[AndyP]

So we've had our puppy since she was 8 weeks old. We had a few issues leaving her alone (separation anxiety) but those dwindled with time. Everything's been good for 6 months or so.

All of a sudden, just after she's turned a year, she's started destroying stuff when we leave. Chewing chairs, ripping our laundry down, destroying shoes etc.

a) what should our response be when we get home?
b) is this just a phase that will go away?

This isn't a dog who is deprived of exercise and activity. She's out for 3-4 hours a day and were constantly trying to keep her mind going. She's an Aussi Shepherd/border collie, so she's always "on".

 

[trainingjunkie]

Once you get home, it's too late to do anything. It may be a phase. It may not be. If she was my dog, she would be kennelled, crated, or confined to a dog-safe room every time I left.

This could be SA. It could be boredom. It could be a bad habit. Keeping her safe (and your stuff too!) needs to be a priority.

You are entering (IMHO) the hardest phase of adolescence. It can last another year or so. Confinement keeps her safe from injury or injesting something dangerous. It also keeps her in your good graces. It's no coincidence that this is the age when many dogs end up in shelters. It's a hard phase that often passes if you help the dog succeed.

 

[AndyP]

Thanks! The problem is that we live in a very small, open concept place, and really hard to confine her. We had her crated, but she started really freaking out in the crate and we both work, so to stop the noise complaints, we let her out. Ug, we euchred ourselves.

Don't be worried though, we're not going to give her up, no matter what she destroys.

 

[L Kathryn]

Would the bathroom be an option?

 

[Nil]

Would the bathroom be an option?

As long as you take out/put away everything that isn't nailed down, at least for the first couple times.

Also, have you tried leaving her with a Kong that has wet food, treats, etc. frozen inside? Or her breakfast inside a food dispensing toy so she has to work at it to eat? (Tug a Jug, Buster cube, etc.) Keeps dogs busy. Keep toys she can play with in there too. Plus water, of course.

 

[LilasMom]

So we've had our puppy since she was 8 weeks old. We had a few issues leaving her alone (separation anxiety) but those dwindled with time. Everything's been good for 6 months or so.

All of a sudden, just after she's turned a year, she's started destroying stuff when we leave. Chewing chairs, ripping our laundry down, destroying shoes etc.

a) what should our response be when we get home?
b) is this just a phase that will go away?

This isn't a dog who is deprived of exercise and activity. She's out for 3-4 hours a day and were constantly trying to keep her mind going. She's an Aussi Shepherd/border collie, so she's always "on".

Does this mean you exercise her for 3-4 hours or she is just outside for 3-4 hours?

 

[Master Shake]

I have the same problem with my 1 year old dog. I have to work during the day so I cannot watch her at all times. I tried leaving her in her crate while I was gone, but she gets very violent and destructive in the crate -- to a point where she is bleeding from the top of her nose and her nails (as she tries to get out). At times, the cage will even have moved meaning she uses a lot of force. I tried keeping her in a closed room, but she tore up the carpet and scratched deep gouges in the doors.

My dog has no problem in her cage when I am home (like overnight), so I think it is a separation anxiety issue. I leave food and toys in the cage for her, but they end up destroyed and outside the cage when I get home. I have to leave her out of her cage because of this.

Outside her cage, she chews the boards on the walls at the floor and totally destroys her pee pee pads (even if they have been used -- yuck!). When I get home, I let her run around outside for a few hours, but lately she is constantly barking at everyone or no one, which I can only imagine the neighbors are not too fond of.

So what to do?

Thanks!

 

[Canaqua]

We have the same problem...10 month old BC mix and most of our house is laid out such that there are no doors. She wrecks the place if left alone. I'm currently solving the problem by sending her to "dog school" three days a week, to my mother's one day a week and by working from home on the fifth day. It's a PITA and not cheap, so I'm hoping she'll stop beeing a teenager before another year is up. If necessary, we'll keep at it, but I'm hoping she grows up sooner rather than later!

 

[Amaryllis]

True SA is a disease akin to generalized anxiety disorder in humans. It is treatable with medicine. If your dog is hurting herself in her crate, consult your vet.

Adolescence, unfortunately, is treatable only with time.