Update On Dog Abuse Discussion  

Good for you. Now that he knows he is being watched, maybe he will take better care of the poor dog. It's been my experience that dogs become destructive when they need attention. Please keep us updated.

I hope the owner gets the dog house. Also, the dog can probably be helped by behavioral training, (maybe Cesar the dog whisperer!) I am interested to see how it develops.

It is good to see that you care so much. Destructive dogs are no fun that is true but they usually have a reason, like children do. I would take my dog to training or even call the Dog Whisperer if I were that guy. But hey, if he is willing to try the new dog house, maybe he does care.

I am so happy to hear that you got something straightened out. Some dogs do like the cold though. My dog is a good example for this. I have 4 dogs and I keep the smallest one in the house and the rest of them have nice dog boxes with plenty of straw in it. While my two females are huddled in their boxes my other dog, Jasper is laying either on top of his or rolling in the snow. He has plenty of straw in his box too but he would rather lay out in it. What he doesn't like is the rain but he loves the snow and cold. He has a lot of fur too. More than the rest of them. I call him my snow dog because he is constantly rolling around in it and always has snow on the tip of his nose, lol. It's so cute! And my females chew up their containers that's why they have metal ones now. My oldest female drags the straw out of her box and I have to keep putting it right back in. Anyway I hope everything goes good for this dog. I would hate to hear of something bad happening to him.

There is certainly a cause for the destructive behavior, you just have to find out what it is. I wonder if the dog is really getting enough attention. Sounds like anxiety.

Hey thanks for the update! We had dogs as a kid that wouldn't keep straw in their houses and stuff so we just made sure to have them a house with a door that was off to the side so they could cuddle up in it away from the wind and put a flap over the door (think it was a piece of old rug). Though the dog would kick out the straw he still had a warm place, cause we put the house in a sheltered spot. One person I knew of couldn't keep his dog in wooden houses so he ended up taking an old camper shell and putting a floor in it so the dog couldn't chew it --wasn't perfect but at least he had a place to sleep he couldn't destroy. A heated bucket is a good idea but I'm concerned the dog could chew the cord and electrocute himself. Maybe some rawhide chews would help the chewing situation? Or at least give the dog something to do? It could be bored. Good luck!

I'm glad to hear about the update on this. In the guys defense I have known dogs, even ones who get lots of attention, who do chew anything plastic. They will destroy the things and it can be hard to control if you can't keep the plastic up out of their reach.

There are also some dogs that do like the cold. I do agree he should have some shelter of course, I'm not arguing that at all. I'm just saying some dogs do enjoy it. Mine own is loving the weather here right now and it's nippy although no where near the colds you guys are having. She wants to be out most of the day and we have had a few neighbors complain saying we shouldn't leave her out there that long. She lets us know when she wants in and when she wants out. We do that. We don't abandon her out there but it does irritate me that they seem to think we do.

So hopefully this guy will get the dog house, if it's not plastic based the dog might not have a problem with it. Sometimes the older materials are better.

I'm glad at least something is being done. There has got to be a reason why the dog is so destructive. There are dog obedience classes around here where I live, maybe he can find one close to him. I'm sure there is a lot of info on the net too. I know when I left my dogs a lot due to a family emergency, I would come home to find the house totally trashed. I never once thought about making them stay outside. Sometimes they like to be outside but not often. We built a penned in area right off our porch, so we can just open the door and let them out when they want. They either bark or claw at the door when they want to come in. Please keep your eye on the situation. I am glad you went and talked to him. I just hope he doesn't take it out on your husband now.

If he can't handle the dog then he should just give it away. If he does not mind the dog ruining his house then leave him be. As long as he isn't abusing the dog then everything is fine. If he is then call the proper authorities and they will handle the situation.

That is awesome! Now he knows he is being watched and will maybe try harder with the dog. I cannot have my 2 huge dogs in the house ,but I keep them on the back porch that is enclosed so they are out of th eelements. They love the cold though. I have trouble in the summer because they do not want to go out in the heat and they just lay and pant.