Expert: Renee Cox - 7/17/2008

Question
i have a boxer almost 8 months old, he has been eating the siding on the side of the house, we now have a doggie door in the backdoor that he made for us, he has chewed a hole in the screen door, he chews on the top of his dog house, we had to have him start sleeping in our room because if not he tears everything up. the only time he is left alone is while we are at work, when we get home he comes in the house with us, after dinner we take him for a walk every night. We take him to town with us when we can and it's not to hot outside. I've tried the bitter apple it didn't help, I spoke to our veterinarian and he said it's a training issue, but it only does it when we aren't around. Any help would be GREAT!! I can't have him eating on the house and I DON'T want to get rid of him. HELP!!!!!!


Answer
Hi. I have to tell you, I feel your pain. I have an 8 month old female, and a 4 1/2 month old male that are bent on chewing the house down. I use crates to help with training, especially if I'm not going to be home and at night when we sleep. I'm not gone much during the day, so we don't have a problem. If nobody's home during the day for long periods of time, and you want to try the crate, have someone come and let your boy out while you're gone, someone that you trust. The thing about Boxers is, they HAVE to be with their people. If left alone for long periods of time, they become destructive, in a major way. I think some of it is age, they're still very puppy like at this age. One thing that I have done to help is to keep a ton of chew toys around. I have even started to take empty milk jugs and fill them up slightly with water and then freeze them. After they're frozen, I throw it out in the back yard, and it keeps them busy for hours trying to get the ice out. You just have to make sure they don't actually eat the jug. Another thing I do is when I'm in the house, I keep them on leashes and attached to me. This has also helped with the potty training. You may want to see if you can find someone who will come to your house during the day while you'r gone and walk your boy for you. A worn out Boxer doesn't chew so much. I'd also suggest obedience training, it will help. Besides that, you may want to talk to a trainer. They may be able to help you figure out exactly what's going on with your boy, actually see in person how he acts, and will be better able to help you with him. Good luck!