Dog chews up backdoor

Question
QUESTION: My 7 year old lab/shepherd mix has become quite anxious over the last few months. He likes to shred the backdoor of my house as well as other doors and trim. I have tried covering the door with a sheet but he just pulls it down and he chewed through the crate I just bought. He also chews his rump constantly. I try and walk him every evening but sometimes cannot. Do you have any ideas that could help stop him from acting out this way?

ANSWER: Sean, when did this problem start? Any changes to your routine or living arrangements around that time? How long has he been doing it? Does he become destructive only when you are away and leave him home alone? What kind of crate did he chew through? Did the rump-chewing start at around the same time, or is it separate?

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QUESTION: He first chewed the door about 10 months ago and has continuously done so since then, so I haven't replaced it yet. My wife and I moved into this house about 1 1/2 years ago now, and my dog was then introduced to her cat. They don't really get along, but tend to stay out of each others way for the most part. He only is destructive when she and I are at work and he is alone. I feel like he sees and hears things outside and tries to get out... about a month ago I bought a large dog metal crate and he destroyed it in 2 days. He managed to pull the metal at the bottom of the crate apart and also the door ( I even padlocked it to keep him in but he still escaped). The rump chewing, I think, is a combination of anxiety and dermatitis and has been going on for about a year or so now. I love the dog to death and want him around but I just can't afford all the damage! HELP!

Answer
Sean, your dog's behavior sounds a lot like a form of separation anxiety. Have you tried leaving a radio or the TV on for him during the day, and/or giving him something to chew on to keep him busy? A frozen, 'stuffed' Kong works quite well, and so do Nylabones.

Do you think he would feel more comfortable in a more den-like crate vs. the wire cage style that he destroyed? You might have to consider a more solid one, similar to truck bed dog boxes, that he cannot get out of or injure himself trying to get out of. They aren't cheap, but are indestructable and will last a lifetime.

Is it possible for you to maybe enroll him in a 'doggie daycare' a couple of days during the week, so that he can learn that being away from you is not all that bad, and also help to stimulate his mind and tire him out a bit? This would be especially helpful on the days that you are unable to walk him.

He really needs to be confined in such a way that he cannot injure himself or cause further damage to your home. He also needs to be desensitized to you leaving. Below is a technique that you might want to try:

This technique requires that you practice leaving, when you aren't actually going anywhere. Get ready to leave, just as you always do, while saying nothing to the dog. Completely ignore him. Go to the door, open it and go out, and then close and lock the door, count to 1, and then go back in. Don't make a big deal about leaving OR coming back. You would gradually increase the amount of time you were outside the door as your dog became comfortable with you going out. If he freaks out as soon as the door closes, then start out by NOT closing the door all the way. The key here is to go >>just<< far enough so that you can progress, but >>not<< so far that he begins to become anxious. Eventually, you should be able to go out the door, walk to your car, get in, and drive around the neighborhood without your dog becoming anxious. At this point, you should be okay to take short trips to the store, etc. Gradually, he should be fine at home alone all day.

This is time consuming, because unless you can take a week off of work to do it, you're going to have to leave the dog alone in the house at some point, which will set you back in the process.



A last resort might be to consult with a vet about anti-anxiety medication.