New Puppy - Shredding Newspaper Plse Help!!

Princess Aries

Hi All. Just recently got a shih tzu puppy. He is thirteen weeks old and from the get go was generaly very quick to learn I only had him a few days and he was already peeing on paper sitting on command and staying. I was off work for the first three weeks of him arriving and spent time training him etc. but one thing he started doing is shredding the newspaper I leave down for him. we tried puppy training pads in the training tray and he started laying in it and we took the pads out and left them down without the tray and he chewed at these also, these have a gel inside them so we didnt think this was safe for him so reverted back to paper. he pee's out the back when we are here but we have to leave something down for when we are not here. when im home if I leave the room for a while I hear him russtling at the paper. I have someone to come around and walk and feed him daily when I am out but when I get home the paper again is ripped all around the kitchen. I was wondering if anybody has any information on this type of behaivior as he doesnt tear at anything else even if we leave clothes on chairs on on the radiators to dry he doesnt touch them it only seems to be the newspaper . hope you can help
thanks

peasant

He's bored ...ripping paper is fun.

Unless you're there to prevent it, there's not a lot you can do other than count yourself lucky that it's only old newspaper

andreac

Its normal behaviour for any dog, puppy or adult. My adult dog would rip paper to shreds if he gets the chance as its fun, so you are not going to to stop this when you arent around.

You can only discourage it when you are around, but chances are he will still do it when you arent around to stop him im afraid.

coffee_cake

Princess Aries wrote: »

I was wondering if anybody has any information on this type of behaivior

Yep - he's only a baby!
Give him some chewy toys to play with instead

boxerly

awwwww the likkle bambino is playing could be worse,could be remotes,phones,best runners,doors etc.Tesco are selling off dog toys for 1.25 at the minute.I got some yesterday.They have likkle rugby balls,small kongs,and balls on a rope for them to drag around.

LucyBliss

Oh, most pups just love to rip paper! I used to get a kick out of watching mine do it. They'd be yelping and having a grand old time...and ignoring the toys I'd spent good money on! I used to give them a sheet of paper to have fun with. They'd get tired and fall asleep and I'd tidy up.

It's not everyone's way of handling it, but I was my grandmother's carer at the time. By the time, I'd have taken care of her needs, torn paper was the least of my problems! ;-)

Casey_81

My dog used to shred her puppy training pads too, occurred around the time that she stopped needing them.. crate training all the way btw, will save you a lot of hardship

mymo

Yep, you have puppy having fun there.
I once made the mistake of leaving the paper for recycling in the kitchen with the dogs (1 year and 3 months) and came home to find it looked like it had snowed in my kitchen:D

This was after about 2 mins alone at the age of 3 months or so, I only went to put the kettle on!


And the crate training is great, has been a godsend for my two. highly recommend it, helps with toilet training too.

Chris_Heilong

Maybe leave some extra paper for him to rip up that way maybe he will leave the original paper alone, pups and also adult dogs are destructive when bored and it may last for months to come, generally dogs start to calm down after the age of 2 years and by that time should definitely know all the rules of the house and what he is aloud destroy and not destroy. Good luck.

Whispered

boxerly wrote: »

.Tesco are selling off dog toys for 1.25 at the minute.I got some yesterday.

Trip to tesco tomorrow so!

My dog LOVES cardboard boxes. You know when you come in with shopping in a box, he dives around the kitchen in excitement. Oh and the inserts from wrapping paper, tin foil etc. He loves them. He's not a pup - he just never grew out of it.

mymo

Off to tesco now too:D
My dogs also love a cardboard box, its so funny, we had a big box here and my daughter put a ball in it, the result was noisy and messy but so much fun!
One dog inside, one outside, lots of jumping on each other, the cat even joined in poking the dogs through the holes.:D

Honestly if its the worst damage done, you'll be getting off lightly. One of mine "fetched" my glasses for me one day when I was getting ready to go out, he then tripped on the stairs and broke them, I'd had them 3 days.

I have treat balls I leave their food in, they have to roll them around to get the food out, it keeps them busy for quite a while, between those and the kongs, my two have been very good and done no damage (except to boxes and papers).

Princess Aries

Hi all,

Thanks for all your replies!! Thats a relief so, its normal behaviour.. I was a tad worried about him chewing all that paper but if your dogs are ok its not doing him any harm! I dont mind cleaning up the kitchen when I get in altho it is a pain but as you say just a game to him..

With regard to the chewtoys and stuffed Kongs he has them all!! I must have every chewtoy on the market, spoiled rotten he is.. I give him two stuffed kongs with some of his food and then another Kong puppy bone with Kong biccies in it every morning before I leave for work, I hide them around the kitchen so he hunts them out during the day.. I have a girl that comes in at lunchtime to walk and feed him and the paper ripping seems to be after she leaves so obviously hes still full of beans and having a play!

Myma thanks for the pic, I laughed my head off, he looks as if hes saying Look what I did for you!!! are you proud??!!!

Oh just one other little question, my boy keeps "humping" his bed that we have in the sitting room, hes only allowed in here in the evening time and confined to the kitchen during day - makes the training easier! Anywho its just one of them Shnug beds, i got it in Dunnes but he throws his leg over the side and goes at it like 90, I think its hilarious looking but surely he wouldnt have "those feelings" yet?? How old are male dogs when they start feeling "frisky"?? :D

andreac

To be honest, i wouldnt be encouraging that behaviour. I would correct him when he does it or it could become a bigger problem if he decides to start humping people so just make sure you dont allow him to do it.

They can start that sort of behaviour anytime really, but i would say its not really a sexual beahviour if hes doing at 3 months.A lot of dogs hump their beds, toys etc but as i said, def dont allow him or encourage it if at all possible.

LucyBliss

I don't encourage the humping behaviour either. One of mine in particular is prone to it more than the others so I usually tell him to stop and redirect his attention with a toy. It can become a dominance thing and it's best that it's nipped in the bud.

Princess Aries

Great guys thanks again will keep an eye on the "humping" and redirect him to toys or tell him to stop..

Hard work are puppies but I love the little guy and hes work every bit of it

mikemac

As you know it's pretty normal

You have to rush to get the post in our house or the golden retrievers will have the letters ripped to shreds if he finds them on the ground by the letter box

Though one day he ripped the Eircom bill and the ESB bill to shreds and left all the other post alone.
Clever dog, doesn't like bills

As for humping, when I was younger and kicking a football around the lawn it often went under the hedge so I'd crawl under to get it. Once the dog saw me crawling he'd hop on me :eek:
He was always at it no matter how often I shouted or pushed him off. Not good for a child to put up with, must have been some sort of dominance thing

Tranceypoo

feelingstressed, we had this problem many years ago with our dog at the time, chewing all the post, we ended up putting a sort of wire basket round the letterbox so it caught all the post and chewy mcchewer couldn't get them (he was very annoyed with us)

Graces7

LucyBliss wrote: »

I don't encourage the humping behaviour either. One of mine in particular is prone to it more than the others so I usually tell him to stop and redirect his attention with a toy. It can become a dominance thing and it's best that it's nipped in the bud.

Humping is interesting. Our wee dog has started to "hump" the collie; both female and in this case it is definitely a dominance issue. It seems to go in phases; maybe the moon..;) Gaps of weeks then once again.

BengaLover

Get him a pigs ear..chewing on that for a few hours should tire him out,,:D:D