Dogs making a bed out of sticks/palms/branches

Question
I rescued two lab/MUTT mixes earlier this spring - they are now about 5 months old.  They were spayed VERY young (about 5 weeks according to my vet) - crazy young!  They are gathing sticks, stripping my little palm tree and now stripping a bush and gathering the stuff in the middle of my backyard when I'm at work.  They have a ton of toys etc but are probably bored a bit.  Things I've read on the net seem to point to nesting (i.e. pregnancy) but this is impossible.  I have bought them each little beds, and then fancy beds which they ignore.  Any thoughts on how I can save my landscaping and get them to cut out the "trimming" of the hedges while I work.  Your help would be appreciated.


Answer

Hi Christina,

In multiple studies that have been done,  early spaying (and neutering) in puppies as young as 5 weeks old has been shown to be safe. It's not crazy at all! I can't begin to tell you how many "all expert" questions I receive from owners of female dogs telling me about their dog's "accidental" pregnancy after not having their dogs spayed before their first heat cycle. To many people getting their dog "fixed" is just not a priority, and adopting a puppy that's already been fixed prevents a world of trouble!

Your puppies plant trimming behavior probably stems from boredom than from any nesting behavior. Your puppies won't be having nesting behavior, they've been spayed at an early age. Before you leave your home in the morning, and when you return home in the evening, you need to take your puppies on a long walk or good run. At only 5 months old, they require plenty of exercise. Not getting enough exercise is the biggest reason for boredom behaviors.
Notice I said "take your puppies for a good walk",  letting your pups out in your yard is does NOT count as exercise.

Even though there are plenty of toys left out for them. If they're kept in the same area day in and day out it's not hard to imagine how it all can become old hat, over time.  Any area of your yard that you want to protect from your puppies need to be fenced off and protected. There isn't a way to train your pups to leave something alone, if you're not around to enforce the training. Interlocking garden fences come in many styles, you just stick it into the ground around your plantings, to protect them.  Here is an example of what I'm taking about:

http://www.taylorgifts.com/prodetail~itemno~27710~src~CJDATAFE.asp

http://www.discounttrainsonline.com/Scenic-Express-Building-Accessories-Resident...

You could also use plain chicken wire too. A trip to a local garden center or home store will probably yeild plenty of options.

Best of luck,
Patti