bad behaviors

Question
I have a yorkie/snauzer mix,he's about 7mths old. i keep him enclosed with a gate in the kitchen during the night and when i'm at school. he has found ways to escape, then he gets out he gets into things, he chews and bites things. do you have any suggestions to contain him in the kitchen?

Answer

Hi Yusef,

Giving your puppy some intense exercise just before you leave your house to go to school is probably the best way of using some of his boundless energy. You want to leave behind a panting, heaving, utterly exhausted dog as you set off for the day.

Rather than a child-gate (if that's what you've been using) there are gates actually made to contain dogs. These might be stronger than the gate you're currently using. You can see examples of these dog gates here: http://www.petstreetmall.com/pet-gates.aspx

There are indoor dog pens you could try, such as this:
http://www.allpetfurniture.com/asp/superbrowse.asp?clid=1008&caid=&sku=IRI1036&r...

Another option is to use a dog crate. If your dog isn't already crate trained, this method of containment might take some time for him to adjust to. You can read about crate training here:

ttp://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/crate_training.html

When you leave your puppy, make sure he has something to do, so he doesn't feel the need to break out of the kitchen. Your puppy should have a variety of interesting toys that you only leave out when you leave him alone. Rotate which toys you leave out, so they stay exciting and interesting. When you come back home, put these toys away, if your dog always have access to them they'll loose their "specialness". A Kong toy stuffed with treats or his regular kibble, laced with peanut butter or spray cheese will be time consuming, and provide your puppy with mental stimulation, as he works to get out the treats. Better still - freeze the food-filled toy for a more sustained action.

In the wild, domestic dogs' cousins occupied themselves for quite a while each day in search of food, yet our pet dogs have their meals simply appear. Where's the fun in that? They eat; they're done; what's next? One way of providing your puppy with some mental stimulation is to make him work for his food by hiding it in some not-so-easily-accessible locations. For example, small piles of kibble can be hidden around the kitchen so that your puppy has to work to find it. This may sound unkind but it gives your puppy a something interesting to do when you're gone.

Best of luck,

Patti