Whloz Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 I Have a 7 month old border collie puppy and everyday I come home from work and I see my garden totally destroyed and ruined. I even fenced my garden (about 4 feet tall) and by bc puppy will either jump over it or dig a hole whole next to it. Then I tried to make a net connecting the my actual fence and the mini fence, but he ended up breaking it anyway. :'( Please help! I don't know how to keep my bc out of my garden. I excerise him regularly, but when I'm not at home I levae his doggydoor open so he can go in and out of the house, Any advice is appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 Welcome! The very first thought I had was simply to not give your dog access to your garden by keeping the doggie door shut. It sounds like your youngster is simply bored, has found this to be a rewarding bit of fun and activity, and is not going to stop doing this even if you place a barrier (more fun!) in his way. A youngster, alone and on his own for the day, is often going to find his own fun and you probably won't like it, as you have found out. But the first really practical thing I would suggest is that you confine your pup while you are gone. While many people might not agree, crating is an option for many of us who have to leave dogs, especially youngsters, during the workday or other occasions. Crating provides an animal with a safe, confined, den-like environment and keeps a house and furnishings safe while you are gone and not able to supervise. You can give him things to do in the crate, like a stuffed Kong or safe chew toys. There are a lot of topics on these boards about crate training. Crate training is also valuable for travel, trips to the vet, emergency preparedness, rest and recuperation from injury or illness, and so on, and for many reasons is a wise thing to do even when you don't have to use a crate with any regularity. Additionally, you may wish to train a command, like "out of the garden", for when you are home to develop a sense that your pup is not to go in the garden. That may take a while since this has been a habit for a while. This is pretty straightforward - you are not there so you can't enforce keeping him out of the garden, so you need to set up a safe situation like a crate (or confinement to a safe room, but I don't think I'd risk that because he could still do damage). I am sure others will chime in with good advice. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whloz Posted April 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2013 Thank you so much! I was thinking of crating him, but leaving him in a crate for hours will make him SUPER hyper when I take him out for walks. He knows heel, but he won't do it unless I have a treat with me. :'( I leave my doggie door open just incase it gets too hot outside or too cold, but I will try locking it tmr before I leave for work! Thanks Sue! -Vicky Welcome! The very first thought I had was simply to not give your dog access to your garden by keeping the doggie door shut. It sounds like your youngster is simply bored, has found this to be a rewarding bit of fun and activity, and is not going to stop doing this even if you place a barrier (more fun!) in his way. A youngster, alone and on his own for the day, is often going to find his own fun and you probably won't like it, as you have found out. But the first really practical thing I would suggest is that you confine your pup while you are gone. While many people might not agree, crating is an option for many of us who have to leave dogs, especially youngsters, during the workday or other occasions. Crating provides an animal with a safe, confined, den-like environment and keeps a house and furnishings safe while you are gone and not able to supervise. You can give him things to do in the crate, like a stuffed Kong or safe chew toys. There are a lot of topics on these boards about crate training. Crate training is also valuable for travel, trips to the vet, emergency preparedness, rest and recuperation from injury or illness, and so on, and for many reasons is a wise thing to do even when you don't have to use a crate with any regularity. Additionally, you may wish to train a command, like "out of the garden", for when you are home to develop a sense that your pup is not to go in the garden. That may take a while since this has been a habit for a while. This is pretty straightforward - you are not there so you can't enforce keeping him out of the garden, so you need to set up a safe situation like a crate (or confinement to a safe room, but I don't think I'd risk that because he could still do damage). I am sure others will chime in with good advice. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted April 18, 2013 Report Share Posted April 18, 2013 Crate-training is a matter of training and adjustment, and while he might be extra-excited initially, he should become accustomed to his quiet time and your return. Make sure your return is quiet and peaceful to avoid encouraging rowdy behavior. When we get home, we do not even go first to the dog crates. We spend a minute or a few minutes getting settled in the house before we quietly let the dogs out and take them out to potty. A lot of what a dog "does" is based on what a dog "expects" - you walk a dog for three hours a day, he's going to need three hours of walking a day. You ramp a dog up every day in a certain way, he's going to ramp up every day in a certain way. A lot of what happens is based on what you make happen - or at least how you affect his personality and needs and wants. Some dogs make an adjustment very quickly and others take longer. Good luck with this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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