Dog eating my house!!

Question
Hi,
I have a 5 year old Rhodesian RIdge back mix, who is wrecking my house!  He is wrecking the blinds and windows trying to get outside.  When we put him outside, he wrecks the doors, screens to get back in..So we have started putting him in a crate.  Which he has pulled apart two wrungs already trying to get out of.  He is okay when we are there he only does this when we are not home.  I don't go out everyday so this is not an everyday occurrance, but I might start working more so will need him to be at home by himself in alittle while.  He does not do this all the time though...do you have any suggestions for us...
Thank you!

Answer
This is a tough question.  Has the problem existed for a long time?  You should have a good vet check explaining the problem to the vet.  If he has lost his hearing or something, he could be upset.  May want to talk about medication too, but I see that as a last resort.  Talk to the breeder you got him from if you can.  They may not be any help, but need to know how he turned out.  Better breeders will try to breed around behavior problems.  

Ordinarily, I am a big fan of the crate, but occasionally dogs do tear them up. I even had a question where a Beagle was tearing up crates.  You might look around for a heavier duty crate.  

Try a tie down.  Embed a substantial eyebolt in the wall or floor in a clear area.  Add a sturdy chain and collar.  Leave him some toys, maybe a Kong filled with peanut butter.   

Giving him proper leadership may help.  Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm