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Found something else for you that you might have a read at and can help you while you look for a behaviorist.
I don’t know that it would help at all in this case, but my step-mom’s Golden retrievers hate to be alone. They used to do the same thing, going in the house and destroying things, until she started leaving the radio on when the house was empty. It helped a lot. But now we think Honey just loves chewing up shoes… she does that no matter what 😆
I’m totally on the Dog Whisper train! That being said, it may infact help to put your dog on an SSRI type medication. I know Lexapro is one that is used. It’s not a sedative.
I agree that re-homing him may just make it worse for the next person. I also agree that you can’t buy a house and then have this dog ruin it. As much as you love the dog, it is not unreasonable to expect your house to be ok when you leave him alone in it. so, yes, call your vet and a behaviorist…Good luck and let us know it goes!
“Usually, it is how you act toward the dog that encourages these issues. If you change your behavior, he can change his!”
hallelujah! this is soooo true! i’ll watch customers “train” their dogs into bad behavior right in our store and the dog will start using that new naughty knowledge right away! its crazy! the don’t know they are being bad, but the owner will knowingly or unknowingly reward negative behavior, and then the dogs immediately put it to use.
i love it when a little dog barks ferociously at an oncoming big dog, then the owner picks it up and says ” ooooooooh poopsie, why you barky bark so much? thats not niiiiiiiiiiiiiice.” they give attention to the bad behavior, as opposed to repremanding the dog for barking rudely and if he doesn’t stop, sitting him down.
anyhoo, another vote for the dog whisperer. he is brilliant and his techniques are easy, effective and common sense. his techniques could definitely be helpful. his show is on the national geographic channel, or you can check out his books or tv series on dvd. 🙂Rusti’s advice is spot on.
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My art: featherdust.comI watch the dog whisperer too so I’m familiar with some of the things he says. It’s difficult to follow some of his advice because my husband gives the dog attention no matter what he does (bad things). He’ll pick him up and spoil him constantly so when he does do something wrong, I get the same response…”he’s only 2 years old”. I feel that I’m the only one disciplining him when he acts up, my husband almost never does. He gets plenty of exercise…Ceaser says to take the dogs for long walks before you leave so they can release energy…we do that several times a day including before we leave to go anywhere. He still acts up. So I follow Ceaser’s advice in the order of dealing with dogs….my husband doesn’t. He doesn’t agree with any of it. Which makes it hard.
I can’t take him to work anymore because I left that job. Plus he started acting weird in the mornings when I was taking him. All four legs would go out in front of him and I almost had to drag him in the front door. very embarrassing. He loves other animals…his best buddy is the cat. They sleep and play together. I can’t get anymore animals here…rules of the place.
Even I don’t understand why he keeps messing in the kennel (crate as some of you call it). He chews on the sides of it too…lots of teeth marks all over it. We were giving him plenty of toys in the kennel but like I said earlier…he ignores them and messes all over them. I have recently tried the kennel again…I had to bathe him every day for almost a full month.
I honestly think he came from a puppy mill. I paid for him and everything and talked to the lady but a few months after I got him they disappeared off the face of the planet. They had a website and everything selling all kinds of dogs. But he caught my eye…so finding him a new home won’t be a problem with the “breeder”.
There is only one doggie day care place in the area…the place I used to work for. Not only do I no longer trust those people, but they close before I get off work, and my husband too. Pet sitters in this area are too expensive…I’ve looked.
If we find a place with a garage, I’d be worried about him finding something to get into while we are gone. Plus the amount of pee this little thing can pump out an hour is amazing for his size. It will be all over the place just like it is in the apartment now. I’ve been to homes where people keep their dogs in garages and the smell can be overwhelming. He doesn’t bark at all so I’m not too worried about him making a lot of noise while we are gone.
I think I’ve answered everyone’s post…not sure though. Thank all of you. 🙂
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While you’re looking for a house, try the desensitization technique outlined in the Humane Society link I provided. It’s actually quite sound training and something you can try, but you need to do it when one of you can be home. It may do the trick.
