Min Pin owners?

[horseshowmom]

I adopted a MinPin back in August and, after a lot of work, made it through the housetraining. We're in good shape there.

However, his chewing is no better at all (maybe even worse). I confine him to the bedroom when I'm gone (due to his chewing up the computer charger cord and several other items - I don't want him to get electrocuted). I've tried crating him for short periods of time - like a couple of hours, and he goes absolutely nuts (besides, I think 8.5 hours is too long to be crated every day).

I have systematically moved more and more things out of his reach to try to save what's left of my wardrobe (that's pretty close to the truth too ). Today, we came home from church, and he had pulled all the covers off the bed and chewed holes in my favorite blanket (he's never touched those before). Before anybody asks, he has chew bones, toys, etc. in the bedroom with him.

I really think he chews because he's bored and also because he's throwing a temper tantrum. If I actually caught him doing it, I don't have a problem with swatting him with a newspaper, but it's not likely to help if he's not in the middle of "the crime".

Here's my question - I'm thinking about begging and pleading with DH for us to get another small dog about his size for him to play with (we already have a lot of animals abandoned by other people so DH has a good reason for not wanting to add to the number ). Has anybody done this who had a chewer and found that it made it any better?

Thanks!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

We have a Min Pin and she is very highly active. You need to make sure you're playing with them often; when they're bored they tend to go find something to chew things. You should get dog chews toys, ones that are size appropriate.

I don't think you should be too concerned with crating your dog all day, we do and she doesn't mind it. Min Pins are typically quite content just being in a single dog home, but they can be social as well, so I don't think its necessary to have two dogs.

Min Pins are also big burrowers, you should make sure you have blankets for them to burrow in, this includes in their crate/kennel.

 

[golfgal]

Our dog likes to chew. She isn't a mini pin but looks like one. We buy her bones at the grocery store. They sell them in the meat department, 3 or 4 of them for $1. She LOVES to chew on them and they last her a LONG time. It is also work for her to get the marrow out of the bone so it entertains her as well.

I would also use the Apple Bitter spray on things you don't want her to chew.

 

[Maleficient]

I would try positively reinforcing the crate to him so that he sees it as safety. There are plenty of good crate training references in puppy training manuals out there, I used The Art of the Puppy, and the Terra-Nova series that have puppy manuals for individual breeds, but the most important thing is that it is not seen as punishment. I have always crate trained my Australian Shephards and the crate is seen as their home. My current pup turns 12months March 2 and he sleeps all night in his crate and is in it whenever we cannot monitor him (like when no one is home). We are lucky enough that our schedules and our middle-schoolers schedule mean that he is never in the crate more than 4 hours in a work day - but that is 4 hours that he is not chewing on electrical cords! The crate is for their safety, but honestly no dog owner should have to deal with an entire bedrooms contents (clothes, bed linens. etc) destroyed!

A dog should be giving you pleasure, not systematically eating your possessions. You are its owner and he needs to be made to understand this but by leaving him in a room unattended, there is no training going on. From my previous experience, adding another dog to a dog that is demonstrating a negative behavior will only add to the negative behavior and potentially add more. I know how frustrating it is, I do have an incredibly aggressive chewer and have gone throw an enormous amount of dog toys that are "indestructible". The only reason I have a desk to write this on is that I had a gate to keep him in the kitchen when he was not 100% monitored or in the crate until he was 10 months old. Good luck - I know how challenging the tough chewers are!

 

[Maleficient]

Our dog likes to chew. She isn't a mini pin but looks like one. We buy her bones at the grocery store. They sell them in the meat department, 3 or 4 of them for $1. She LOVES to chew on them and they last her a LONG time. It is also work for her to get the marrow out of the bone so it entertains her as well.

I would also use the Apple Bitter spray on things you don't want her to chew.

My dog is such a nut that he actually licked the bitter apple spray off before he continued chewing on whatever it was.....but he's also the dog that comes in when called with an ice cube...

 

[crz4mm2]

Two words.
Crate training.

