Home Alone Dog

Question
I have a Shihtzu that will turn 1 year old in a few days. He is an AKC dog, very easy going. I have a dog walker walk him mon-fri and am looking to suspend walking for a week to see how Charlie does home alone. One concern I have is some chewing he has been doing in the daytime. He has picked a handfull of wall corners to chew on, drywall, and baseboard wood trim. I blocked off the areas for several weeks and then took the blocks away and he was fine for a few weeks. I came home the other night and he had chewed again on 3 of the corners. He is not crated and get's the run of a 800sq foot condo (except bedroom is closed off). He is doing the chewing after the dogwalker leaves...so I'm wondering if when they come in, he gets excited, wants to play longer, they leave and then he gets mad and starts chewing on the walls. He has several nylon chew bones which he chews on. He never attempts to chew on the walls when I'm around, so it's hard from me to correct him, if I don't catch him in the act.

So the questions is do you think leaving him home alone, be ok on his physical systema and do you think being home alone will worsen his chewing behavior?

Thanks,
Brian

Answer
Hi Brian,

I think this could be a lot worse! Some dogs yowl, bark or cry, or defecate and urinate in inappropriate locations when they're left alone! You didn't mention any separation anxiety issues, so I won't go into that.

A couple of solutions come to mind.

First, if your dog can't be trusted not to chew on the wood trim and drywall, you can't let him have the run of the house while you're gone. You've either got to crate him, or get a child-gate so that he's contained in one room. If you opt for the child-gate, but notice your dog is chewing on something in the room. you'll know that the dog needs to be crated.

You can try using a spray on chewing deterrent, such as "Bitter Apple" or "Bitter Yuck" (available at pet stores and online). These products can be an effective counter-conditioning aid in some chewing situations for some dogs, because there is an immediate association between the initial act of attempted chewing, and the unpleasant taste. Sometimes, the dog just goes looking for another surface to chew on, but it's worth a try.

You should use the deterrent spray while you're home, so you can tell your dog "NO!" the moment he tries to chew on anything. You can't offer a correction 10 minutes after the fact, and expect your dog to connect the dots.

A bored dog is a destructive dog. Leave a variety of toys out for your dog. Wobble balls, squeaky toys, and safe chew toys. Just like children, a dog can get bored with his toys!
Toys like a Kong (or similar toys that you can put food or treats inside of), are particularly good because the dog has to really work to get the tidbits. They provide mental stimulation and keep the dog's attention for a long time.

When you come home, put the toys away. Only give your dog these toys when you leave him alone, so he's doesn't become bored by them. Rotate the toys, so they always seem new and exciting.

You can try leaving a radio or TV on during the day. Just make sure it's soothing music, or talk-radio. Heavy metal wouldn't be the best choice for calming.

There's a saying: "A tired dog is a quiet dog". Not having a mid-day walk might make things worse. It sounds to me like your dog isn't getting enough exercise, since destructive chewing is a sign of boredom. If possible, have the dog walker do something even more active, such as running and playing with the dog! Make the dog so tired, that when the dog sitter leaves, all your guy wants to do is sleep!

Depending on your budget, there are even dog treadmills you can buy. Of course, the dog needs monitoring when he's on it, so you can't leave him alone with it, but you might find it very helpful. Many negative dog behaviors can be cured by increased exercise. Read more about it here:

http://www.jogadog.com/
http://www.patentlysilly.com/patent.php?patID=6837186

I hope I've been a help.

Best of luck,
Patti