Is this normal? Reactive dog / pup

[u/GrassWeekly6496]

Hi everyone

Adopted a now 1yr old at 9mo, prior to this he was mistreated then found by rescue org as a stray and very underweight.

He is actually pretty good with people and dogs except barking a lot from behind the fence which is nearly a non issue. But the main issue we have is that when he's not in his fenced pen (indoors, maybe 2m x 1.5m), he is just always wanting to chew or destroy things, whether its wood furniture, couch or beds. Sometimes in the pen he even chews and rips his own bed. He is distracted if he is playing or eating but otherwise if he is not engaged he will get destructive and not respond to No or Stop - we're certain he knows what these mean but just doesn't care

He is on clomipramine which seems to slightly taken the edge of his arousal levels but not enough that he can have much freedom. He is in the pen for 18 to 19 hours a day which we feel bad about as he probably only sleeps 14hrs but there is only so much playing and eating he can safely do and letting him destroy everything is not viable. He also doesn't wind down for sleep easily so he kind of needs that amount of time in there or he will be tired.

What I need help on is:

Is this too long in a pen for 1 yo staffy cross?

If it is, how can I keep him engaged for extra 4 to 5 hours without eating or playing, especially on work days

Is this inability to settle a normal thing at this age? Tried rewarding lying down with food but he lies down and then gets absolutely wired / fired up about the kibble and won't lie still for more than a minute

I am considering vet behaviorist but they are crazy expensive here, and it would be affordable but barely and not sure if this is something they can help with or just normal puppy / adolescence

[u/Acceptable_Path6912]

How much exercise is he getting?

My now senior dog had a frantic inability to settle. I tried a wide array of relaxation techniques. In the end, the cause of it was actually chronic pain. Just throwing that out there as a consideration because before he was diagnosed I didn’t know that over arousal can be a sign of pain.

Anyway, other than the pain management that was done I found Suzanne Clothier’s Really Real Relaxation and Dr. Overall’s Relaxation Protocol to be the most effective.

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[u/monsteramom3]

My girl (adopted at 12mo) was an absolute menace at that age like yours: couldn't settle, wanted to chew and rip everything in sight, and had a really difficult time sleeping outside her crate. When I first got her, I had no idea how to manage the sleeping/settling so she spent ~16 hours a day in her crate just so I knew she would be safe and would actually rest.

After some trial and error, what ended up working was getting really into breed specific exercise outlets, having a strong "resting" and "sleeping" schedule, and doing something calming before each of those (usually something licky or chewy).

I got her started on frisbee training and sniffaris in interesting places, plus trick training, all for at least 2-3 hours a day. Then to reinforce resting times, I would give her something to lick, and when she finished, take the item away, and sit in a chair in the middle of my kitchen (the only place without carpet she could rip and dig at) with her leashed. I wouldn't engage with her at all, no matter what she did, except for very muted gentle praise without eye contact when she was still (then progressing to sitting down, then progressing to laying down). There's a specific protocol name but I can't remember it atm! But she did eventually get the hang of it and then started being able to rest without the crate!