Seize the Leash and tighten the bonds you have with your faithful canine companion. With some effort and patience, you can address your dog's behavior problems with basic dog behavior training, and keep your dog where she belongs-with you.
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Seize the Leash - Separation Anxiety
I would like to share with you some information about a home consultation I went to.
The lady I went to see told me on the phone that she has a shepard mix who when she goes out, the dog destroys the house. It was a story I had heard many times before and looked forward to meeting them.
When I arrived it was evident that this lady had not exaggerated in any way as there was only a shred of a venetian blind left on one window and a box near the bedroom door had numerous holes in it from the dog trying to get into the bedroom! Every time the lady moved about the house, the dog whined and followed her. This is what is known as separation anxiety and is a very common behaviour in dogs.
Many owners who have dogs with separation anxiety are unable to leave their pets unattended for any length of time because their home will be destroyed. Many of these dogs will tear up (or dig up) objects or urinate on items in the home as a way of dealing with the anxiety of the separation. Other dogs may excessively howl, bark or scratch at walls and doors, causing further damage, until their owner returns.
So why does this happen? When your dog enters into your house for the first time, he looks around to see who is the pack leader and where he will now fit into the pack. Everything living in that house are now members of his new pack.
In the pack system there must be an Alpha, the leader and a 'pecking order' of who comes next. This is very different from humans where we like fairness and equality.
Your dog looks for a leader first and then where he/she fits in the hierarchy. When no one else is demonstrating the qualities of the boss in the eyes of your dog, someone has to be the top dog and so they assume this 'top dog' role themselves.
When your dog has taken on this role, one of its responsibilities is to take care of its pack..and that includes YOU!
So here's what happens in the course of a day. You get up in the morning, fix breakfast or down a cup of coffee Throw some food in the dogs bowl, pick up your keys and your purse. Pat the dog and tell him to be a good boy and shove him back as you try to squeeze out the door to prevent him from getting out. He/she does not know you are going to work or that you have gone shopping. He doesn't know if you're ever going to come back ! When you go out this is very stressful for your dog, as how can they look after you when they cannot find you.
It can be similar to you losing a young child. That is how stressful it can be for your dog.While he still remembers what door you went out of, he's going to try to break through it. He'll find a window and paw at it destroying the blinds, the curtains and possibly even breaking through the window. I've known dogs that even figure out how to unlock a window and push it open and in their effort to find their missing pack.
So why do they chew? T he dog chews on a variety of things, but chewing is often focused on items that smell most like you or a particular person in your house such as recently discarded clothes, including underwear or socks, or favorite chairs; and /or escape routes doors or windows .
The dog tries to stay close to the things that smell most of you chewed stuff will still be warm when you get home. The worst destruction happens when the dog is trying to get out of your house and get to you. Hence the chewed box, the destroyed blinds and the scrates at the front door of the lady I visited today.
Solutions
- Crate your dog when your gone - after properly acclimatizing him to the crate as a good thing. Some dogs are more comfortable when confined to a small "den".
- Provide plenty of exercise, both physical and mental stimulation before you leave the dog alone. Provide him with something to keep his attention while your gone like a treat puzzle. Some dogs won't respond to this even when otherwise highly food motivated, some dogs get so stressed with the separation that they cannot eat. A stressed dog will never eat.
- Using Busy Toys. There is a huge variety of busy toys available today. Check the internet or your nearby pet store for "interactive dog toys." A Kong® filled with treats and peanut butter, a Nylabone® or one of a variety of toys that cause the dog to have to work to get the treats out will keep the dog occupied for a period of time. Freezing the Kong with peanut butter in it the night before you need it will make it last much longer.
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