2 days Ago By Dr. John De Jong
Dear Dr. John, Our puppy is now almost ten months old, and his mischievous ways have not stopped, including his destructive behavior when we leave him at the house alone. We have resorted to keeping him in his dog crate.
He has shredded a couch, a chair, and chewed some table legs. He is a mixed Retriever and has tons of energy. He has a lot of toys, lots of exercise, and plenty of attention.
We are never gone more than eight hours for work, but now we make sure that someone gets home at lunch to walk him and not leave him for more than 4-5 hours alone. What else might you suggest so that we can leave him free to roam the home without fearing that more of our things will be ruined? We are hoping that he will outgrow this phase. P.
V. Dear P.V.
, I once had a dog that did the same destroying one sofa and eating through the side of his plastic crate! He outgrew that phase. The reasons for such behavior include being bored or having too much pent-up energy. It seems that you are giving him adequate stimulation and walks as well as providing toys to keep him occupied.
Yet, every dog is different. Are there any outside triggers that upset him such as noise or seeing other dogs or animals? Another cause for chewing household furniture and things is teething. Even though he is now almost ten months old, your veterinarian should make sure that all of his adult teeth have properly erupted and that there are no oral issues or any other health problems.
Is he neutered yet? If not, that might help as well. Separation anxiety is the other likely cause of what you observe and while sometimes they outgrow this, you would be wise to retrain the puppy by leaving him for short periods of time and gradually extending those times. Other things you might consider are having a dog walker come by, dog daycare, or seeking the help of a trainer or behavior specialist.
Do all that you can to keep him occupied, even turning on the television. The good news is that this will likely resolve in time. Good luck! Dr.
John de Jong is President of the World Veterinary Association. He owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and can be reached at 781-899-9994..
