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Since I’ve finally started my new job which pays a heck of a lot more then what I was making, my husband and I have decided to look at getting a house. Right now I live in a crummy apartment in a not so nice area. So I’m excited about that.
But the problem lies with the dog. He has severe separation issues that we have tried to fix over and over again and nothing seems to work. We are unable to give him free roam of the apartment when we leave because he destroys the place. Literally. He knocks stuff over, chews on anything he can find, shreds any magazine or any other type of paper he can find…and seems to loose control over his bladder. He jumps up on the tables and knocks every thing down.
Even if we leave for a short period of time like going out to dinner or to the store or even stepping outside the place to go to the mailbox, he goes crazy. My carpet is completely ruined with stains from him peeing everywhere. On the bed, on the clothes when I’m doing laundry, on the couch..soo gross. And YES he is neutered.We have tried to kennel train him but after a few months of having to bath him every day when we would get home from work because he was completely covered with his own…well you know. Putting him up in the bedroom which is where he sleeps and all of his toys are isn’t doing anything. He has chewed the bottoms of all the doors in the house so there is almost no paint left on them for about 4 inches up.
The only thing we haven’t tried is a sedative…I’m not so sure about that. I think it’s mean. I don’t like the idea of giving my dog a sedative every time we have to go to work or other places where he can’t come along. It’s sad. I don’t know what else to do.
Moving into a new house with new furniture and new carpets, with a dog that behaves this way just worries me. When we are home he is a completely different dog…goes to the door when he needs to go out and doesn’t get into anything. But when we go to work, he becomes a little monster!I really don’t want to find him a new home but it’s gotten to the point where we don’t know what else to do. All of the places we have looked at don’t have much of a yard and the yard that they have aren’t fenced in. I’m just trying to do what’s best for him. If being couped up in the house all day (even though he is an inside dog) is what’s causing this then he needs to go to someone who has a big fenced in yard for him to hang out in. I’m just worried.
My most wanted list: carnelian mouse wizard, copper patina frog wizard, autumn leaf poads, pumpkin spice kitties
My most wanted list: carnelian mouse wizard, copper patina frog wizard, autumn leaf poads, pumpkin spice kitties
If he has seperation issues a yard will not help, he will bark, endlessly, dogs should nto be left in yard whil no one is home, IMO, people poison and torture unattended pets.
What kind of dog is he?
While in the kennel have you tried anything to keep him busy?Have you spoken to a vet about this? And have you tried obedience training?
My parents once had a dog that went insane when left alone. They would leash him to the stove during the day (long leash so he could reach food and water of course) and he managed to drag the stove all over the place. Part of the problem was that he got bored, that’s why he would destroy anything that was in the kitchen. They finally did have to give him away but I wished they had tried obedience training him first.
Check with your local humane society. Many of them have behavior people who can help with stuff like that. In my experaince they will try everything to help the dog in question!
ruffian wrote:If he has seperation issues a yard will not help, he will bark, endlessly, dogs should nto be left in yard whil no one is home, IMO, people poison and torture unattended pets.
What kind of dog is he?
While in the kennel have you tried anything to keep him busy?I’m not saying to keep the dog in the yard at all times when no one is home…something could happen and no one would notice. I’m saying that maybe a bigger fenced in yard would help him release some energy, so he can run around without a leash and still be contained in the yard. That would do him some good I think. We take him for long walks before we leave for work to releash some of his energy and to do his business. But that just doesn’t work.
He’s a Japanese Chin, so he’s very small. By keeping him busy in the kennel, do you mean giving him something to do? Like giving him toys and rawhides? Cuz we’ve tried that too. He ignores them and they get covered in mess.
My most wanted list: carnelian mouse wizard, copper patina frog wizard, autumn leaf poads, pumpkin spice kitties
Jasmine wrote:Have you spoken to a vet about this? And have you tried obedience training?
My parents once had a dog that went insane when left alone. They would leash him to the stove during the day (long leash so he could reach food and water of course) and he managed to drag the stove all over the place. Part of the problem was that he got bored, that’s why he would destroy anything that was in the kitchen. They finally did have to give him away but I wished they had tried obedience training him first.
