destructive or anxious

Question
I have two 8 month german shepherd pups. I also have the parents and have raised and bred this breed for years. The pups -- for their safety and the house safety -- we keep them in a large 12 x 12 kennel in the basement when we are at work. They have gotten out of this many times and destroyed doors, walls, insulation, etc. I really do not want to have to put them on a chain as they have never been chained. When we are home they are playful and well behaved. I am thinking they are anxious to be left that long even with food, water and toys. Is there anything I can do to stop the destructive behavior and return my peace of mind that they have gotten out again and could possibly hurt themselves? I have heard i could give them benadryl to calm them. What do you think?

Answer
Hi,

Thanks for writing to me about your puppies.  You will have to figure out a way to keep them inside the kennel and to give them things to occupy their minds.  There are stay at home games that are sold in pet stores and various on line pet sites.  You can also set up some pheromones (calming hormones) with a dispenser.  One of the best alternatives would be to have them attend doggie day care a few times a week or have a dog walker come in and give them a rugged hour of exercise and tire them out.  If you give them an hour walk in the morning and then someone comes in the afternoon, they will have less energy to be naughty during the day.  They are young and high energy and just want to play and have fun.  

Get a carpenter into the basement to figure out how to secure the kennel.  

I don't know what you mean by "that long" but dogs do need to relieve themselves after a few hours, especially taking in food and water...so getting a reliable dog walker would be very helpful.

You can also set up a webcam and see what is actually happening while you are at work.

Regards,
Shelley Davis

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