He really is quite frightened when you leave, he’s not acting out of dominance or anger, just pure fear. This is why he urinates and defecates and won’t play with toys. He’s so scared he can’t get any enjoyment out of them.
I still strongly advise you find a behaviorist. When you move, if you’ve done the desensitization at your apartment, you may have to do it again at the new house, as that’s a huge change for a dog. A new home, a new routine and just all that much more to be upset about. Do your very best not to rehome him if you can, it really will just get worse for a new owner.
I know it’s a lot of work, but being able to leave the house and come home to a happy dog is certainly worth it. Hang in there!
First off..if you are committed to training the dog, your husband has to be in the program. If he isn’t, you are spinning your wheels.
He can not complain if he isn’t participating, this is a dog. It is like training a child, and if you can not get together in training a dog, then you should be worried about training a child later on.
I think if you put a modicum of effort into training, you will be fine…Kaya
the dragon collector wrote:I honestly think he came from a puppy mill. I paid for him and everything and talked to the lady but a few months after I got him they disappeared off the face of the planet. They had a website and everything selling all kinds of dogs. But he caught my eye…so finding him a new home won’t be a problem with the “breeder”.
Aww, it does sound like he came from a mill. 🙁 Did they have registered papers on him and provide a lineage? Another good way to tell if you have a good breeder is if they have a waiting list or not. Most good breeders are so selective about their animals and the kinds of homes they go into that there will be a list of people waiting to get one of their animals.
Good luck!!
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My art: featherdust.comThe dog whisperer is a moron, he intimidates the dogs into submission, after the dog died on the treadmill at his “facility” I totally wrote him off as yet another fad.
I hate to say it, but a large part of your dog’s problem may be Daddy’s behavior towards him. Like Rusti and tf have said, he is genuinely anxious, but if we’re compounding that problem with your dog’s thinking that he’s the alpha personality in the household, then that really throws it over the cliff.
A high-strung dog needs to have strong human leader figures in his life. The world is a big scary place, and most dogs are not equipped to make correct decisions on how to deal with it. Every dog wants to be alpha, yes, but almost no dog can handle the stress of being alpha over his humans. Being the alpha means you have to make all the decisions, and most dogs can’t do that! They don’t know what to do. They really do better when their humans say, “This is how it is, and we make the rules, and you need to follow them.” This little guy really needs to know that everything is going to be OK, but the way to go about it is NOT to cuddle him! Instead, he needs to see every day that his humans are on top of things and in control. Usually basic obedience is a good place to start.
He has a major anxiety issue. Talking to a canine behavioralist is super important for both you and him. Dogs DO NOT follow the same social rules as humans, and need rules and boundaries very much in order to feel comfortable. What a human would call “boring” or “restrictive” an anxious dog would call “safe” and “reassuring”. The behavioralist can help translate what his actions are telling you, and also give you some backup for getting your husband to understand why his own actions are making the problem worse. Anxiety-reducing drugs are a valid aid, but they’re only a training aid and the ultimate goal is to wean a dog off of them. The real job is to change the pattern that allows these behaviors, and establish one that gives you back a happy living environment.
Good luck with this! It will be a challenge, but the thing to remember is Keep Insisting. Don’t give up. He’s not at all happy the way things are–clearly–but there are solutions, and they come from you and the behavioralist. Drive for them and don’t give up.
the dragon collector wrote: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.You need the Dog Whisperer. 😯
I’d love to have Ceasar come to my place to see what he can do. But he’s not gonna come to a place like this. It’s not on the map. He’ll only travel to places close by his place or if it’s a popular city. That’s what I’ve been told.
It’s funny and annoying at the same time, because when I catch the dog doing something bad, he’ll run and hide next to my husband and just stare at me like “daddy will protect me”….grrr. I hate that.
He has some papers. One with his “parents” info written on it and his own info. So I wouldn’t be surprised if they were fake. Oh well on that.
My most wanted list: carnelian mouse wizard, copper patina frog wizard, autumn leaf poads, pumpkin spice kitties
What about leaving a sweater you or your husband wore? My husband swears by that. He recommends underwear, actually, because they get a lot of the person’s smell…
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