dog with a taste for AG dolls

[wiccacat]

I've got a real problem with my large husky mix. There's something about the vinyl used in AGs that she just loves to chew. So far the only solution i've found is to lock them up which means i don't really get to enjoy them. They're not safe if they're on display. Last night i wanted to change a few outfits and she was right there the whole time drooling. Yelling at her doesn't work and if she gets her teeth on one it's dangerous to get it away from her. I've been bitten twice trying to rescue something from her. But otherwise she's a great dog and my best friend. Anyone have any dog training tips?

[GreyMyst]

I just put my girls up on the shelf where the dog can't reach. Our dog is a Chihuahua, so that's no big deal (4 feet up is well out of it's reach) but I could see where it would be a problem with a bigger dog.

[Samanthasmom]

Sounnds to me like she is in some need of training classes... I think if everytime you sit down with the dogs you keep a busy bone or something of that nature with you and each time she approaches the doll you sternly say NO and hand her her bone. You have to teach her the dolls are off limits.. Id be quite careful of her since she bit you she will bite anyone if they have something she wants.. Perhaps a little time in a Kennel and with a dog trainer would do her good!!

[judiaci]

My dog hasn't bothered the dolls, but she did chew up 2 Posie the Lambs. [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img] We keep the dolls on the floor in scenes, but Posie we have to keep up on a dresser out of her reach.

I think training is an excellent idea. Does your dog play with vinyl toys? Maybe you should only give your dog soft furry type toys and chew toys that are not vinyl like in consistancy so she doesn't associate vinyl with playing/chewing. I have a empty water bottle filled with coins. When my dog is doing something bad, I shake it. She stops immediately. I don't have to do this very often anymore. When she was a puppy, I would toss the shaking bottle near her and she hated that. It stopped her in her tracks.

[kitschywoman]

Two of the best commands I ever taught my dog were "leave it" and "drop it." Having said that, poor Rascal has been through the wash twice because the cats bat him onto the floor where the dog thinks he's a toy. Our giving him stuffed toys with squeakers in it doesn't help matters any. [img]redface.gif[/img]

[wiccacat]

Thanks for the replys. I have 2 dogs and the smaller one isn't at all aggressive. she will steal things (mainly clothes or food) but will drop it if you tell her to. The problem dog will guard anything she gets and will bite hard enough to do real damage. For a while i could get her to drop something with distraction (want to go for a walk) but she's on to me now. Nothing will get her to drop a doll and if you want it back you're gonna bleed.

[judiaci]

Maybe you should get some advise from your vet. That dog sounds like he thinks he is the top dog and you need to show him somehow that you are the "top dog" in the pack.

[AvalonsBlueRose]

Wiccacat, I think the real problem here is aggressive behaviour and the dog not knowing his place in the pack. We had this problem at first with our latest rescue, a year old Beagle. Now, almost a year later, he will drop things for anyone. You have to let them know that growling and biting is absolutely never acceptable. I would suggest looking for a good dog trainer, talk to your vet, or at the very least find a dog forum that can point you to some good books.

As for keeping him away from the dolls...you need a penny can. It's a simple as it sounds..take an empty pop can and put about twenty pennies in it. If you can sneak up on him and shake it directly behind him, it will give him something to think about.

And of course, it's always best to keep valuable objects out of the dog's reach. In our house, we have two "fur free" rooms...my mother's formal living room, which holds many Native American artifacts and art pieces, plus her porcelain dolls and Boyds bears...and then there's my sewing room/office/doll room, which holds all my dolls, plus my crafting and shipping supplies, material, sewing and embroidering machines and after this weekend my computer. That has helped so much and is really a relief to have some areas that we KNOW something will be safe in!