terrible behavior--please help!!

My Ernie is almost 7 months old. He is losing his baby teeth and his behavior is less than desirable! My husband and I work full time, and we spend all of our "extra" time at home, but it does not seem to be enough for Ernie. He is destroying my home--every single time I turn my back, he's tearing something up and/or using the bathroom in my carpet. I thought we got the "peepee outside" thing down, but this week he has been terrible. Let me name a FEW things that we no longer have in our home: any lamps in which cords run along the floor, no table clothes, no garbage cans (in sight), and today I had to throw out what was left of my Christmas tree when Ernie decided it would be fun to grab the garland and run - down the hall with all the ornaments flying!! I manage to save a few balls of my tree, but the topper, bows, etc-- ALL GONE. This behavior is totally unacceptable, and I am at my wits end trying to punish my little guy. Could someone please tell me how to punish Ernie so that he learns what is right and wrong, and tell me why I should not feel so guilty after doing it? MUCH THANKS!!
Sharon

• Hi Sharon. I think that you hinted at what may cause the little guy to be so active. I know that these dogs crave a LOT of attention and they like to be with you at all times. With the time that you do have you should spend as much play time with Ernie as possible; give him play tests. Reward him for playing with items that are his toys and a firm NO, and then an immediate good boy when he stops at items that he should stay away from. It seems like he needs a little helpful guidance at this point. (Maybe he is associating your correction actions as attention.) If you need to leave home for an extended time, place Ernie in a safe room with his toys and his crate. Limit him to an area where he (and your items) will be safe. Maybe little Ernie is picking up your anxiety and is feeling a bit confused right now. Remember, he's still just a little guy and needs to know how to cope. Give him gentle guidance and lots of love and you will find him to be a most loving and appreciative pet. Good Luck, and keep us posted.
  Teri

• Boy it sure does sound like you have an active little puppy on your hands and just that.....he is a puppy! Everything is new and exciting to him and if no one is at home well then he has the whole candy store to himself and he makes the rules.

  Unfortunately having a puppy is like having a toddler. I am surprised that he has not fried himself yet if he has chewed through the cords a couple of times. You need to baby/puppy proof your home immediately!! Cover the outlets-they will lick them, hide those cords, move the plants, put the garbage out, etc.

  My best advice get a CRATE NOW! He will learn to adjust to this when you are not at home. Be patient with him and make it a pleasant experience for him. PUT HIM IN THE CRATE EVERY TIME YOU CAN NOT WATCH HIM!! You are giving him way too much territory when you are gone. He is peeing in the bathroom because he can probably still smell it. Get a good cleaner one that will break down the urine enzyemes not just a perfume. Close all the door that you do not want him into those rooms. Even when you are a home you should watch him like a hawk at all times. Replace the items he is not suppose to chew with a NO! take the item away and then give him something he can chew on and say GOOD BOY!

  As far as the tree ornaments go, I woke up to a little boy saying ball and throwing my glass ornaments against the dining room wall. You have to accept some things to get broken, chewed on, yes even peed on for a little bit. Your dog need to know the rules and also needs to mature. If you still find whatever the dog does upsetting you and "unacceptable" behavior perhaps you should reevaluate why you got a dog in the first place. I would most certainly enroll your puppy into obedience classes. He will learn alot and also know that you are the boss etc. It will also help him to burn off that extra energy--remember he has been storing it up all day and just 1-2 hours is not enough for attention. There is a saying "A good dog is a tired dog." Give him extra exercise just before you leave so that he will sleep most of the day and not whine because you have left him etc. He is still very young and gets so excited because you are with him when you get home and also has too many rooms to roam in.
  Pugish

• Ernie is in adolescence right now. You know what that means. This will pass and he will get better. All of the crating and monitoring advice is great. You might want to consider enrolling him in obedience and helping him learn some social skills and give him an outlet for play and an opportunity to learn some fun things that he can get praised for so that you can build up the good things that he does as well. We tend to think that because they are little and oh so....cute that we do not need to do the obedience things with them. But when you do they are a delight to live with. Keep working with him--he will learn.
  Victoria Nimmo

• Sharon, Ernie sounds like our Indy did 4 years ago. Maltese are extremely smart and energetic. Like most puppies, they need direction and for their master to establish expectations they need to live up to. Mom and Dad have to agree on one set of rules and one way of enforcing them. They live to please us. The trick is to make sure Ernie knows who is boss at your house. We learned this through obedience training. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I think we learned more through the training than Indy, and he learned a lot. It took six, 20-minute sessions (attention span is that short). He is now a well-mannered, playful gentleman who walks well on a leash, never makes mistakes in the house, loves his crate, gets along well with other animals, is a pleasure to have around and to show off, and is a wonderful companion and lap warmer on cold winter evenings. We still have to let Indy know his limits every now and then, usually combining eye contact (sometimes nose-to-nose) with a stern (not loud) NO, always remedies the situation. Good luck, Ernie sounds like a happy boy. It only gets better.
  Denise