dog help!!!

so i have a pit/staffordshire probably something else too named braylee and for some reason she is really into pulling up my new sod and shredding it up. i got the sod a month ago and one corner is not doing the best as far as roots growing. doesnt help that she pulls the whole 8sqft section then makes it look like swiss cheese. she has dug at another spot which isnt horrible. i know its not poop but i tried rubbing her nose in it, pouring a little ammonia on the corner about a foot away the grass to try and keep her away, and last just tried punishing her every time i caught her. i would do so by putting her in the garage with lights off. i dont get to walk her a whole lot but im thinking its a restless thing. she also has plenty of kongs, balls, rope, and other toys to play with. she even gets into the recycle bin and makes toys out of the cans.

another question is 6 months to old to kennel train? im thinking that has to be the only option while we are away from the house.

thanx for the help guys

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f3...y/1d3b2a97.jpg

You mentioned she has plenty of toys. Might want to try redirection next time catch her tearing up the yard with a chew that is acceptable for her to chew on. Will take multiple times!

As far as kennel training, I'm a firm believer. 6 months is not to old. I got my Saint when he was 1 and started with the kennel on day 1. It gives them their own personal space. Only took about a month and right before I would leave for work my Saint would have already went in and laid down.

Pups are crazy work, but well worth the work!

Good luck!

I have spent the last 10 year with pitbulls. I have trained 3 from pups and retrained 2 older ones.
Sounds like it is a phase, I call it the demolition phase, that every pit goes through.
Takes a few motnhs to get over the behavior. Just as you have tried a few things
in my experience, stay with the particular dicipline and also dont forget about praise
when they do something right.
Honestly sometimes with pits, Id get out a belt and swap the ever living snot out of their ass.
This is when all else fails and they do the bad habit etc in front of you. Only had
to do it a couple times. Pits are easy to train and just keep working with him.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gonz13

another question is 6 months to old to kennel train? im thinking that has to be the only option while we are away from the house.

thanx for the help guys

---

6 months is not to old to crate train. Just have to keep at it. One of my pits howled
the entire time we would leave him in his crate. I mean seriously gone for 8 hours and 8 hours of howling, neighbors could hear him howling
the entire time. Sufficient to say that after a month of attempting, he broke us of crate training. He was a mix of something, so that is my excuse for failing [ROFL1]

Sprinkle cayan pepper on the grasss. That will keep the dog from digging. Worked on my boxer. She digs like crazy.

I don't know sh*t about pits, but if this was a herding dog I say he was board. Take him for a run, get him tired out so he isn't looking for something to do, that turns into something destructive.

My dogs did this as well. Just a phase. I just told them "no" when I caught them. Fixed the grass and put chicken wire over it. Eventually the got the point.

For chewing find the hottest red sauce and put it where you don't want them chewing (my dads liked woodwork and it took care of that real quick).

Exercise her! Pits need to be physically challenged, my boy's behavior made exponential improvements when I incorporated good, solid exercise in his DAILY routine. A backyard full of toys is NOT sufficient for any dog. Walk her at least 1/2 hour every day, you shouldn't take her for runs till she's about 2 I believe. Mine absolutely LOVES his kong toy. I take that to the park after a bit of a walk and he fetches the kong like a tennis ball. He can chew all day long on it and has only worked one section off in about a year or so. He loves the way it takes a weird bounce and he can never predict which way it will go.

Its already been said - but again - EXERCISE!

I take her on a walk maybe 2-3 a week I now it's not enough but the hard thing I leave for work at 430am and don't get home till shy of 6pm. By that time she's already done work on the yard. I hate to put her in a kennel now that she's used to being outside

You own a puppy and not spending time? Has anyone mentioned EXERCISE??
Dogs don't train themself. you need to be there and work them. If you don't do it now, i wager within 6 months you'll be trying to adopt her out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gonz13

I take her on a walk maybe 2-3 a week I now it's not enough but the hard thing I leave for work at 430am and don't get home till shy of 6pm. By that time she's already done work on the yard. I hate to put her in a kennel now that she's used to being outside

---

Gonna have to start with every evening. Maybe incoporate that into your nightly relaxing time.
Walks can be very relaxing!!!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jim

You own a puppy and not spending time? Has anyone mentioned EXERCISE??
Dogs don't train themself. you need to be there and work them. If you don't do it now, i wager within 6 months you'll be trying to adopt her out.

