Bella has been sooo bad lately

She seems to have developed separation anxiety!
She opened a packaged delivered from UPS that was within her reach on the floor in the foyer, then chewed open the interior box and then chewed the cord off the (super expensive) hair straightener (Christmas gift for DD) that was inside No pictures, I was too upset!

Last week I had the carpets cleaned and the lamp from the living room was in the foyer while the carpet dried. She has NEVER touched a lamp cord in the 2 years it has been in the living room. I came home to this:
Lamp:


Cord:

[gene]

Bella, Bella, Bella.....maybe a playmate would help. Didn't help me, but Dad keeps trying! Anytime you want to get together and tear something up...call me! Bella's Mom....Dad says I can't call you Linda.....even WE don't know why, it just happens!
Chews to ya
Jonah

[MaryH]

My Rufus is only 15 months old and I still can't let him have run of the house when I'm not home. I'm so afraid of what he's going to chew on or eat. I was hoping that by 2 years of age I would no longer have to use his pen. I'm curious also to hear from other owners also.

[DebBrown]

She seems to have a power cord fetish. That could be dangerous. I'm sorry about the lamp and the Christmas present. She had to have alot of perseverance to get through two boxes!

You may want to dog-proof other cords in your house. Can you use bitter apple spray or something similar? She could electrocute herself if she chews on a live cord.

Deb

[lmtoth2]

oh I'm sorry Linda!! I would suggest limiting her freedom when you aren't there...I know it stinks!!!

I know, I know! We just put all the gates away about 3 months ago. One was extra long and needed to be screwed into the wall...we just filled in the holes and painted the wall. Ugh, plus I hate to take away her freedom, she loves to look out the window or snuggle in 'her chair.'
Maybe I will put her in the bathroom with her bed in the morning when I leave?

[blueteal]

Linda I am sorry but it gave me a belly laugh as well.............

[lmtoth2]

Maybe I will put her in the bathroom with her bed in the morning when I leave?

I think that's a good idea...especially since her chewing has been on power cords.

[Dextersmommy]

Aw, I feel your pain (still haven't gotten my hundred bucks back yet ) But Dex can't blame separation anxiety, I was here when he did it! And he's sooooo not a chewer. Hasn't been crated in 6 months and has never touched a cord to anything, or anything else of value. Unless you count expensive bras and panties, and hundred dollar bills.

Do they get any late teeth? Just wondering what could start a chew fetish now, after being well behaved so long. Maybe she just needs to go with mama when mama leaves?

[lindamarie]

I had 2 dogs that never did anything destructive. One was my Bouvier and the other my Springer I just had put to sleep last week. I've been telling Bogie he has a lot to live up to.
My Weimeraner/Lab literally ripped my apartment carpet up from the front door to when his rear bumped into the TV. Until he died at 14, he would still bring a tissue from the wastebasket and drop it in the living room to let us know he was ticked about us leaving.
I hate having to go back to worrying and confining. It's like you said, you just get to trusting and now a setback..........I'm so sorry this happened.
Some silly thing triggers in their little brain and they're out to teaching us a lesson..........I won't be left alone!
LOL.............it took me 15 minutes to write this just now. Bogie is into everything at this moment........shoes.......computer cords etc.........wow! I guess he feels ignored.
The bathroom may work! You might want to try it tonight first to see how Bella reacts. I'd spray some bitter apple on the cabs though and anything else chewable for now..........It's a phase and will go away again in time. So sorry again about the gift and the cord. I know how you must feel.

[annabelles mom]

Originally Posted by Linda

Maybe I will put her in the bathroom with her bed in the morning when I leave?

I would make sure you tie your cabinet/doors drawers closed so she doesn't get bored and get into them

[MaxandMe]

omg and hate to say i giggled afterwards

no advice here as i don't any of my 3 doodles out when i am not home.

[MaryH]

So sorry to hear about your Springer. It hurts so much when we have to make that decision to let them go, but it would be much worse if we let them suffer. I had to make that same decision for our Sheltie, Lady, a couple of months ago. I dropped her off at the vet for x-rays to find out why she was still limping. We thought she had torn a ligamint behind her knee. The x-ray results showed that cancer was eating away at her bone. They also checked her lungs and found it had spread there as well. I could have taken her home with pain meds but it would only have gotten worse very quickly. My husband and I decided it was best to let her go now while she still wasn't in too much pain. I was with her to the end and it was very peaceful.

[annieG]

I too got a laugh from Bella's destruction, but just for a moment though. I notice that Tanner won't bother anything unless something is moved or something new is added.

We have found that anything new brought into the bedroom and put on the bed, new pillow, new blanket and new book from library and Tanner thinks it's fair game. Our first doodle tried to chew every cord that she found. We had to put special covering on all wires and cords. Tanner will go after boxes if they are put in the room. He knows there must be something hiding in there for him.

Hope this was just a one time thing with Bella.

[River Rat]

We had an Irish setter who would go on a tear when we left - as soon as we walked out the door. She didn't even allow time to get bored, and we know that because we'd walk to the car and come right back and the place would be a shambles already.

She also had a thing for electric cords and would chew on them peacefully and unobtrusively under the table while I sat drinking coffee above her. She even got shocked a few times and it didn't deter her.

Our vet, who was amazingly wise about behavior especially for that era (this was in the late 60's), told us to spend five minutes each a few times a day working on obedience commands to remind her who was in charge. I don't know whether it was that or simply maturity, but something worked and she became a dog we could trust with anything.

Still, I can imagine how disappointed you are in Bella! So sorry!

Leslie