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Pupforum presents your training questions answered by professional dog trainers.
Elaine has been training dogs professionally for 14 years. She is a CPDT as well as an endorsed member of NADOI. She is also certified in narcotics detection and is one half of a (twice) certified explosives detection team - the other half being her Dutch Shepherd Spawn, who is also titled in several protection sports. Elaine is the owner of Canine's Best Behavior, a Los Angeles based training company, offering Basic Manners, CGC, K9 Games (soon!) as well as behavior modification for aggression fears phobias etc.
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[Edit]
2/7/2006
I have a almost 2 yr. old Jack Russell Terrier and my problem is this he keeps eating and licking my underwear. He even goes as far as knocking the hamper over to get them. I have even sprayed them with apple bitter and that hasn't stopped him. He has millions of toys and I don’t understand why or what to do about it. I am at a lost at what to do. Please help? (scrawberry, Maryland)
Well, all righty then! Careful wording applies here! He is going for "your scented" chew toys. Underwear smells the most like you of any garment we wear.
Spraying Bitter Apple will not remove the smell of you. Even washing them won't. Not to imply anything about your hygiene, more that scent is very powerful.
Does he only do this when you are gone? If so then you may want to address this as a separation problem and keeping him well away from the laundry
basket until the habit is broken. Try fixating him onto other "chews" by baiting them with something very high value like a kong with a bit of liverwurst stuck in the bottom. It has to be really good because it's competing with you for fabulousness!
If he only does it when you are there as in "Look what I have-your undies" and then you give a BIG reaction about it or best for him laugh then you have been inadvertently reinforcing the behavior. Meaning that, you betcha he's gonna keep at it. Jack Russell's live for laughter!
The other thing you may want to consider is that he may need more mental stimulation, sometimes dogs fixate on things when they are a little bored. Teaching him hunting games to channel his fixation onto other items like his toys and increasing his physical exercise could help as well.
Worst case scenario: get a locking laundry basket!
Elaine Allison CPDT NADOI
Canine Behavior Consultant
Canine's Best Behavior
1.866.K9s.Best
www.caninesbestbehavior.com
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