Young dogs normally go through a destructive chewing phase when they grow up. How can their owners keep them from wrecking the house while they're not home? These suggestions can help any dog owner raise a dog who can be left home alone with confidence!
Q: I'm sure you get this question quite often, but I'm going to ask it anyway. I have a 13-month old German Shepherd/Chow mix that I adopted from the Humane Society. I love him with all my heart, but he's out of control. He seems to have severe separation anxiety and is ruining almost everything I own. My roommate (who loves him just as much) and I work opposite schedules, so the dog is never alone for more than 3 or 4 hours at a time. However, during those hours, he religiously gets into the garbage, chews up CDs, house plants, magazines, anything he can get his teeth on. Obviously I can't put the entire house in the closet every day. We do not have a yard, so I can't put him outside. I've thought about tranquilizers, but I do not want a vegetable for a pet. I'm at a loss. Please help!
A: Your dog could have separation anxiety, since he comes from a shelter. But it is equally, perhaps even more, likely that he is simply going through the destructive chewing stage that is normal in large dogs of his age. It generally lasts to age 2 to 3 years in males.
Two and a half years would be pretty typical for a male, since they mature more slowly than females. If he is not neutered yet, do it as soon as the vet says he is healthy enough. Without that, you may see other behavior problems in the near future.
A dog's permanent teeth are loose when they come in around 7 to 9 months. They have to be set in the jaw by chewing. It looks to many people like deliberate destruction, spite, anger, etc. But think about this a minute. How would a dog have any idea whatsoever of the value of your things? He has no concept of money.
He also does not understand what you are mad about when you come home and yell at him for what he has chewed. I know, I know, he looks like he feels guilty, but that is only submission, his natural instinct to appease an angry pack leader. Don't punish a dog for things he has chewed--that can cause horrible behavior problems, including aggression.
Increasing the dog's exercise can help, and so can providing very interesting toys, such as a Buster Cube or Kong with treats in it that he has to work to get. However, this drive to chew is so extreme in many dogs of this age, that he simply cannot be discriminating about what he grabs to calm the urge, when no one is around to help direct him.
The best solution for most dogs is a crate when no one can supervise. Dogs sleep about 14 hours a day, and with your dog alone only 3 to 4 hours at a time, this should work great for him. Get him used to the crate slowly, so he learns it is nothing to fear. Give him great treats in there.
If you have a room you could confine him in where he couldn't damage anything, that can be an alternative to a crate. However, a German Shepherd can claw right through a door, so you may not find a room that works. For that matter, he can break out of a crate, if he is determined enough. So let's hope he is one of the blessed dogs who was accustomed to a crate as a puppy, and won't even worry about trying to get out, will just chew his special chewie and then fall asleep until you get home.
If the dog panics at the crate, then talk to your vet about medication, just temporarily to help him adjust to the crating. Many dogs lose their homes and ultimately their lives due to this normal development period. Your dog really needs your commitment to get him through it--and lots of great dog toys, of course!