Anxious chewing

[IzzyH]

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I have a 10 month old cocker x miniature schnauzer who seems to be an anxious chewer. We have another dog, a 2 year old shih tzu who doesn't have a problem with being left alone. I work part time so am only out of the house for a max of 6 hours, my partner is in the Navy and spends half the month away and half the month off at home so its only 2 weeks a month they are left for a significant amount of time. The puppy doesn't really chew anything when we are home and is never aggressive at all, hes a very sweet boy, just naughty when we are out the house! He gets a walk before I leave and when I get home, and we have kongs we fill with treats or biscuits and also a puzzle ball as well as all of their toys but it doesn't seem enough to distract him. We have started using a bitter apple spray which does seem to work for the most part but unless a whole object is covered in it he just chews around it! At first he was chewing the carpet, then the table and most recently he's learnt how to open cupboards! We are going to start crate training him but if there is any other advice to keep him calm we'd be really grateful! Does anyone know if those calming room sprays work? Thanks for your help!

 

[gypsysmum2]

The Adaptil room diffusers do work. They cover a certain square footage so you may need more than one. You can also get collars and sprays.

What kind of diet is your dog on? Some foods cause dogs to be hyperactive.

When you say your dog gets a walk, how much exercise and breed appropriate play does your dog actually get?

Separation problems are usually caused by a dog becoming too emotionally dependent on their owner. As you have found out, another dog in the house makes no difference. He misses you when you leave him.

The best way to deal with this is to try to make him more independent. This means not letting him rest touching you all the time. Not allowing him to follow you from room to room, and not responding to attention seeking behaviour. Your dog will cope better when left if he can be taught to settle quietly by himself and play independently with his toys.

One way of doing this is to use a signal which tells him that no attention is available. Something like some wind chimes hung in a prominent place would do. When the signal is out on display the dog should be completely ignored. Make sure he is comfortable and has something to occupy him. No matter what he does when the signal is out he should be ignored. It helps to pretend that you do not have a dog. After several repetitions you should see him react to the placing of the signal with a resigned attitude when he knows that no attention is going to be available. You can then place the signal out when you leave the house.

Alongside this you could blur the expectation that he has of being left. Most dogs start to get anxious when we prepare to go out. You can prevent this by starting the process, like changing shoes, and then sitting down again. Repeat this as often as you can. Next, change the shoes, put your coat on and sit down again. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Go to the next stage, such as picking up bag, keys etc and then sit down again. You are teaching your dog not to bother getting worried before you go out.

Further this training by going out the door (dressed convincingly) and coming straight back in again. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Then stay outside the door for 10 seconds. Repeat etc. Then stay out for increasingly longer periods until you can go to the car and start it and then come straight back. Drive to the corner and come back.

Your aim during all this acting is to confuse your dog as to how long you may be gone. If you have done a good job your dog should expect you back fairly soon when you are actually going to be gone for increasingly longer periods of time. He should, eventually, just give up worrying about you leaving at all. Most dogs do all the chewing in the first half hour or so of being left. If you can persuade him that you could be back any second or in five/ten/fifteen minutes then he should relax when left.

When you leave and return it is important that you are very cool with your dog. For ten minutes before you go out, completely ignore him as though you do not have a dog.

Your dog can have as much attention as you like at all other times. This attention should be instigated by you and not the dog.

 

[dogleadsandharnesses]

Use any adaptil product room diffuser or collar will do the trick