Q: I just read some advice you gave someone with behavioral problems. I am hoping you can offer some advice to me. I have a 4-year old white German Shepherd. He is fairly high strung. When he was a puppy, 12 weeks old, we had a lot of problems house breaking him. He was very destructive. We saw an animal behavioral specialist in our area and we determined that he was suffering from separation anxiety.
We tried to stimulate him by making him an outdoor dog. This has worked wonderfully. However, last November my younger brother moved in next door. He has a dog that my dog had known since he was a puppy. Things were subtly different with my dog's behavior. He seemed much more concerned about what my brother's dog was doing than us. When my older brother baby-sat him for an overnight we took at Christmas, my dog was very anxious and wouldn't settle down for him. Usually he has no problem baby-sitting for him.
Then our dog started digging in his pen, pulling at the fence, dumping his water dish. This has been going on and off for a while now. Yesterday he completely destroyed his pen. He pulled the fence down, moved concrete blocks around, ripped his wood door off its hinges, chewed it to pieces. It just looked like there had been a tornado in his pen! We do restrain him to his dog house with a chain inside the fenced in area. This is to protect him for animals on the outside, since we do live in the woods. I did look extensively around our property for tracks from other animals or something that may have set him off. I found nothing. I am thinking that this could be separation anxiety again or like you stated in your other advise column maybe he loves my brother's dog more than us. If that is the problem, how do I win him back? I could really use some advice. Thank you.
A: Oh my, big problems, huh? First, is he neutered? If not, be sure to do that promptly. Could be some "call of the wild" going on here and it will help with health issues in the years ahead too.
Second, chaining to the dog house does create behavior problems. Tethering a dog is increasingly not accepted as a method for confinement, due to the serious problems that can result. One thing is frustration, which certainly sounds like what you're seeing. Another is aggression. Excessive barking and digging are also commonly seen in tethered dogs.
The Humane Society of the United States and the U.S. Department of Agriculture both have determined that continuous tethering of a dog as a means of restraint is inhumane and causes problems. Many other dog experts agree. It is commonly done, but it really is not a good idea. Whatever you do with your boy needs to be built around getting him off that chain.
It is possible that what your dog was suffering from that caused him to be moved outdoors for confinement was not separation anxiety, but rather the destructive chewing stage that is very typical of dogs of his breed. The permanent teeth are loose when they come in, and have to be set in the jaw by lots of chewing--this goes on for a long time. Somewhere between ages 2 and 3, the dogs tend to outgrow it, if they have been kept from forming bad habits by proper restraint when no one can supervise--such as a crate--and have been patiently and repeatedly shown their own toys to chew.
When the dog doesn't stay in the house, of course he doesn't feel as close to his people. The idea is to get a puppy used to resting calmly in a crate--dogs sleep 14 hours a day, so the nap time is not a problem, once the pup is used to it-- while they are very young, so they never even get the idea of tearing out of the crate. It can still be done at a later age with most, but not all dogs.
To win your dog back, adopt him all over again as a member of your family. Bring him into the house to live with you. Take him to training class once a week and practice the lessons every day. Give him a place in your life that he knows is important to you. German Shepherds are loyal dogs. If he was attached to you as a pup, he can be again.
A 4-year old German Shepherd is just now coming into some real maturity. Dog training was practically invented for this breed, and he could well be the star of his obedience class. Nothing you've told me says it's too late to turn this dog into a wonderful companion. I hope you can make this big lifestyle change, and have lots more happy years with this guy.