my dog tears up things when i leave her alone. what do i do?

Answer 1

its boredom and/or frustration...

get her plenty of her own toys that she can chew up and play with and train her to know that these toys are specially for her.

my dog has about 15 different toys that are kept in a basket for her - she even puts them back when shes finished and it takes her ten minutes to rummage thru, choosing which one she wants to play with.....

a ball that you can put food in, that lets out one peice at a time will keep her busy for hours. Also things with different textures.. perhaps squeak toys.
get her a variety.

you can use a crate if you want, but they usually create more problems than they solve.. such as anxiety, and howling when youre not there, and health problems from sitting/lying for hours on end. and it wont solve her boredom. You will NEVER need a crate if you train your dog properly.
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Answer 2

Dogs really do get bored when they're alone....I had a problem with that too when my golden retriever was young and there were plenty of days that when I get home from work I had to expect something went wrong while at work...LOL...I laugh now because it was kind of "kid" thing....but the solution was to buy a cage and it doesn't have to be a tiny one but one that is roomy enough to allow the dog to stretch out and and maybe walk around a little bit. But now that my dog is much older, I never have to use the cage for when I'm not home. you can't really train a small and young dog when you're not around it, so you may have to confine the dog to an area or a cage where it'll keep itself out of trouble while you're away. Just tell your dog though the dog is going to go to bed and give it a cookie when you leave it in the cage. It woks....takes time, but it really works. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Buy a crate and use it. It's not mean. Your dog will feel safe in it and will settle in while you are gone. It's possible the dog is feeling anxious when you are gone and is acting out and chewing on things to relieve that anxiety. When dogs chew, it releases endorphins that relax them. The small space of the crate is generally very soothing to dogs as they are den animals.

I disagree with the crate training article posted above that says that the crated dog "house trains itself." That's just not true. A crate is a very useful tool for house training, but you still have to put in the work to let the dog know what the rules are.

Answer 4

My question is why is everyone's answer crate them? What in the hell do you think we did 10 years ago, it wasn't a crate, or tie them outside. GOD, does anyone have any sense of responsibility any more. So she tears up big deal. She will realize you are coming home.

It is inhumane to crate any dog due to the irrisponsibility of an owner to do so. How would you like to be crated when your wife/ family;/ mother / father / kids are a way. You do it and hold your pee for 9 hours. teach you a lesson we will.

Anyone who crates a pet needs to be crated them selves. A justified form of irresponsibility as far as many are conserned. thumbs down me I don't care the more I get the guilty you all are.

Be a real pet owner train your dogs not rely on BS to do it or training classes. Spend time with your dogs for crying out loud.

Answer 5

Buy a large play pen or crate for the dog and keep her in there while you are gone. Sounds like she has separation anxiety. Some dogs should never be left alone to run the house. I have 2 very well behaved small dogs, and I baby gate them in my kitchen when I am gone, simply to protect them and to protect my belongings. Hope this helps! and good luck.

Answer 6

When I bought my dog a few years ago, he used to crap all over the place when I left the house. Even if I put him in his crate he'd crap. I tried everything, obedience training, a dog psychologist, dog anti-anxiety medication, and nothing worked. You know how I cured him? I got him a little brother (a puppy), and I haven't had a problem since, and that was a year and a half ago. I thought having two dogs would be too much work, but it's actually two times the love and two times the fun.

Answer 7

crate, works great i go to work come back and nothings ruined. but remember its used for a little home not a punishment. if you use it for a punishment she will hate it. my dog hated it at first til she learned it was a home away from home, i leave the door open and when she's tired she'll go in for a nap or even just to play with toys. when u do start training dont shove her in, put some toys leaving it open and let her check it out herself. then start putting her in for about 10 mins with toys and chews. she'll cry at first but after doing this for a couple of days, start leaving her in there, remember to walk her before and after crating her for a few hours. most of the time they'll hold it for as long as they can so dont get mad if she has an accident.

Answer 8

My dog does this too. I had to buy a crate and lock him up when we're gone. I hated doing it at first, but after spending over 80 dollars on the same cord to my computer (4 times) I had to do something. The crate works! The dog won't go to the bathroom in it and they can't tear stuff up. Just beware, she will be full of energy when you let her out so make sure you walk her/play w/ her when you get home. Good luck!

Answer 9

We have a Jack, when we would leave home alone he would go to the bath room on everything! Create training saves head aches and clean ups!!! Just give it a treat when you put him in there so it doen't think it's a bad thing, and go for a long walk when you get home. You can also put a little water dish in there for them as well, or a kong, something to keep it entertained a little!!

good luck!

Answer 10

Get her a crate and train her to stay in it. they really are wonderful if you use them correctly. They like them - they feel safe in them.

If you need to train her to be comfortable in one, here's what you can do. while you are at home put a treat inth e crate and coax her to go in it. When she does, tell her she is a good girl and shut the door gently. Stay in the same room with here while you work or do stuff and keep telling her she is so good, etc. the after 5 minutes let her out and tell her she is good.

Keep doing this for longer periods and leave the room for a few minutes.

Believe me, if you do this gently and in a fun way, she will run to it when you say "crate". Mine do. they love them. When i come home i make a big fuss over them. it protects them from chewing harmful things like electrical cords, etc and you know they are safe while you are out.