One for the dog owners.....
Discussion
We picked up our new dog a few weeks ago & she is absolutely fantastic (18 month old Dane). However, she hates being left in the house on her own for any period of time. I am aware that Dane's don't really like solitude for long periods of time, but she gets very stressed & starts pulling things to bits as soon as she hears the car leave the drive.
Can anyone recommend any cunning ways of training a dog not to eat the house whilst their owners are out?
Can anyone recommend any cunning ways of training a dog not to eat the house whilst their owners are out?
peterguk V6 KWK said:
Sure it's stress?
Normally it's boredom and eating contents of house is fun.
Why not train it to eat a slipper or similar....
The longest I have left her this week is 10 minutes, so she can't get that bored in that time. When I come back through the door, she is panting heavily & has a "stressed look" on her faceNormally it's boredom and eating contents of house is fun.
Why not train it to eat a slipper or similar....
maybe it's because I catch her in the middle of knocking one out doggy style In all seriousness, she does appear to be stressed when I get back (tail between her legs & panting quickly & heavily)
It's kind of doing my head in at the moment, as my wife in NA for the next 2 weeks & I am a bit like a prisoner in my own home because of the mutt.
From experience (greyhound) I can recomend a book called the The Dog Listener, it might seem a bit odd what they describe but really works.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dog-Listener-Jan-Fennell/d...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dog-Listener-Jan-Fennell/d...
Where does she sleep?
Our pooch sleeps in her cage - when she was little, we would shut her in there as well when nobody was going to be in the house with her. (This was much rarer than it sounds, at the time my Dad was self employed and worked from home)
Don't feel bad about it - it's only us humans that see it as a cage. It's not a punishment. To the dog, eventually they know it's their place, a safe warm space to go when it's time for quiet time. It also means owners are happier because you don't come back to a trashed house.
Our pooch sleeps in her cage - when she was little, we would shut her in there as well when nobody was going to be in the house with her. (This was much rarer than it sounds, at the time my Dad was self employed and worked from home)
Don't feel bad about it - it's only us humans that see it as a cage. It's not a punishment. To the dog, eventually they know it's their place, a safe warm space to go when it's time for quiet time. It also means owners are happier because you don't come back to a trashed house.
I have 2 Huskies (a breed also known to trash the house) and although they're never left alone for more than a couple of hours, i always make sure they have plenty of treats....pigs ears, bones, chew sticks and luckily all the furniture is still intact.
If this fails....get yourself a babysitter. Sounds daft?
yep, but it works
If this fails....get yourself a babysitter. Sounds daft?
yep, but it works
Mon Ami Mate said:
Get down to the RSPCA and rescue a mutt. The two dogs together will keep each other company and prevent them from being bored and stressed. This worked wonders for me!!!
agree completelyI had a german shephard that was extremely destructive when left alone.......... until i got another one.
Bud
It called seperation anxiety. You've got to nip it in the bud as soon as possible, and depending how bad it is, you may have some hard work ahead. All people in the home need to help with this, as the dog needs to know it can't behave that way with anyone.
My German Shepherd ate his way through the dry wall and breeze block near to my front door!
I took advice and was told that the dog is basically trying to get to 'mum and dad' and he saw us leaving through the front door and wanted to get to us. We had to pretend to leave via the front door and return immediately, then slowly increasing the time between leaving and returning, giving the dog praise on your 'return' but completely ignoring the animal when you leave as if he wasn't there at all. This took ages, but slowly our GSD improved to where we could leave him alone for a number of hours.
If it's really bad you may need to leave and return via other doors or even through windows so the dog does not associate you leaving one particular door and not returning. Good luck!
btb
My German Shepherd ate his way through the dry wall and breeze block near to my front door!
I took advice and was told that the dog is basically trying to get to 'mum and dad' and he saw us leaving through the front door and wanted to get to us. We had to pretend to leave via the front door and return immediately, then slowly increasing the time between leaving and returning, giving the dog praise on your 'return' but completely ignoring the animal when you leave as if he wasn't there at all. This took ages, but slowly our GSD improved to where we could leave him alone for a number of hours.
If it's really bad you may need to leave and return via other doors or even through windows so the dog does not associate you leaving one particular door and not returning. Good luck!
btb
Budaholic said:
Mon Ami Mate said:
Get down to the RSPCA and rescue a mutt. The two dogs together will keep each other company and prevent them from being bored and stressed. This worked wonders for me!!!
agree completelyI had a german shephard that was extremely destructive when left alone.......... until i got another one.
Bud
I might look into getting a cage for her instead
btb said:
It called seperation anxiety. You've got to nip it in the bud as soon as possible, and depending how bad it is, you may have some hard work ahead. All people in the home need to help with this, as the dog needs to know it can't behave that way with anyone.
My German Shepherd ate his way through the dry wall and breeze block near to my front door!
