Home Alone

HOME ALONE

Have you ever wondered why your dog chews or is destructive when left at home alone? Your dog might miss your company, and chew to relieve feelings of boredom, frustration or anxiety. According to Kaye Hargreaves, the solution is to remove the causes of stress, and channel the dog’s energy into something more acceptable.

Reduce stress

“I don’t understand why Zoe chews when we go out. We give her lot’s of attention.” The puzzlement and frustration of Zoe’s owners is mounting.

This is what I advised them to do :

You may be giving her too much attention, making it hard for her to cope with being alone.  Ask Zoe to sit before you pat or give her attention. This creates a bond between you and your dog, in which she regards you as leader.

Your “quality time” with Zoe should include mental stimulation in the form of training and play as well as exercise. When you play, ask her to respond to a command - say “fetch” rather than just throwing the ball. 

Make your arrivals and departures very low key. An emotional departure winds the dog up and leaves no outlet except destructive, tension-relieving behaviour. Wait about half an hour before taking Zoe for a walk or having a training or play session, so she won’t be hyped up waiting for you to get home.

Try giving Zoe access to the living area (or part of it) while you are out. If you don’t want to do this, make the backyard more of a living area by spending time there with her. 

Chew this

Actively encourage Zoe to be interested in a few chew toys. Zoe’s owners gave a wail of despair (“Oh but she has hundreds of toys!”) when I suggested this.

I explained that too many toys can give Zoe the message that “anything goes”. Attract her attention to three or four toys - one you have recently handled so it has your scent on it, one you have played with, one that can be made to move easily and something edible, such as a bone or a Kong stuffed with food.

If Zoe is  “hooked” on chewing a special toy, she will not be chewing a hundred and one other things of yours - such as the remote control for the video, or that plant that you just repotted.

Yelling, hitting and any form of punishment hardly ever works. It can make the dog worry about getting into trouble when you get home - and what does the dog do to relieve tension? Chew something!

© Kaye Hargreaves 2008, may be reproduced with acknowledgement; www.kayehargeaves.com