The vet is the one that said pills might help. Some sort of “puppy Prozac” I call it. He’s been through training. And when I used to take him to my shop (pet grooming salon) he would jump right in the kennels there and sleep all day long with out messing all over it. He was wonderful there. But kenneling him at the house just doesn’t work, he rolls it and goes nuts.
My most wanted list: carnelian mouse wizard, copper patina frog wizard, autumn leaf poads, pumpkin spice kitties
Does he socialize well with other dogs? Cause one option is doggie daycare. A few of the “Dog Spas” around us will take your dog in for the day while you’re at work. Or getting a pet sitter, though those aren’t cheap. One of my friends is a pet sitter, you can check out her website at:
http://www.petnannytopeka.com/
and they’re nationwide so I hope they would have someone in your area. My neighbour has someone that comes in twice a day to walk and play with her dog while she’s at work. And her dog is a handful.
Sounds like your dog really does have seperation issues! He is acting out his anger that you left him, by chewing stuff up and messing all over the place. Have to tried him in a crate/cage… or is that what you meant by kennel training him? I’m surprised that he would mess in the crate, if he has to sit and lay in it. That’s odd… cause most dogs (I’ve known) wouldn’t do that. Even while our dog wasn’t house broken, she would never mess in the area she was locked up in. Same with all other dogs I’ve had throughout my life.
Maybe you outta try the crate again, and give him something to keep him occupied. Like a toy where you can hide treats inside it. Maybe that will keep him busy. Also, maybe leave a radio or TV on for him. So there is something familar sounding in the background… rather than just dead silence. It also helps drown out the outside noise he could hear… like other dogs barking or people talking. I know that my dog goes crazy when she hears stuff like that outside. She wants to go see what’s up.
Anyway, just throwing some ideas out there. Maybe you’ve tried all this already though. Good luck! 🙂 I hope you can get him figured out.
Find a house with a garage and leave the dog in the garage during the day. Get some sort of metal to attach to the bottom of the garage door to the inside of the house.
that way if the dog goes crazy he will only hurt whatever you have in the garage and what you keep there is up to you
Just a suggestion
How old is the dog?
This dog is not acting out any “anger” that he’s been left, he has a condition known in the behavior world as ‘separation anxiety’. He’s, quite simply, absolutely terrified to be left alone. This is why he’s such a good dog when he goes to work with you.
Anxiety meds will certainly help him, but my suggestion to you is to get in touch not with a trainer, but a behaviorist. If you have a veterinary medicine school close by, sometimes they have one on staff.
He needs not obedience training (especially if he already has it), but serious reconditioning training (and even then he may still need a little help from the meds, the meds might even be part of the rehabilitation process) if you expect to leave him at home when you move.
Rehoming him could exacerbate his separation issues, so you’re in it for the long haul. If it’s OK that you take him to work with you, continue to do that.
Also keep in mind that medication is not cruel, especially if it helps. He’ll feel better and you will feel better.
But still, in the end, find a behaviorist, they will be your best bet, and be open to the idea of medicating him. I, for one, know that I would rather pop a pill then freak out.
Suggested reading: The Dog Who Loved Too Much by Dr. Dodman
The only thing that helps with Tonka, and he has horrible seperation anxiety, is Ruffian, the other dog. Have you considered that? Maybe foster a small dog from the SPCA near you see if that calms him down.
If not I would look for an older retired couple to take him, he is a small dog if re-homing ends up being your only option he should be easy to place at least. Have you talked to his breeder? Most breeders have first option in this event, the dog has to go back to them or they can sue you, my contract for Tonka says she can sue me for 7500 if I re-home him, something to check into.
oy vey how crazy! especially from such a small dog too! i have chin myself and they are normally mild, sedate dogs with a good sense of humor. that behavior sounds unusual for a chin, but all it takes is a couple of bad experiences to make a sensitive dog a real fusspot over whatever in question. mine is awful when it comes to cleaning her ears and cleaning her face folds, taking three of us to hold her still, (she thinks she is a princess), but we hold our ground and never let her go about her business til we are done.
check out this article i have linked below, it has a unique and i find a quite true viewpoint on separation anxiety in that it ( with the exception of abused/neglected dogs) stems from the dog thinking it is dominant over you. chin are very stubborn so it can lead easily enough to this behavior.