 

[horseshowmom]

Let me add that he's a little over a year old. As I mentioned before, he does have LOTS of toys and chew bones. I get his chew toys at PetSmart in the "extreme chewer" section (what a joke, he can go through those in no time ). Golfgal, I will get some of the bones you're talking about. I know my other dogs have enjoyed those in the past.

While we do play with him a lot in the evenings, since we're not home during the day, I can't do it then and that's when he gets bored (which is why I thought another dog might help). He doesn't try to chew on much of anything when he's loose in the afternoons/evenings and can play with us and the cats (oh, the poor cats ).

Crate training - I may have to explore that further (in fact, I will), but I can say that at this point he hates it to the point of absolutely going berserk and losing control. He does not view it as a place he wants to be under any circumstances for any amount of time. He actually moved his crate about 10-12 feet and completely turned it around once when he was left for about a hour.

I think it may have to do with his background. He was abandoned in our vet's parking lot in a box. I suspect that he was "boxed" on a regular basis (possibly as punishment as another poster mentioned since he was somewhat out of control at that point). We are quite sure he was abused. His tail has been broken (healed back at a right angle), and he's very nervous of men.

He lived at the vet's for a month before they asked me to take him. Since I do have quite a few animals (and a LOT of animal experience), they know me well and knew he would be well cared for.

I've never had a problem with leaving my dogs loose in the house when I was gone to work so this is a first for me. BUT, I've also never had a chewer like this. Even my Lab was reasonably easy to deal with (especially when compared to Charlie).

He sleeps with us, and thus far, he has always run back to get into bed after going out in the morning (he does like to burrow in the blankets as another poster mentioned). He's never bothered the bed at all, but, of course, I've moved most everything else now.

Let me also add this, he's not in danger of losing his home regardless. He's in my lap right now, and we love him!

 

[Maleficient]

OP good luck - you are definitely experienced and hopefully you can get him over his obvious puppy trauma!

 

[horseshowmom]

OP good luck - you are definitely experienced and hopefully you can get him over his obvious puppy trauma!

Thanks for the good wishes! I definitely need them. He was the most difficult to housetrain that I've ever dealt with (and I'm 50 years old ). He's such a cutie though and very affectionate! He's learned to walk on a leash and went with me to a business conference recently (thank goodness for PetSmart Doggie Day Camp ). He worries the stew out of our poor cats though. He's quite a challenge!

 

[horseshowmom]

Wanted to add: DH came in from church a little while ago, and we were talking about Charlie. He said, "Well, he's gotten the housetraining down, and his barking has improved a LOT, so maybe the rest will come along too. Babies are like that." All I can say, is PLEASE let it be soon!

 

[fairestoneofall]

we have two rescued min pins. and prior to having human children, we fostered min pins through a rescue group.

that being said, i have had min pins with all kinds of behavior issues in my home (including one that had ONLY been taken out of his cage to do his potty business). and we crated EVERY SINGLE one of them. if it is a matter of him moving the crate, put him into a smaller space.

if he is chewing, then your bedroom is not the idea place for him. we gate our min pins in our laundry room. my husband had to build a gate from particle board because one of our dogs would chew through the plastic. but it works. one of ours is fine--would be okay loose in the house when we're gone. the other one will get into mischief if she's bored (i.e. she will chew--and ruined a ralph lauren comforter once).

make sure when you are home, that he is getting plenty of attention and exercise. min pins are pretty much always puppies. our male was abused and has never been a really playful guy. but our female is more rambunctious. even at 13 years old, she still sometimes acts like a puppy. she has finally started to calm a little. she even strained her back when she was around five years old because she's such a spaz sometimes.

have you thought about obedience training? even an entry course would be good. it will help you bond with your dog and will improve some of the behaviors.

you definitely need to crate him. or, find a small space that he cannot destroy and confine him to that area when you are away. prior to mine being pinned in the laundry room, they were both crated.

do some searches on crate training to help ease him into it and to guide him into feeling more comfortable.

 

[Mickey's Minion]

Let me add that he's a little over a year old. As I mentioned before, he does have LOTS of toys and chew bones. I get his chew toys at PetSmart in the "extreme chewer" section (what a joke, he can go through those in no time ). Golfgal, I will get some of the bones you're talking about. I know my other dogs have enjoyed those in the past.

