Breaking a dog from eating ponies?

[arianaserenityparker]

Ok so I came home knowing one of my dogs has anxiety.  I didn't lock her up since I knew I was going to be gone for 4 hours and they have a dog door.  So I let them just run around.  I came home to a pony horror movie scene.  Aztec was laying on my couch (which she ate the entire back of so I had to throw it too) with all of my BB ponies as well as the G3 TAF pony project pony and the 2nd set of princess ponies were all minus faces and legs.  I cried and screamed.  I apparently scared the daylights out of poor Aztec with my volume.  Now I have gone from a full set of BB and Princesses all with their accessories to 2 princesses and 1 BB and only Salty's scarf and Tex's hat. 


So now I've cleaned up the horror scene, threw out my bright colored plastic bits and couch, and have calmed down.  So I ask how do I prevent this again?  I have a set of shelves where those ponies were hanging up about 4 foot in the air so near as I can figure she climbed from the couch to the end table and knocked them off to eat them.  I am heartbroken at the loss of the ponies but they are replaceable Aztec is not she is a rescue sled dog and mine is the first house she was ever allowed inside.  I don't want to throw her out but I can't have her eating my collection.  Any suggestions?

[Eviecorn]

That really stinks about your ponies.  I'm sorry you had to come home to that.

My only suggestion is to place your ponies in a room which she has no access to.  I also have an anxious dog, and if she has anxiety, I don't know if there's an easy trick that will work.  Sorry I can't be of more help.  Maybe someone else can weigh in on this?

[Moony]

Are you able to crater her? You said you were gone for four hours. Most dogs can definitely hold it for that long if not a little longer. I would also suggest putting away some of your collection to prevent further accidents. You could also get her a muzzle to wear while you are away. My two boy dogs wear muzzles when no one is home to prevent accidents between them (getting stepped on is no fun!). Muzzles are easily purchased online or at a local pet store. Even if he knocks down some ponies he will be unable to eat them. He can still drink with a muzzle on Good luck!

[Buddafly]

I would recommend a two direction approach. 

1, time to be crated when you're not home.  your pooch has proven that she cannot be trusted to have free roam when you aren't around.  it's not cruel to crate a dog.  they're denning animals by nature - once they get used to being treated like part of the canine world, and not the human world - they enjoy having that space that is all their's.  the next time she goes on a destruction mission, she may eat something instead of just chewing it - which could result in an emergency surgery for foreign body removal.

2, some sort of anti-anxiety therapy.  natural supplements such as anxitane, composure, rescue remedy, etc.  there are prescription strength medications, like clomicalm, etc - but those are a last resort, and must be used in conjunction with a training regime (they are not to be used as an end all be all on their own).  your vet can guide you in the right direction

in the mean time, keep the door closed to where you keep your ponies and/or all other precious valuables.  I'm really sorry she destroyed some of your ponies.  that has to be heart breaking

[PinkRosedust]

I'm really sorry to hear about your ponies. That's pretty terrible. :/ Please keep them and anything else she might go after up really high with NO potential access, or closed off in another room. You definitely don't want to lose any more ponies...and as mentioned, you don't want her swallowing something dangerous! Otherwise...I agree that maybe she has to learn to be in a crate?

As for the ponies...rather than throw them away, sell or trade them as bait. I'm sure people could still do stuff with them even without faces...It's really sad what happened to the poor things..but if they are used as bait, they could save other ponies who aren't in such poor condition from being baited!

Good luck with your pooch. I hope you can figure something out. And good luck with recollecting your poor lost ponies.

[hlbmlp]

sadface!!! :< :< :< i also suggest crating...  our puppy has her own crate and she loves her "room" now.  she goes in for naps without the door closed.  she was also very spastic and had problems, and still does sometimes.  it is much better 2 years now.  she was dropped off on our front porch and we are pretty sure she was abused.  she ate a ton of stuff when  she was first here.  she has calmed down though. 


so sad for your ponies! :<  I am assuming they are so eaten one cannot recognize them :/  if it was just a bit of the head/ legs gone, i could re-sculpt them for you, but if they have no face or legs, well... thats something else entirely...

[Kiwi]

Hopefully you can work out something that works for you - I second the suggestions of crate training, and keeping the ponies in a safer room (with a closeable door).

[Baby Sugarberry]

Invest in a good cabinet with doors at the very least, or even better one that locks.  Terribly sorry to hear about the loss of your ponies.     


Is your dog truly anxious, or bored?  Having free run of a house/backyard is often not enough for many breeds - more walks/runs can help drain energy and prevent your canine from destroying the house. 


Before you throw away your ponies, see if any of them are salvageable?  Generally at the very least, the tails can be saved to rescue other ponies who have lost theirs.  The Pony Preservation Project has some pretty amazing restores too, even post-doggy damage.


http://mlppreservationproject.com/index.html

[kaoskat]

I agree with the crate training idea as well, for your dog's safety as well as the safety of your stuff.  Next time she may get something less safe than ponies.

[Brandi]

Ouch! I can only imagine your pain . I would have to agree to crate her and make sure all doors are closed where your ponies are kept.

[MoongazerThePony]

Thats terrible, I feel bad for giggling when I saw the title. After reading the whole thing, I can't imagine what I'd do if this happened. 
If you have shelves, maybe put a glass door / screen thing in front, like a trophy cabinet? Or if there is spray that dogs don't like (There is one for cats so they don't scratch) maybe spray it near your pony room? (Not on the ponies, thought!)

I'm really, really sorry. I get upset when my cat even plays with my ponies, so if she ate them.. I don't know what I'd do.

Also, how is the dog? Wouldn't the plastic hurt her/him?

[SparklersOasis]

There's a lot of training that can be implemented that can help a dog with separation anxiety.  Also, making sure it is separation anxiety.  Setting up a camera when you're gone sort of thing.  Also there's pheromone therapy that mimics the pheromones a mother dog excretes when she has puppies.  The product I'm familiar with is D.A.P. (dog appeasing pheromone) and it comes in collars, plug in/air fresheners, and spray.  Best of luck!

[arianaserenityparker]

Thanks everyone.  Aztec if fine, thanks for asking.  I am fairly sure it is anxiety because none of the other 8 dogs eats/chews things.  They have more toys and most human children do and they have the doggy door so they can all run in and out all day as we have 2 acres of land (only 1 is fenced though).  I dug out the old crate and set it up in the kitchen last night and since then Aztec won't come into the house.  So I guess if nothing else at least ponies won't get eaten if she doesn't come in.  I'm hoping she gets over this phase soon as I know the guy that raced her used to hit her so she is afraid of men.  We are trying the repelling spray for the pony areas currently and we are usually home, or at least one of us is more often than not.

[Chrissytree]

Ah, that's terrible.  Dogs can be very determind when they see something they want but it's horrid it was something so valuable.

I had to work on seperation anxiety with my Sheltie.  I had to leave the room for a minute, then build it up slowly.  If she whined I'd have to wait until she stopped for a while before coming back in.  It was working really well, then my sis moved back in with her two dogs and they've cured her completely.  She's also more relaxed being crated plus we can't trust them not to steal things or fight while we're out.

[TheBeatlesPkmnFan42]

I agree with crating and putting your ponies in a place your dog has no access to. I'm sorry about your ponies. It especially sucks that you previously had a complete set.