---

Damn now I'm a bad person. [Coffee]

Either way. They do get walked and plenty of fetch in the back yard. I'm thinking being a puppy she's really attached. I step outside to get mail or go to the bathroom and she's by my side. Hope she just misses me!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gonz13

Damn now I'm a bad person. [Coffee]

Either way. They do get walked and plenty of fetch in the back yard. I'm thinking being a puppy she's really attached. I step outside to get mail or go to the bathroom and she's by my side. Hope she just misses me!

---

I plan on my puppy being asleep before he gets home. I'm bringing him into the office to be babysat and socialized and worn out.. Oh yes.. It's all planned out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gonz13

Damn now I'm a bad person. [Coffee]

Either way. They do get walked and plenty of fetch in the back yard. I'm thinking being a puppy she's really attached. I step outside to get mail or go to the bathroom and she's by my side. Hope she just misses me!

---

Not that you're a bad person but not attentive enough to train and work your dog.
I had to do a double take on your name. For a minute it thought this was one of ronin's post.[Beer]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jim

Not that you're a bad person but not attentive enough to train and work your dog.
I had to do a double take on your name. For a minute it thought this was one of ronin's post.[Beer]

---

Lol i was joking. I wish I could take her to pt with me. That way she be tired and lacking of sleep like me[ROFL3]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gonz13

so i have a pit/staffordshire probably something else too ...

... i dont get to walk her a whole lot but im thinking its a restless thing.

---

Yep. 100%. That's a dog with more energy than outlet for the energy.

Got a bicycle? Put her on a leash, ride your bike, let her trot/jog/run beside.

Get her good and tired. Then kennel her (no, 6 months is NOT too old.)

To help the kennel thing: Let her skip a meal or two, get good and hungry. Stuff a Kong ball with some raw ground beef, then throw it in the freezer. Get her tired on the bike, let her hydrate after, and then into the crate. Throw the stuffed Kong in the crate, and soon she associates "Exercise = energy release. Energy release = rest in kennel. Resting in kennel = RAW MEAT! MY FAVORITE!!!!11eleventy!1"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gonz13

I take her on a walk maybe 2-3 a week I now it's not enough but the hard thing I leave for work at 430am and don't get home till shy of 6pm. By that time she's already done work on the yard. I hate to put her in a kennel now that she's used to being outside

---

1. I know it's hard, but, honestly, dude, you signed up for this when you got a young, high energy dog. Get a 12 year old Bassett Hound, you won't have this problem.

2. Why would you hate to put her in a kennel? Do you think the dog knows a difference? The only... ONLY difference between a kennel and a fenced in yard is the SIZE. To a dog, a fenced yard is nothing more than one big damn kennel. She STILL wants to go WALK, and explore, and see (well, sniff) the world. That's what she's missing. That's what fixes this. Exercise OUTSIDE of the yard.

(Owner of, at various times, a Kelpie, a Huntaway, two Huskies, a Flat Coat Retriever, and a Basset Hound. And one cat that doesn't like me anymore.)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gonz13

"...another question is 6 months to old to kennel train?

---

Already answered but FWIW...no...I have a hard-headed Beagle rescue that we trained later in life, she does great and frankly, she likes her kennel so much she uses it as a "private space to retreat to" quite often. When we leave the house the Beagle "Kennels up" without exception, she can be a little s*** just because so that's the way it is.

Can't speak to your mix though, unsure what it will take to be effective.

Common-sense PSA side note but what the Hell: If you leave em' in the house confined ensure you have notices for emergency services visible on the structure, that you have instructions in your car denoting pets locked away so should the worst happen, somebody can retrieve the animals pre dehydration / starvation and that you even consider a similar note on your person (wallet, purse, etc.). Should the owners become incapacited or dead, someone needs to go after the animal(s) in your absence.