trained dog misbehaving

Question
QUESTION: I have a four year old neutered male lab who has suddenly started tearing things up when I leave and urinating in my living room over night.  There have been no changes in our schedule and I am curios as to why he is doing this.

ANSWER: Hi, Beth,

It could be a number of things. Sometimes the tiniest change in the dog's underlying structural dynamic (moving the furniture around, a change in diet) can throw a dog off balance. Are you sure there hasn't been any change at all in your normal routine?

How much hard, vigorous playful exercise does the dog get every day? A tired dog has less energy to get into trouble at night. Plus playing stimulates really cool neurochemicals like dopamine that give a dog a long-lasting feeling of happiness and well being. I don't know what your exercise schedule is for him, but without further information from you my recommendation (or one of them) for solving this would be to increase the doggie's play time by quite a bit, particularly games like fetch and tug. Those games key into the dog's primal nature as a hunter, and satisfy a dog's instincts and emotions much more fully than taking the dog out for long walks could ever do. (I'm not against going on long walks, but some dogs really need to chase things and bite them on a regular basis in order to feel more calm and relaxed.)

Do you scold or punish him for making mistakes? That also tends to increase emotional tension. As people we tend to think that letting the dog know that he did something wrong, and that we're unhappy with his behavior will somehow "get through to him," but it usually doesn't. It usually either makes matters worse, or if the first misbehavior goes away and it's usually replaced by something even more troublesome.

I'm just throwing out general, blanket statements here because without further information about what might be troubling your Lab, that's all I can do.

I hope this helps. If you think of anything further, let me know.

LCK

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My sister actually asked the 1st question for us I can give you more details.

He only just began urinating on the rug within the last few weeks.  We just found out yesterday that he has a UTI which I believe is why he suddenly has been having "accidents".  

His circumstances have changed.myself and the children were home with him all summer from june -sept almost everyday then we went back to school and work in sept.  that is when the acting up occured.  I believe this is why he is acting out.  He is definitely not getting as much attention as he did in the summer. Lots of love but probably not enough playtime.

The vet told me to downplay leaving and coming home.  And thankfully he wasn't getting scolded we just kept trying to modify the things he was getting into...Garbage can bread basket etc.

I have been checking out new toys etc and was thinking
of the cong toy to keep him busy.  He chews through toysquickly any suggestions on good ones for an active lab.

Thanks,
Nicole

Answer
Hey, Nicole,

You wrote: "Lots of love but probably not enough playtime."

Here's the thing, though. When you give a dog too much love you're actually teaching him that the way for him to reduce his internal tension is through affection and contact with and from you. That would be fine if you never left him alone (it actually wouldn't be fine, but it wouldn't create separation anxiety/distress, which may be what he's got). Because right now, whenever he feels tension and stress, and you're not around, it only makes matters worse.

Yes, downplaying leaving and coming home is a good idea. And it might be helpful for him to have something to occupy his mind while you're gone, like a Kong or other toys that have food inside. But I don't think that will be enough. In my estimation the two basic things he really needs are: a.) lots of hard, vigorous playful exercise, twice a day, where gets to chase things and bite them, and b.) non-reinforcement of "needy" behaviors when you are home. By needy behaviors I mean the kind of thing where he wags his tail and nudges you with his head in order to solicit being petted and cuddled.

It sounds like you have a busy life, but if you don't have time to play tug and fetch with him twice a day for at least 20 mins., then I'd consider other options besides leaving him alone with Kongs or other kinds of toys. It's his prey drive, the urge to chase things and bite them, that needs to not only be stimulated but satisfied on a regular basis. Perhaps you could hire a pet sitter or dogwalker to play with him while you're at work and the kids are at school. Or find a daily play group for him to participate in until you can teach him how to enjoy being home alone.

How do you teach him that? By training him to obey the stay command, particularly as part of a hunting game. The stay for dogs is directly related to the "eye stalk" behavior found in wild predators, where the wolf or leopard holds perfectly still for long periods of time, watching his prey and waiting for a chance to pounce and start the chase. Here's a link to a fun game that naturally stimulates and satisfies the "eye stalk" behavior in dogs: http://www.tiny.cc/TrickorTreat It's the emotional foundation for the stay command.

And you if you can build his skill level with the stay command gradually to the point that he can hold a down/stay for 30 mins., even when he can't see you, that will go a long way to teaching him how to enjoy being left home alone with nothing to do for long periods of time.

Here are the "7 Levels of Stay:"

1.) "Trick-or-Treat" (link provided)

2.) "Step-Away Stay" where he stays while you move away from him

3.) "Circle Stay" where he stays while you move around him

4.) "Tug-and-Wiggle" where he stays while you tug on the leash

5.) "Dancing Master" where he stays while you jump around like a nut

6.) "Peek-a-Boo Stay" where he stays while you hide behind a door, wall, tree, etc.

7.) "Ultimate Stay" where he stays while you throw a ball past his nose

You have to build his skill-set with each step before moving onto the next. And if he shows a lack of focus at any of the steps, it's a good idea to go back a step or two to remind of him of how much fun the previous step was. (It should be lots of fun for him!)

I don't have the time or space to go into all the mechanics of teaching you all these exercises, but perhaps you can find a local trainer, or buy a training book and follow the instructions in it. (And the list above uses my names for them--other trainers won't know what you're talking about if you call them up and ask if they can teach you how to do the "Peek-a-Boo" stay, eg.). The books I recommend are kind of hard to find, but they're the best at giving you (and your dog) a basic understanding of how and why they work:

NATURAL DOG TRAINING by Kevin Behan,

PLAYTRAINING YOUR DOG, by Patricia Gail Burnham

SCHUTZHUND: THEORY AND TRAINING TECHNIQUES by Barwig and Hilliard.

I hope you don't feel too overwhelmed by this! Best of luck,

LCK