“In a pack, the leader is allowed to leave, however, the followers never leave the leader. If your dog is instinctually seeing you as their follower and you leave him, it causes so much mental anguish that a dog often takes it out on your house or himself.”
also, honestly, there are different types of dominance, not just a directly defiant challenging dog, but it also includes the sniveling, jumping, fussy whinypants that blubbers like a weenie til the get their way. its more subtle but the end result is the same: the whiny weenie still gets there way if the fuss enough. i have worked in a pet store for the past four years and we see the separation anxiety thing on a daily basis. here’s that article…
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/separationanxiety.htm
i definitely suggest looking into doggie daycare if that could be an option for you. he simply can’t be left outside alone as chin are super susceptible to overheating/cool temps, but people love to steal little dogs. meds aren’t the worst thing and they do help alot of people and their pets. in isn’t really cruel to give him medication as you are helping to relieve his mental anguish of being alone. 🙂 with more positive, calmed experiences of being home alone, after time you may be able to phase out those meds. 🙂
the conditioning training too can definitely help but it takes time to carry out. it takes time for him to have ( repeated) successful exercises and gradually build of his confidence of him being ok alone, you being in charge and that you WILL come home soon.
chin are very social and many breeders in the chin club will not sell you one if you plan to use a crate as to not “break their spirit” as they are true companion dogs. i’d love to see him in a small dog day care or conditioned to where in could be left in a safe space while you are out after some good exercise to help get worn out. good luck to you, that is very challenging doggie problem to deal with and it often takes alot of time and effort to get over!What works with our dog is Kong brand toys. Some peanut butter and treats stuffed in one and he’s good for a while.
Of course, he doesn’t have severe separation anxiety. We crate trained him. He silll sleeps in his crate at night even now that he’s toilet trained. We also leave him in his crate when we go out for a few hours (the hubby works at home.) He used to bark the whole time we were gone, but he’s grown out of it, and with a Kong to keep him busy he’s fine.
That’s what worked for us. I hope you find a solution!Rusti wrote:This dog is not acting out any “anger” that he’s been left, he has a condition known in the behavior world as ‘separation anxiety’. He’s, quite simply, absolutely terrified to be left alone. This is why he’s such a good dog when he goes to work with you.
Anxiety meds will certainly help him, but my suggestion to you is to get in touch not with a trainer, but a behaviorist. If you have a veterinary medicine school close by, sometimes they have one on staff.
He needs not obedience training (especially if he already has it), but serious reconditioning training (and even then he may still need a little help from the meds, the meds might even be part of the rehabilitation process) if you expect to leave him at home when you move.
Rehoming him could exacerbate his separation issues, so you’re in it for the long haul. If it’s OK that you take him to work with you, continue to do that.
Also keep in mind that medication is not cruel, especially if it helps. He’ll feel better and you will feel better.
But still, in the end, find a behaviorist, they will be your best bet, and be open to the idea of medicating him. I, for one, know that I would rather pop a pill then freak out.
Suggested reading: The Dog Who Loved Too Much by Dr. Dodman
I agree, I love the Dog Whisperer, he is a behaviorist. You need to get his latest book. It goes through steps you can use to recondition your dog. You need to walk him daily, discipline him when he acts out and make sure you reward him for calm submissive behavior.
You should watch some episodes of the dog whisperer. It would give you some insight on things you can do to correct the behavior. His newest book is fantastic.
I have 11 dogs, that are rescues, abused, neglected, spoiled, and all messed up. They get along, they sleep in crates at night and go in the yard in the day and they are all now fairly well adjusted. You can change your dog’s behavior if you are willing to work at it. But you need exercise, discipline, affection in that order.
Usually, it is how you act toward the dog that encourages these issues. If you change your behavior, he can change his!
Good luck, PM me if you have questions!
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