why does my dog rip the house up when im gone?

Question

ive just got home, hes ripped up the cupboards, the door is now dust. hes the best dog in the world, i dont even use a lead to take him a walk, but this is his only down point, and my roommate will kill him

he is a fully trained working dog, is walked four times every day, he is eight. so guys, i like some answers but some really are a load of crap

Answer 1

he is suffering for separation axiety...go to petco.com and they will give you tips and points to help him deal while your not there and there are some training tips that your doing while your there that is making it harder for him when you leave such as: do not pet him unless he does something first such as sit...do not let him lay or sit right next you, make him sit across the room and if he can't handle that they say to put a leash on him and tie it to the door handle so he stays across the room...put him in another room and shut the door and when he begins to whine, howl, or if you hear him getting into things throw a bean bag at the door he will not know your the one who did it but DONT say a word to him...when you leave switch up your routine there is a cue thats letting him know your leaving before you even open the door...leave 15 min early and just stand outside where he can't see you for a few min..walk back into the house..go back out and sit there for longer and then walk back in...this will trick the dog....i always leave music playing...i will put a cd in my dvd player when i wake up and put it on repeat for the whole time im getting ready...i try to slip out when they don't see me (i give them a bone so they are distracted in another room) and with the music playing they don't even realize im gone...that had helped...otherwise i would deffinetly crate him...still play music so he doesn't feel so lonely but my dogs only chewed up pillows or blankets...NEVER a door or cupboards...good luck and tell your roommate to take a chill pill...then him your handling the situation and him getting upset isn't helping anything!!...

Answer 2

Simply put, your dog is bored when you leave and it has seperation anxiety. I had 2 shepherds that tore up my house when I'd leave and was gone more than an hour or two. One of the dogs chewed the door frame down the the wall and ripped up the floor tiles near the door. The other one literally ripped the upholstery of my couch. How she got the zipper open on one of the couch cushions is beyond me because all I saw was the foam cushion shredded all over the room. They'd paw at the window that there are deep scratch marks in the glass. I had to lower the blinds, but then they'd rip them down. And then to top it off, they'd go into my bedroom and somehow get my comforter off and onto the floor and then they'd dig at the sheets until they tore them to shreds. After all that, they'd sit on the bed and howl for hours until I got home. The only solution for me was to ask a family member to come over my house and keep them company.

I'm talking about very well behaved dogs otherwise. I could take them anywhere. I'd use hand motions to let them know what to do. I never had to yell at them for anything. They walked without a lease and if the gate was ever open, they'd never leave. But when I left them for too long a time, they let me know of their displeasure.

Answer 3

hes bored - & has seperation issues
- what breed is it - anything from the 'working' class of dogs, terriers , or other high energy breeds will find themfelf a job to do if not mentally ated - even if its eatting the cubbords - some dogs also do the same when left alone --

Try exercising your dog ALOT more , making sure it has lots of dog safe toys & isn't let alone for longer than an hour or two - leave a radio on so it can keep it company , work with it - get it to fetch sit stay etc ... alot of breeds need this type of stuff to kep their minds active

Answer 4

You didn't say what breed this dog is. Sounds like you need to buy a crate for him and crate train him. He needs not to be left in the home when there is no one to watch him. He may be angry that you're gone. But crating (be sure he can stand, turn around and lie down in the crate) him should help. He will not be happy but you need to reassure him that this is his space and don't give in when he starts to bark, cry or whine. If you do, then HE wins. Calm and assertive is what you need to be. This is your home and he does not run it, you do.
Be the pack leader.
Good Luck

Answer 5

Dogs do this because they belong outside. Pets are not a good idea when you think it through, and dogs are possibly the worst house pet you can have, in an urban setting. Dogs ought to be outside, where they are happiest, and can't destroy the furniture. My dog was a very hairy collie, and not suitable for living in a house, but he had been rescued from a cruel environment, so he needed the attention. But it was a bad move, thinking about it.

Answer 6

This mainly happens when they are puppies, so when it was not possible to take them with me when I went out, I used to;-
a)Put their beds in the kitchen, where they could do least damage and had the Aga to keep them warm.
b) I would rub one of their clean blankets all over me to transfer `my smell` onto it,and wrap the puppy in the blanket.
c) I gave them plenty of soft toys to chew and play with, and balls to chase.
d) I always had a radio on a station where there was both music and people talking to keep the puppies company.
e I tried never to leave them alone for very long.
Dogs get lonely and bored when you are not with them. They really do miss you.

Answer 7

you are able to initiate off with non frightening white noise to objective and drown out the sounds - field fan, "by using a canines's ear" song etc.. then you definitely can initiate off engaged on desensitization and counter conditioning. each and every time you pay attention a noise, toss your canines a manage. attempt to get the manage to him beforehand he starts barking. despite the fact that that is ok to manage as quickly as he starts barking when you consider which you're working classically, not operantly. you will not desire a bark collar, nor will you are able to desire to spritz your canines, or punish in any way. those suggestions often create greater problems than they remedy. See greater information below

Answer 8

Dogs are not a house animal but owners ignore this at their
peril. Canine do what their nature requires. Suggest better
brain pay attention to the difference in residence values. Or
you can drug it or train new habits like Humans do to each other; autocratic, isn't it?

Answer 9

He rips up the place because their is nobody their to watch him. Pets need alot of attention.Try some training techniques.If you have a roomate you should give the dog to someone you can trust.

Answer 10

He is bored, underexercised, overstimulated, has seperation anxiety,no proper chew toys, is untrained or too young to be left w/o being crated..take your pick. Crate the dog when no one is home and step up his exercise, hopefully he is neutered, if not do so.