My dog keeps tearing up the house everyday when I leave, what can I do???

Question

She is a year old black lab. It seems that lately every time I leave for work or school I come home to items ripped up and destroyed all over my living room floor. She always get's in trouble....I usually tell her "bad girl" in my deepest voice and this seems to scare her quite a bit. I sometimes put her in the backyard alone, but it's getting worse everyday even though she is punished. I can be gone 5 minutes sometimes and she's gone on a destroying rampage. She's a good girl when I'm home and very loving, but goes nuts when I leave. What do I do????? I'm soooooooo fed up, I'm actually considering getting rid of her and I don't want to do that, but I don't know what to do?????

Answer 1

Sorry, but I am really having a time with this. It sounds like you live here with us. My son has a two-year old black Lab. She is as sweet as she can be and very gentle; however, you need eyes in the back of your head. We also have a backyard and do use it except in extremely hot or cold weather. We have a kennel in my son's bedroom and when we leave the house, Belle (the dog) is put in her "bedroom". Prior to Belle, he had a black Lab which he had to have put down. Her name was Mollie and was 13 years old. I do know that these dogs change with age because Mollie was the proof; she was just like the Lab we have now whenever she was a puppy. Just give your puppy some time -- she will "grow out of it".

Answer 2

There could be a few causes for this. She may be acting out due to frustration, or she could have some separation anxiety. How long is she left alone every day? Dogs are social animals and need companionship....Labs in particular being exremely people orientated. Try more exercise to expend some of her boundless puppy energy. Maybe a brisk walk before you leave for work/school to tucker her out a bit. Leave anything that you do not want her to chew in places where she has no access, and provide plenty of chew toys to occupy her. When you come in from work, don't make a big fuss over her. Make her earn your attention and affection through good behavior, paying her no attention until she is calm and relaxed. Try to get home to take her out for a bit during breaks from work, or ask a friend to check on her while you're gone. She is still very much a puppy. As she ages, she will become more independant. Keep in mind though, Labs are high energy and do best with high energy owners. If she is too active for you she may be the wrong breed for you.

Answer 3

A black lab that is only a year old is still a puppy; puppies need attention. You need to install rules on this puppy the same as you would a child. You wouldn't leave a child unattended in an area that it could destroy things. You also need to make sure your pet has toys that are appropriate. If your puppy is bored and lonely it will destroy for lack of something better to do. Even if you scold, if your puppy is bored it will find something to do that you may not like. It doesn't want to be a bad dog. Labs are actually very loyal and very smart dogs. Find a book about Labs and read up on what they like and need in order to be happy and healthy. If trained, a black lab can be a great companion and friend for many years.

Answer 4

Experienced this same thing with our Pit mix, she destroyed everything, including the first two crates we used - those black wire crates. Then we invested in an airline crate and have had no problems since. After a busy weekend or lots of activity, she looks forward to us leaving so she can have alone time in her crate!

At first we did have to bribe her in - I suggest buying a Kong toy, putting treats inside and smearing a little peanut butter on the outside. It's a game for the dog to get the treats out of the Kong. The only time your dog is allowed to have or play with the Kong is when she is in the crate. Now five years later, Crystal hops in the air and runs to her crate when the Kong and peanut butter come out!

We do exercise her and our black lab/border collie mix quite a bit, although not before we leave for work. They get at least 30 minutes of running, chasing tennis balls, playing together and generally running around outside everyday. That helps tremendously - tired dogs are good dogs.

Please be patient - dogs are a lot of work but their companionship and loyalty are sooooo worth it!!

Answer 5

Your dog is suffering from anxiety. Some people WANT to call this "separation anxiety" but its not really. Do you take yoru dog for good fast paced walks? If not, do this before you leave home. You need to make sure that while walking, your dog is focused and facing front. She stops to go to the bathroom and to sniff only when YOU want her to. This is they way they migrate in nature. To them this is exercise and the only way to drain energy. There is no substitute. Not even a large backyard. To them a designtaed area, even a big yard, is just a cage. Their minds naturally have a need to wander. This is why you see so many homeless people with happy dogs, because they wander all the time.