I took advice and was told that the dog is basically trying to get to 'mum and dad' and he saw us leaving through the front door and wanted to get to us. We had to pretend to leave via the front door and return immediately, then slowly increasing the time between leaving and returning, giving the dog praise on your 'return' but completely ignoring the animal when you leave as if he wasn't there at all. This took ages, but slowly our GSD improved to where we could leave him alone for a number of hours.
If it's really bad you may need to leave and return via other doors or even through windows so the dog does not associate you leaving one particular door and not returning. Good luck!
btb
plus 1.My German Shepherd ate his way through the dry wall and breeze block near to my front door!
I took advice and was told that the dog is basically trying to get to 'mum and dad' and he saw us leaving through the front door and wanted to get to us. We had to pretend to leave via the front door and return immediately, then slowly increasing the time between leaving and returning, giving the dog praise on your 'return' but completely ignoring the animal when you leave as if he wasn't there at all. This took ages, but slowly our GSD improved to where we could leave him alone for a number of hours.
If it's really bad you may need to leave and return via other doors or even through windows so the dog does not associate you leaving one particular door and not returning. Good luck!
btb
It does work.
Olivero said:
From experience (greyhound) I can recomend a book called the The Dog Listener, it might seem a bit odd what they describe but really works.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dog-Listener-Jan-Fennell/d...
Mine much preferred Rupert annuals http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dog-Listener-Jan-Fennell/d...
biglepton said:
schmalex said:
We picked up our new dog a few weeks ago & she is absolutely fantastic (18 month old Dane). However, she hates being left in the house on her own for any period of time.
How long are these periods of time?Olivero said:
btb said:
It called seperation anxiety. You've got to nip it in the bud as soon as possible, and depending how bad it is, you may have some hard work ahead. All people in the home need to help with this, as the dog needs to know it can't behave that way with anyone.
My German Shepherd ate his way through the dry wall and breeze block near to my front door!
I took advice and was told that the dog is basically trying to get to 'mum and dad' and he saw us leaving through the front door and wanted to get to us. We had to pretend to leave via the front door and return immediately, then slowly increasing the time between leaving and returning, giving the dog praise on your 'return' but completely ignoring the animal when you leave as if he wasn't there at all. This took ages, but slowly our GSD improved to where we could leave him alone for a number of hours.
If it's really bad you may need to leave and return via other doors or even through windows so the dog does not associate you leaving one particular door and not returning. Good luck!
btb
plus 1.My German Shepherd ate his way through the dry wall and breeze block near to my front door!
I took advice and was told that the dog is basically trying to get to 'mum and dad' and he saw us leaving through the front door and wanted to get to us. We had to pretend to leave via the front door and return immediately, then slowly increasing the time between leaving and returning, giving the dog praise on your 'return' but completely ignoring the animal when you leave as if he wasn't there at all. This took ages, but slowly our GSD improved to where we could leave him alone for a number of hours.
If it's really bad you may need to leave and return via other doors or even through windows so the dog does not associate you leaving one particular door and not returning. Good luck!
btb
It does work.
schmalex said:
Olivero said:
btb said:
It called seperation anxiety. You've got to nip it in the bud as soon as possible, and depending how bad it is, you may have some hard work ahead. All people in the home need to help with this, as the dog needs to know it can't behave that way with anyone.
My German Shepherd ate his way through the dry wall and breeze block near to my front door!
I took advice and was told that the dog is basically trying to get to 'mum and dad' and he saw us leaving through the front door and wanted to get to us. We had to pretend to leave via the front door and return immediately, then slowly increasing the time between leaving and returning, giving the dog praise on your 'return' but completely ignoring the animal when you leave as if he wasn't there at all. This took ages, but slowly our GSD improved to where we could leave him alone for a number of hours.
If it's really bad you may need to leave and return via other doors or even through windows so the dog does not associate you leaving one particular door and not returning. Good luck!
btb
plus 1.My German Shepherd ate his way through the dry wall and breeze block near to my front door!
I took advice and was told that the dog is basically trying to get to 'mum and dad' and he saw us leaving through the front door and wanted to get to us. We had to pretend to leave via the front door and return immediately, then slowly increasing the time between leaving and returning, giving the dog praise on your 'return' but completely ignoring the animal when you leave as if he wasn't there at all. This took ages, but slowly our GSD improved to where we could leave him alone for a number of hours.
If it's really bad you may need to leave and return via other doors or even through windows so the dog does not associate you leaving one particular door and not returning. Good luck!
btb
It does work.
m3ser said:
I have 2 Huskies (a breed also known to trash the house) and although they're never left alone for more than a couple of hours, i always make sure they have plenty of treats....pigs ears, bones, chew sticks and luckily all the furniture is still intact.
If this fails....get yourself a babysitter. Sounds daft?
yep, but it works
Sibes or Mally's ?If this fails....get yourself a babysitter. Sounds daft?
yep, but it works
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