Started destructive chewing while home alone
Oliver is a wonderful dog, just turned 16 months. In the past week he has started chewing things at home while we are out and we would welcome any advice on how to stop that. 1. His daily routine during the week is that he goes out for a short early walk with me before I leave for work. About an hour later he is collected by a professional dog walker whom he loves and gets taken down to the beach for three hours in the company of ten other dogs. He then is dropped back home filthy and exhausted where I give him lunch and he settles down to sleep before I return to work. He is never alone for more than a couple of hours and is very well exercised before he is left. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays we are home with him all the time, or he is out with us. 2. We tried crating him early on but he would not take it. He barked constantly and cried and wet himself. Neighbours complained about the barking (we live in the most densely populated part of Europe and houses are very close together) so we took a chance just leaving him in the house, having dog-proofed it as much as possible. And for over a year there has been absolutely no problem whatsoever! Nothing at all, no damage, no incidents. Putting him in a crate is not an option now. 3. In the past week, while we have been out, he has chewed a hard cover book, some paper, a lamp switch and we just got back today to discover he had chewed a decent sized part of the wall, made of plaster. We had been out with him all day, walking everywhere, and he seemed very tired when we left him to join some friends for a drink for two hours. When we walked back in he was sound asleep and there was a chunk of wall missing .... 4. I am very surprised that this is happening now at a point when I thought he would be growing out of puppyhood. He has been a trouble free dog so far and is very well socialised and very happy. Our only other issue has been his stubbornness, but that is another topic for another day! Thanks to anyone who offers advice. Best wishes to all. Lee |
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| buy some puzzle toys to occupy him, you can get treat balls, basically a ball with tiny holes in and you put in your type treat for your dog, the dog has to roll to get a treat now this can take a while for the dog to get a treat but once he understands, to get the treat he has to work for it, mental stimulation can work a treat...and keep him occupied |
| Sounds like Seperation Anxiety To me. I have had that with one of ours. We HAD to crate him. It took a yr to turn him around. I think as he got older he lost that feeling.
Good Luck, Flanningan pulled apart my new sofa, and 7 pairs of shoes LOL ........................... |
| Sounds dietary to me possibly, judging from the things he has eaten? |
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