[mamabear]

We adopted a Husky, German Shepherd mix (some Rottweiler via Embark test), Bear, in November 2018 and it's been a really big challenge for us.

Before leaving for work, my husband usually takes him and my lab for a long walk (2km/1.2 miles). When we leave for work, we leave him in our dining room / living room, however he has been destructive at times - not always, but sometimes he'll chew on our antique dining table. We tried crating him, but he's figured out how to unlock the crate. We tried putting locks on the crate, but he hurts himself trying to escape - he uses his nose and lip to try and pry the door open and when my mother-in-law came over to let the dogs out and keep them company for a few hours (she comes over everyday so the dogs are only alone for 4hrs max), his nose and part of his lip was very raw.

We don't think it's separation anxiety because as soon as he breaks out of his crate, he's relatively calm; we keep an eye on him through our home security cam. Many times, he'll just play with his toys, walk around and sleeps. But sometimes he'll chew on inappropriate items - his toy box, my sweatpants, random stuff, the dining table. Because it doesn't happen all the time, he's usually fairly calm once he's out of the crate and he doesn't really bark unless he sees something out of the window, we don't think it's separation anxiety.

Unfortunately we live a small house and there's no one room to lock him up in as he's afraid to go up or down the stairs (we have very narrow and awkward stairs). We also have a professional dog trainer come over once a week, but all he suggested was to continue to crate him. Right now, we just leave him in the crate with the door unlocked and he kind of just roams around. We also left him his toys, his Nylabone and a Gorilla Chew. We haven't left the Nylabone or Gorilla Chew before as we're afraid of choking hazards, but we figure it's better than chewing our dining room table. Any suggestions?

 

[Shadowmom]

Both Huskies and German Shepherd are active breeds that are working dogs who need a job and a lot of exercise. One long walk a day isn't going to occupy him. He's bored. Does he have some kind of job? Does he get to actually run and play daily? Can he be teething? My large dogs kept chewing on things until they were at least two and a half or three.

I also make sure to take them out and make them move fast, run, fetch, playing and wrestling with their buddies, agility, whatever the individual dog likes for at least one to two hours a day whatever the weather is.

Just a walk doesn't tire them out at all. It just warms them up!

 

[mamabear]

Both Huskies and German Shepherd are active breeds that are working dogs who need a job and a lot of exercise. One long walk a day isn't going to occupy him. He's bored. Does he have some kind of job? Does he get to actually run and play daily? Can he be teething? My large dogs kept chewing on things until they were at least two and a half or three.

I also make sure to take them out and make them move fast, run, fetch, playing and wrestling with their buddies, agility, whatever the individual dog likes for at least one to two hours a day whatever the weather is.

Just a walk doesn't tire them out at all. It just warms them up!

@Shadowmom - he doesn't have a job. We adopted him from a rescue organization and the foster mom told us he was a 7 month (10 months now), medium energy, 30-35lb dog, good with other dogs, cats, people, good on walks and so on. As soon as we picked him up in Buffalo, NY, we knew he wasn't 30lbs. He had a vet checkup the very next day and weighed 57lbs. Very quickly, we also learned he's high energy, didn't quite get along with my smaller dog at first and was very scared - too scared to walk at night. Only through Embark testing did we confirm that he was a Husky, German Shepherd mix. Lesson learned, next time we adopt a dog, we'll make sure to meet the dog first, but since this was a rescue based in Toronto, Canada and rescues dogs in Kentucky and Texas, we had to commit to adopting the dog first. We have no desire to give him up as we've already committed to him so we're trying our best to deal with his behavioral issues. Hence why we hired a professional trainer.

To be honest, I'm not sure if he's still teething. He also has a bad habit of trying to put everything in his mouth, including your arm, leg, foot, etc., my lab's face, but he doesn't bite down, he just likes to put things in his mouth. He used to nibble on you as well, but he's kinda out of that now thanks to training.

He gets more than one walk a day for sure! Usually he'll get 2-3 walks a day and we go for a total of 5-6km (3.1-3.7 miles) a day. My husband also plays with him in the backyard before he leaves in the morning. We understand he's bored, but we have to work and we just want to know what the best solution is when we leave him home.

 

[AthenaLove]

Perhaps your dog needs a bit less physical workout time and more mental workout time??

Here is a post I recently wrote to someone else with their dog with similar issues. Maybe it will help you guys, too? I hope so.
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Also your dog could be extremely bored, or not mentally or physically stimulated enough.