While we do play with him a lot in the evenings, since we're not home during the day, I can't do it then and that's when he gets bored (which is why I thought another dog might help). He doesn't try to chew on much of anything when he's loose in the afternoons/evenings and can play with us and the cats (oh, the poor cats ).

Crate training - I may have to explore that further (in fact, I will), but I can say that at this point he hates it to the point of absolutely going berserk and losing control. He does not view it as a place he wants to be under any circumstances for any amount of time. He actually moved his crate about 10-12 feet and completely turned it around once when he was left for about a hour.

I think it may have to do with his background. He was abandoned in our vet's parking lot in a box. I suspect that he was "boxed" on a regular basis (possibly as punishment as another poster mentioned since he was somewhat out of control at that point). We are quite sure he was abused. His tail has been broken (healed back at a right angle), and he's very nervous of men.

He lived at the vet's for a month before they asked me to take him. Since I do have quite a few animals (and a LOT of animal experience), they know me well and knew he would be well cared for.

I've never had a problem with leaving my dogs loose in the house when I was gone to work so this is a first for me. BUT, I've also never had a chewer like this. Even my Lab was reasonably easy to deal with (especially when compared to Charlie).

He sleeps with us, and thus far, he has always run back to get into bed after going out in the morning (he does like to burrow in the blankets as another poster mentioned). He's never bothered the bed at all, but, of course, I've moved most everything else now.

Let me also add this, he's not in danger of losing his home regardless. He's in my lap right now, and we love him!

Not to be repetititive, but crate training, crate training.

Don't worry about him throwing a temper tantrum, just make sure he is safe and ride it out.

If he is getting enough momentum while moving around to turn his entire crate around, his crate is too big. Get a smaller one. He should just be able to stand up and turn around. He should not be able to take steps forward or backwards. And he should not be able to be able to run in it to get enough momentum to move the crate.

Normally I would recommend just putting some boxes in the crate to make it smaller, but since he is a destructive chewer, just get a smaller crate.

Feed him in his crate so that he gets used to it being his home.

Secondly, get him out of your bed at night until you have him under control. By allowing him to sleep in your bed, you are elevating him to your pack status. He may be a toy dog, but even toys can be alphas. He should sleep in his crate next to you until he is trained and under control.

Third, obedience training. Not Petsmart or similar little groups. Contact your local Min Pin society (you can find your regional group on the National Breed web page) and ask for a recommendation for a good obedience trainer that is familiar with Min Pins. Not only will this help with actual training, but again, establish you as the pack leader. Your stuff is your stuff and he should not be ruining the pack leader's property.

Right now he has no respect for you or is destroying things due to insecurity. Either way, you need to establish pack order. If he is alpha, you can put him at the bottom of the pack. If he is chewing due to insecurity, establishing pack order can also make a dog more secure as they know exactly where they stand.

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

I believe in crate training!!

My dogs are placed in their kennels when we leave our home.
Reasons why: we had a dog eat/chew stuffed toys and died from blockage in his guts. He hid under a bed to eat it and we didn't know.
Also, we had a Chihuahua, that got tangled up in our mini blind cord, and when we came home from dinner,we found him hanging in mid air, with blood all over his paws and legs were he tried to eat the cord off him.

So now, we use crates to keep our dogs safe.

 

[horseshowmom]

I believe in crate training!!

My dogs are placed in their kennels when we leave our home.
Reasons why: we had a dog eat/chew stuffed toys and died from blockage in his guts. He hid under a bed to eat it and we didn't know.
Also, we had a Chihuahua, that got tangled up in our mini blind cord, and when we came home from dinner,we found him hanging in mid air, with blood all over his paws and legs were he tried to eat the cord off him.

So now, we use crates to keep our dogs safe.

I'm so sorry for that tragedy! I know it must have been heartbreaking.

Sounds like crate training is the way to go. It just sounds like mistreatment to leave one in a crate for 8.5 hours every day.

We did consider the laundry room or hallway. I got a tall baby gate with metal bars (he did chew the other one with plastic). He can slip through if he works at it hard enough. DH is planning on putting some small gauge wire on the gate to keep him from slipping through.