Try taking your dog for a 30 mintue fast paced and focused walk before you leave home and when you get back home every day and see if this changes.

I know this works. My neighbors had the same problem. I told them what i told you and they no longer have to use a crate. They walk their dog before they leave and they leave their dog in the house with toys. She does so good and doesn't even bark at all while they are gone. No issues whatsoever.

Answer 6

Dogs usually become destructive when they don't get enough excercise. Make sure you walk your dog regularly, give a good lengthy walk before you leave for work and when you come home. They need to exhert some energy.

Dogs energy sometimes converts to destructive behavior. Make sure she gets out to run around at a park or something.

Telling her bad girl or repremanding her when you get home is pointless. Dogs don't remember what they did was bad earlier that day. You have to yell at them on the spot when you see it....not later.

Treat her when you get home if she does the right thing.

Be consistent with your feedings, walkings, etc.

Dogs need strict schedules and rewards for doing the right things.

Rewards work better than punishments. Reward for positive things.

You could also consider crating her. I used to crate my dog in the bathroom (with no crate) since I had a large bathroom I felt better about the amount of space she had.

But a really bad dog might need to be crated in a dog cage during the day.

They don't see it as punishment, they see it as their own little home. And they will learn to use it even when you don't tell them. For example you get home let him/her out of his/her cage, when he/she gets tired later, they might just automatically go in and lye down because they know it's their home.

Answer 7

Putting your dog in a crate will only help for so long, some younger labs tend to be hyperactive, so what you need to do is tire your dog out before you go, I know it's a pain in the butt, but if you tire your dog out and then crate her she's less likely going to be destructive. I've know some people who just crate and the dogs just escape from the crate. I get up about an hour earlier than I normally do and run my dog until he's dead tired, if they have no energy they can't destroy things.

Answer 8

I was in your same shoes with my Boston Terrier. I went to Walmart and purchased a 50 dollar crate for her to be in every time I left, because she was my responsibility and I didn't want to have to give her away, even though in my angry moments that I had tore up things all over my house, I wanted to give her to a family member that was a Boston lover... put the dog in a crate when you leave, this keeps your dog and your house safe. The dog will actually welcome a crate, especially if it's nervous that you are gone and so being destructive because of that... Crates are to dogs what dens were like for wolves, and place of comfort where the dog had a little more control.

Answer 9

Crate the dog!

For her safety and to keep her from ruining your stuff.

Stop punishing her for what she does while youre gone-it doesnt help as she doesnt associate it-she probably thinks youre punishing her just because you do that when you get home.

Its separation anxiety though. Get her some toys for the crate. Put her outside with a few toys-then at least she can exert some energy.
But do a little reading on separation anxiety and you can fix it easily enough.

Answer 10

First off, don't get rid of her. She's just being a dog. Here is what I think...Maybe your pup has anxiety separation and then she chews on stuff because of that. With my pup, before I leave, I take him on a long walk to get him excercised. I've made sure he has plenty of toys and big bones to chew. My dog would rather much chew on a big bone than a pair of my shoes. I usually keep the big bone out of reach. He only gets it when I leave. It keeps him occupied. I've taught him as a puppy what is good to chew on and what is not. Anytime when I catch him chewing on something of mine, I tell him no and then give him one of his toys. Secondly, when you get home, don't yell at her. You're not suppose to discipline a dog unless you have caught them in the act at least 2 seconds after what they have done wrong. If you come home and just start yelling at her, she's not going to what is wrong. Here's how I trained my dog:

I had to gradually work up to it. I would leave for about 10 mins and watch him through the window. He didn't know I was there, as soon as I saw him do something he wasn't suppose to, I would go in the house and tell him no. He got the mind set that I could come in at any minute when he was doing something he wasn't suppose to. I had to do that for about 4 straight weeks. Now I can leave him alone for 8 hours if I wanted to and he will be good.

If you don't want her chewing on your stuff, simply get it out of the dogs reach. Close doors, put clothes, shoes away ect....where it belongs.