Some thoughts about chewing:

A bored dog will find his own ways of entertaining himself. Same with a stressed dog. Chewing things is fun for dogs and also can be a stress reliever. Kinda like people smoking cigarettes, or munching on chips, dogs like to keep themselves busy and so they chew for sorta similar reasons.

Like today, I was out in our backyard with Puma pup and my shy cautious dog Gracie. Gracie has almost no experience playing with dogs and gets overwhelmed and fearful/nervous very easily. But Gracie really wants to play with Puma pup ----but sometimes makes Puma nervous bc Gracie can be unpredictable and spaz on her. So when Puma gets a bit nervous, I see her go and grab a stick and start munching on it. Like today. But I worry about her eating the wood on the sticks. So, what do I do?

I go and put Gracie inside with a chewie of her own and then play a good game of soccer with Puma pup her to tire her out. This also burns off Puma's nervous energy, teaches her impulse control as we play, but mostly distracts her from chewing/ eating that darn stick! Focus on the good, replace the negative behavior with something good!! Problems solved. Both dogs are satisfied and soon relaxed enough to chill until breakfast mealtime

Perhaps think about how much physical and mental exercise you are providing to your dog.

Most dogs need a lot of mental exercise! Physical exercise is needed as well, of course, but I find that giving my dogs fun challenging mental workouts makes them happy, calm, tired, and less prone to getting into mischief.

I work with my dogs practicing lots of tricks, lessons, etc to tire them out. I use praise and food rewards and fun... and always make them happy sessions. After a good mental workout they are pooped and plop lazily on the couch or their doggie bed

I kinda equate it with a hard day at school or work. You may not have physically worked hard, but if you used your brain a lot to think all day, you are probably going to go home tired!!

Also we put up a homemade flirt pole in our backyard to tire Puma pup out and to teach her impulse control and how to share her toys with us. Works like a charm! Roughly 15 minutes of all that jumping and waiting for her release cues and she is pooped out.

Also if the weather permits, I use a hose with Puma pup and have her "chase" the water. She absolutely loves it. She will run from side to side of our yard trying to bite at the water. So fun!!!!

Also we play "soccer" in the yard with a hard plastic sound ball. (Got it at Ross for about $10) She loves that, too and it totally tires her out. Plus again, teaches her to wait, share toys, etc.

Play/train more with your dog, make it fun and rewarding and I am betting both you and your dog will have a better more happy and cooperative relationship soon!

 

[AthenaLove]

It could very well be separation anxiety as well. Most symptoms happen within the first few minutes of the dog being left alone as the anxiety is building since the dog knows you are getting ready to leave him alone.

Here is a good online article about separation anxiety to check out:

https://bestfriends.org/resources/separation-anxiety-dogs

Excerpts:
Separation Anxiety in Dogs
By Sherry Woodard, Best Friends animal behavior consultant

What is separation anxiety in dogs?

It is anxiety that manifests itself as visible stress within 30 minutes of the departure of the dog’s person. The anxiety can vary from mild to severe. Separation anxiety is preventable and responds well when treated.

What are the signs of separation anxiety?

If you are making preparations to leave, the dog may follow you from room to room. Other signs are pacing, excessive salivating, vomiting, barking, howling or whining. During your absence, your dog may engage in destructive behavior, often directed at the exits (windows and doors) or clothing or other items that have your scent. An otherwise house-trained dog may eliminate inappropriately. In severe cases, the dog may have a panic attack and hurt herself by breaking through windows or attempting to get out of her crate.

Crating dogs with separation anxiety is not recommended, since they often become even more stressed

 

[mamabear]

We understand dogs need exercise, both physically and mentally. We're not novice dog owners, but first time husky mix parents. As I mentioned, my husband gets up quite early to walk and play with Bear outside. We're fairly certain it's boredom and not separation anxiety because he calms down as soon as he gets out of the crate. We don't even lock the crate anymore, we just close it over.

So far, the Gorilla Chew has done a good job of distracting him from the dining table. I also sprayed a bitter apple spray on the table cloth so that may have helped too. In any case, we think we can handle the situation now, we just block off the dining table as best as we can (our dining room looks like a disaster) and leave Bear with his toys and chews when we're not home or can't keep an eye on him, like when we go to bed.

 

[ChaseArt]

If he is more intelligent than most, maybe you can try a toy that is like a puzzle for when you're both gone. My fiance's parents have a husky and she is a handful. She usually tries to break out of her crate but they do their best to occupy her by giving her antlers or bully sticks to work on while they're away.

You might be able to find a treat-dispensing puzzle toy that could do the trick if it's boredom. I've even heard of making every day treats more challenging by filling them with peanut butter or yogurt and freezing them so that they really have to work at it.