Eating

Question
I have a 1 year old Bichon and a 8 month old Westie that is eating anything they can get their mouth on. I came home today and they had eaten a big hole in a box that had puppy pads in it. They had pulled out all the puppy pads and they were just shred to pieces. Any suggestions on stopping this behavior?

Also, my Westie will not stop jumping on people. When we come home she wets the floor and she hurts you just jumping on you because she is so excited, help!!!

Answer
Sounds like they had themselves a party when nobody was around to rain on their parade! Seriously, both these dogs are still puppies (even though they may look grown up) and need to be kept so they can't get into trouble when they aren't supervised. Are they crate trained? Their behavior could be more than just annoying - if they eat electrical cords, or injest things which could cause potentially life-threatening blockages. The only time you are able to influence their behavior is when you are there to see it. If you fuss at them after the fact, they may act worried or "guilty" but they'll have no idea what you are unhappy about. If it happens often enough, they'll be worried about you coming home, because it means you will be unhappy.
The wetting the floor is called submissive urination, and isn't uncommon in puppies, especially females, when they are excited. Try to make coming and leaving less emotional. Ignore for a few minutes when you get in, and make your greetings either outside or an area where a little piddle isn't a big problem. If you don't make a big deal about it, most pups outgrow the problem. But the more attention you pay to it, the longer it may last.
I would get both pups in a good positive training class so they can start learning some self control. The best way to stop the jumping is to not reward it. Many people give attention to dogs who are jumping on them. Even if not petting them, using your hands to push them off or try to control them is "attention". Have someone hold the dog, or attach her to an immovable object. Walk towards her - if she jumps up, turn dramatically and walk away. Continue doing the approaches until she sits or keeps all four feet on the floor - then give her the attention she wants. If she gets excited and comes up, walk away again. Of course, if you get her in class and teach her some useful behaviors, you simply have to ask her to sit. It's not possible to sit and jump at the same time. Sandy Case MEd CPDT www.positiveycanine.com