Why does my dog lick grass and destroy my home when I'm at work?

It's possible Ares has a bit of separation anxiety going on. if he's destroying things even under the supervision of your roommates, it might be time to look into crate training or keeping him housed in a kitchen or laundry room that has few destroyable items in it to prevent him chewing on stuff. If he's feeling anxious, a pheromone collar (they have dog versions of Feliway) can help by releasing a calming pheromone that may help lessen his anxiety while you're gone. Offering chew and puzzle toys that are safe for dogs is also a good distraction to help keep him occupied with that instead of something he shouldn't chew on. If that doesn't help, looking for help from a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person is a good next step.

Hello. It sounds like Andie has separation anxiety. This can happen to dogs of any age, but often occurs with younger dogs. There are some good tips on aaha.org under the pet owner section. At home, try and make his routine constant, dogs thrive on routine. When you get home, try and ignore him for 15 minutes so he doesn't just look forward to your return the whole time you are gone. I would also seek advice from a trainer and if those things don't work you can try behavioral mediations. I also like solliquin for anxiety, it's a natural calming aid and can be purchased from your vet. Good luck!

Raising a puppy can definitely be frustrating at times! Dogs don't understand "bad" behavior the way that we do - they just do what makes sense to them at the time. He may know that you're angry when you come home, so he runs and hides in his bed - but he doesn't understand that his behavior earlier in the day was the problem. So I would recommend not scolding him anymore when you come home - it won't help the problem, and just creates additional stress and anxiety which can actually make things worse. If he's still having some issues with destructive chewing and housetraining accidents when he's home alone, then he's not ready to be left loose in the house just yet. Many dogs need to be crated or confined to a puppy-proofed room when you're gone until they're 1.5 - 2 years old, or even longer - this is perfectly normal. So my recommendation would be to simply not give him this much freedom yet. Another possibility to consider, if he's only having accidents and destroying things when you're gone, is that he may have separation anxiety. If you're unsure, try videotaping him one day when you're away to see if he seems upset or just bored. If he does have separation anxiety, you will need to talk with your vet as well as a good reward-based trainer who can help you work through this.

It sounds like you have a few things to address in this question. 1) Eating grass - this can be normal for some dogs but not in excessive amounts. If she occasionally nibbles on grass and is not vomiting then I wouldn’t worry about it. 2) Pulling on the lead can be resolved with routine walks, training and the use of a gentle leader. This special type of harness helps decrease pulling and makes walks more comfortable for both of you. 3) It sounds like Layla has some generalized anxiety, both around other dogs and when you are separated. I think it would be a great idea to seek the help of your veterinarian. If they are unable to fully help you and Layla they can refer you to a behaviorist. I hope this helps. Best of luck.

Destructive behavior like this when you're not home is usually caused by separation anxiety - some dogs will chew things when they're bored, but if there is significant destruction and it only happens when you're gone, anxiety is much more likely. If you want to know for sure, I would suggest videotaping her the next time you go out - it's usually very easy to see on the video if this is anxiety vs. boredom. There are a few things you can do to try and help her. You can try crating her, but be aware that many dogs with this problem are more anxious when they are confined - she won't be able to do as much damage to your home, but she may injure herself if she panics trying to escape. I would strongly recommend leaving her with a special long-lasting treat of some kind every time you leave the house, like a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter or something similar. You may also want to try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Composure or Zylkene to help decrease her anxiety. If you don't see improvement within the next 1-2 weeks, you should talk with your vet about the problem as she may need prescription medication to treat her anxiety, at least for a while. You could also request referral to a veterinary behaviorist for additional help if the problem is severe.

I'm sorry that you're having this problem! It would help to know more about exactly what's going on with Beast - meaning how old he is, whether the destructive behavior is happening when you're home or away, and how long the behavior has been going on. Feel free to post another question with more details, or request a one-on-one consultation with one of us to discuss things - we would happy to try and help. In general, if Beast is a puppy, I would recommend making sure that he has plenty of his own things to chew on (bully sticks, large rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, puzzle toys, etc.) and supervising him closely at all times. When you're not home or if you are busy and can't supervise him, he should be confined to a crate or a puppy-proofed room where he can't tear anything up. If Beast is older and this is happening when you're not home, it's likely that he has some separation anxiety issues - this is the most common cause of destructive behavior when the dog is home alone. In that case, I would strongly recommend discussing the problem with your veterinarian, as most dogs with this problem will need prescription medication to treat their anxiety.

The most common cause of chewing or destructive behavior when a dog is home alone is separation anxiety. Sometimes it can be triggered by a frightening event like a smoke alarm going off one day when the owner isn't home, a burglary, etc. - but sometimes it seems to start for no obvious reason. If you want to know for sure if this is the problem, you can videotape Cinder one day while you're gone - it's usually quite easy to differentiate anxiety from simple boredom or other causes of destructive chewing once you watch the tape. If she is anxious, I would definitely recommend talking with your vet about this issue, since many dogs with separation anxiety need prescription anti-anxiety medication in order to improve - especially in the beginning. I would also suggest leaving her with a special long-lasting treat such as a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter, every time you leave the house. This will help to keep her busy and encourage her to settle, and over time will help to reduce her anxiety by giving her something to look forward to when you leave. You could also try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to see if this helps.