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Dog Training FAQDog Training FAQDear Ty, We have a rescue dog (for over one year) who has anxiety disorder that unfortunatly we have promoted by keeping him with us most of the time. At first he was great in the car and didn't seem to mind staying there when we left. Unexpectantly he toar up the car and now has done it several times when we least expected it....of coarse now we expect it. Now we even fear leaving him in the house although we have not seen that behavior yet when we leave him home alone.....something we will have to do more often. We hear this is a very difficult problem to solve and were advised to leave him for kennel training for 5 to 6 weeks at a huge expense. What else can we do? That answer doesnt set well but were told it is the only way.
We will greatly appreciate your advice!
Hi Olivia, Thanks for the question. It sounds like you're right. Your dog is probably suffering from an anxiety disorder. It may be a complicated disorder but I often see this type of behavior caused by separation anxiety. In a nutshell, his separation causes him such a level of stress that he doesn't know how to cope. Dogs cope by doing a number of things from howling and whining to being destructive. It sounds like your dog leans toward being destructive. The way to correct the problem is to attack the root. The root for him is stress. You need to be able to show him that being away from you is not a cause of stress, he can manage just fine. Do you use a crate at home? If you don't, using a crate could be a big help. Read my article on how using a crate could be one anser to your problem Can you fit a crate in your car? If so, you could use a crate to help condition him into understanding that your absence is not a cause for stress. Try this out. Good luck, keep me posted. Ty Brown
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