My pitbull puppy is agitated & destructive when left alone. Help!

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.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. It sounds like Loki has a fitting name! Unfortunately, he has separation anxiety and this can be difficult to correct many times. I would recommend providing him with plenty of toys including the kong toy that allows you to insert peanut butter or small treats so that he has to really work to get the treat. Adaptil priducta, which can be found online, can also help. If you are unable to correct this behavior, I would try NaturVet quiet moments calm chews with Melatonin which can be found online or at your local pet store. If there is still no improvement after trying these, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate treatment can be recommended such as anti anxiety medicatioms. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

It's very common for puppies this age to tear things up and have accidents in the house when no one is there to watch them. I would recommend getting a nice comfy crate for Koda to stay in when he's home alone - it should be large enough for him to stand up and turn around in, but not much bigger than that. This will keep him from getting into mischief while you're gone, and most puppies will "hold it" rather than use the bathroom in their crate if they are able to. You can leave him with a special treat or puzzle toy, such as a bully stick or a Kong stuffed with peanut butter, to help make the crate a fun place for him and keep him occupied while you're gone. He will need a potty break in the middle of the day at this age, so I would suggest coming home at lunch or having a neighbor let him out, if possible. If he continues to have accidents even in the crate, or if he seems excessively upset even with treats and toys to keep him busy, these are signs that he may have a separation anxiety problem. In that case, it would be best to consult your vet as he may need anti-anxiety medication to help make him more comfortable.

Treat or food puzzles can help add a little stimulation - you could feed half of her morning meal in a puzzle that she gets in the crate. Some dogs like music - there are songs that dogs respond to in particular that you could play for her. You could also consider hiring someone to take her for a walk mid day if you’re gone for a long time.

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.

Thanks for using PetCoach! A couple ideas: try something like FreshPatch which essentially sends you a patch of real grass in a cardboard container. Or, try crate training since most pups will not pee in their “house”. Here is a good link for crate training. http://www.aahneenah.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/crate-training-your-puppy.pdf As far as the aggression, you’ll need to get that under control as soon as possible. Any form of aggression toward humans should be met with a firm “no” and stopping all play/walking. Practice just walking by and touching his back end frequently so that it’s normal and no big deal. Neutering often helps with aggression so keep that in mind. Finally, some dog require more intensive care so talk with your vet about anti anxiety medication or professional training.

This is a difficult behavior to stop. The more she does it, the more she's practicing the behavior, and harder it is to break the cycle. First, increase her physical, mental, and emotional/social activity. For example, take her on a couple 30-45 minute walks a day (physical), do 2-3 10 minute training sessions with her (mental. It doesn't really matter what you're training, it's the brain workup that's important), and spend 5-10 minutes a day sitting and brushing her (social/emotional). Next, I would recommend removing all the blankets that are problems for her. Consider using a basket muzzle to prevent chewing if you can't remove the blankets. She can be in a crate when not directly supervised to prevent destruction. Give her other toys to play with with the blankets totally out of the picture. You may be able to bring them back later, but you may not. Some dogs that chew/destroy are anxious. If she seems like a nervous or skittish dog, I recommend talking to your veterinarian about some treatments or doing a consultation with me to talk about OTC options. Good luck! Behavioral issues can be very frustrating.