[Joezek]

Hi everyone, this is my first post here, and what a very detailed forum it is too! I like the numerous amounts of topics and subtopics.

I have a rescued 2 year old female. She's afraid of strangers but follows me everywhere like my shadow. She completely trusts and loves me, but is terrified of others. It's hard to correct her because she pees herself and runs away if I just raise my voice while looking at her.

I've had her for a year, she's gotten much better, but is now suddenly destroying all our furniture when we leave the house. I don't know what to do, I've sprayed and wiped various types of hot pepper, anti chewing spray etc and it doesn't help. I know I need to catch her in the act to really correct, but I think it's more of a behavioral problem than a training issue. I'm not sure what to do about her anxiety when we leave the house, but she always runs to her crate when she's afraid or when she's bored. So lately I keep her crated when I leave the house, but hate that idea.

I have 3 other dogs, 1 of them is another GSD rescue who also was afraid of people the first two years. She is now an excellent Sable Sheperd, very well behaved with people and other dogs. Our Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is the dominant one, and easily excited out of control. She lays around lazy all the time, but one knock on the door sends her out of control. Our little ****zu poodle is the leader in her own mind, and the big dogs play with her and ignore her little attacks.

So if anyone has some tricks for stopping our furniture from being destroyed please share.

JOE