my dog repeated behavior

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have a 8yr old cocker spaniel, male, he is constantly misbehaving like ripping open bins, pinching food any chance he gets. We also have a tiny hole in our back garden fence which he is constantly trying to escape from. He also will run  out the front door with any chance he gets. He is a lovely friendly dog and he is well looked after with plenty of love. We are unsure of how to stop this behavior which has been going on for many years and still he hasnt lernt whats wrong. Any suggestions? Many thanks.

ANSWER: Hi, Jason,

Thanks for the question.

I'm not sure I can answer it thoroughly without a bit more information, though. How much hard vigorous playful exercise does your dog get every day? I'm particularly interested in games that stimulate and satisfy his hunting instincts. All the behaviors you describe (or misbehaviors) trace back to the need to hunt, even the scavenging. Do you ever play fetch and tug with him outdoors? Have you done any obedience training with him? If so what kind? Do you ever scold, reprimand, or punish the dog? Does he ever get a chance to play wholeheartedly with other dogs on a regular basis? Also, you say he gets plenty of love. Does that mean he gets a lot of physical affection? Because dogs need a lot more playtime than cuddle time in order to be happy and not get into "trouble."

I look forward to hearing back from you.

LCK



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: He is walked once a day and has a good run around in a field with our other dog (2 year old german shepard)We do not play fetch with him as he doesnt bring back the ball or toy! he does like to play tug on ropes however we rarely play this. when he was a pup we took him to training classes and he did stop the chewing etc. however he still did have the need to run away any chance he got. When i say he gets plenty of love i mean in the evenings he will be stroked for hours and groomed and he gets alot of attention through the day too. When he was younger if he ran out of the house he would run to a house at the other end of town where they had a female dog, then we got him neutered and the escaping calmed down a fair bit.   

many thanks

Answer
Hi again.

It sounds like the "wanderlust" may have started when there was a bitch in heat living nearby (dogs have very sensitive noses, so the other end of town isn't that far away). In my view the reason it's persisted is that the dog isn't getting enough satisfaction of his hunting instincts through games like fetch and tug.

I'd recommend you give him more hard vigorous playful exercise, less physical affection, particularly at moments when he "pesters" you for it. Try ignoring him completely when he asks to be petted. If he keeps trying, you have to keep ignoring him. If he's doing it because he wants you to help him get rid of some feeling of inner tension or anxiety, and you keep ignoring him, sooner or later he'll go grab a toy instead. If there's no inner tension, or very little (there's always some), he'll just lie down for a nap. This is important.

I'd also recommend that you not scold, reprimand, or punish the dog for anything. His basic problem, as I see it, is that he doesn't feel like his real doggie needs (for spending his time outdoors hunting with you and your shepherd) are not being met at home, so he needs to express what his instincts are telling him to do through these problem behaviors. The more you can stimulate and satisfy his real needs (physical affection is a real need, but it should be lower on the list than it is currently) the more he'll feel like being where you are instead of trying to run off. If you have a crate it wouldn't be a bad idea to crate him when you can't supervise his behavior at home. For example, if he's in his own little "den" he won't be able to get into the garbage.

Fix the hole in the garden fence, of course. And spend time playing with him every day. Since he won't play fetch (very well), see if you can get him to chase YOU around the garden. Zig-zag, change directions suddenly, fake left, go right, etc., the way a footballer would try to outmanuever his opponent. Once the dog is stimulated by chasing you, let him grab hold of a bandana or old sock, and play a good hard game of tug. The rules are:

Always use something less substantial than a rope or rubber tug toy.
Always let the dog win.
Always praise him enthusiastically for winning.
Always quit before he gets tired or bored with the game.

Chasing you will always tend to make him more interested in playing.

He's had nearly 8 years of running wild, without being under your control, so you're going to have to really work at changing his behavioral tendencies or it'll only get worse, or at best, stay the same.

I hope this helps,

LCK