth near the edge of the counter...so my husband says it is my fault...the nerve of him. LOL He even gets it when it is in the sink. What is a doodle mother to do?

[Missi]

Lizzie did this on valentine's day and chewed up a matching pair of shoes from my closet after months of not destroying anything. (Actually, she had only ever chewed a few things before this, including puppyhood!) She hid as soon as we got home, so she knew she messed up. So first I beat her with the shoe parts.

Just kidding.

We still had her kennel set up, so she got kennel duty for 2 weeks when we were not home. I also realized that Lizzie is used to getting lots of exercise, and since the weather had been so bad, she had been cooped up in the house for a while. We consciously tried to get her more exercise and interactions when we were home. Then we got Marley, so by the end of the days now, she is exhausted!
Marley gets kenneled still, since when they are both out they tend to egg each other on to misbehave. When Marley is kenneled, Lizzie just sleeps next to the kennel until we get home and let him out! It's kinda cute.

So my suggestions: Exercise!! Bored doodles get into trouble. Also keep everything up, but this gets exhausting, I realize. And if you did crate train, maybe go back to it for a short while, or if not, confine her to a bathroom or small dog-proof area for a little while until you build up that trust again. And my favorite solution, hey it worked great for me, get a second doodle! hahaha

She just loves you so much, she never wants you to leave!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Guinness always hangs out by the front door when we're gone....I think he's "guarding the house" and also waiting for us to come home. I've heard that many of the Doodles do this as well. So it may just be that is where Hershey is spending his time when you're gone, not really that she wants to display something for you to see when you get home. That would be some pretty complex thinking. I really think it's a lot to expect them to be able to resist things like the rolls on the counter or the phone charger right on the floor, especially since she's only two. I'd either try to move the "tempting" items where she can't get them or try to restrict her to one "doggie proofed" area. Good luck.

[shelly]

I'd love to say that she's so mad, she's doing it on spite... but we ALL KNOW they don't have the ability to do that.... but do they??? I think that Jane is on to something... I too think that Hershey is just hanging out by the door waiting. Is that "the spot" that she goes to with treats or a favorite toy? I know Tori has a "spot" that she trots to to hang out or eat a treat. She too is a grabber/destroyer at times still at 2...... but she's not as smart as Hershey.. she does it right in front of us and so happily as she trots right by us as if to say, "I have something I shouldn't, and dashes under the dining room table. Silly doodles - Good luck

[Lynda Kamrath]

We had a very smart and super well-behaved miniature poodle who would trash the house if we ever left him at home on Saturday morning. Somehow he knew that Saturday was his day. He would be home all week with the cat and rabbit and never destroyed things, but Saturday...that was something else. He would open the doors under the sink, take out the trash can and throw it all over the kitchen. Even if he just went along and stayed in the car while we ran errands, that was enough for him.
I think your dog does want you to see her mess when you come home. Our dogs only destroy their toys that I have never discouraged them from doing. When they were younger, if we saw something in their mouths that they should not have, we just took it away and replaced it with one of their toys. When a toy is torn up, we just pick up (usually the stuffing) and deposit it in the trash can. We have gone through lots of toys but they never bother our things. Our older dog carries stuffed toys around like his babies and usually sleeps with one. The younger dog still tears up toys.
Yes, I think she is giving you a message. Maybe leave her in a contained area (not the kitchen) when she is left home alone. Start with short periods of time and work up to longer times.

[Anna and Achilles]

My other doodle Houdini did this around the same age. Whenever we were going to go out for any length of time we always made sure we took him for a long walk right before we were scheduled to leave. He was tired and all he did while we were out was sleep. He eventually out grew it. I hope this helps. Good luck!

[Linda and Murphy]

Murphy has done this. He is home alone while I am at work and everything is fine. BUT, if I come home and leave to go out again, he is not a happy camper.
I have a bag that I use for his agility classes with his "stuff" in it which included several packs of unopened treats. It had been there for a week, untouched. I came home from work and left shortly afterward for a meeting. When I got back, ALL of the treat bags open and shredded right in front of his crate. No treats left.
And I better not leave him home on Saturday morning.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

Let's see I have had 3 pairs of my favorite shoes ruined, 2 cabon filters for the fish tank, 25 pencils, a package of paper plates, my cordless phone headset for work, magazines, iPod charger, hhhmmmm I know I am forgetting many, many more and the kicker ALL of these but the shoes were put up! She is a counter surfer and now I have discovered a kitchen table surfer, end table surfer, lets see what else...... I am REALLY FORTUNATE that Hunter is a distroyer and not an eater - she will tear things apart and throw them around but she does not eat anything that is not food. I have a friend with a Golden Retreiver that will eat anything that she can get a hold of and that is sooooo dangerous. Oh I forgot my wallet including my debit card and 34 in cash all torn up - not missing any pieces though! I also work from home and I am with Hunter 90 percent of every day. One thing I have really noticed is if I leave the house for a short or long time she is fine BUT if I leave the second time in one day she gets into something and I think its because she is being left. I make sure that when I do leave she gets something to entertain herself with and if I leave a second time I up the anty for something better than the first time and it really makes a huge difference. She knows to when we come in and she has gotten into something that she shouldn't have because she INSTANTLY looks guilty and goes and lays down LOL

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

In my opinion Hershey is just being a dog. She chooses things that smell like you or are food. I really don't leave dogs to roam in my house until they are past about seven or so. Just too risky that they will chew up or swallow something harmful. My doods can get up on any surface in the house if they choose to do so. They don't do it when I am home, but are certainly able to do so. They can also open some closed cabinets whose hinges are less tight, again, not if I am ther watching. I would confine Hershey to a "safe aread'.In many homes that is the laundry room or bathrrom.

Good Luck