My 11-month-old dog chews the house when alone. How to stop?

Why don't you crate Chico while you are gone? The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone, and it will keep him from chewing on things. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. I hope this helps!

I think at the moment he is probably bored and his overexcitable behaviour doesn't help much either. You should try to help him keep calm by giving him a place where he can settle, entertain himself , for example offering him a kong stuffed with some dog food , then put it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Make sure that the kong is not too small other ways he could ingest it.

It is possible he has a touch of separation anxiety. It may stress him a bit when you leave the house. Mild cases can be remedied by desensitizing him to your absence. This is done by leaving him along for ever increasing periods of time. Prepare to leave the house multiple times daily. Leave sometimes and other times stay. Do not make a big deal about leaving or returning. Ignore him for 15 minutes or until he settles down upon your return. A special toy or treat can be used to distract him just before you leave. Pick up the toy as soon as you get home. A pheromone product, such is the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may help decrease any anxiety. There are also oral supplements that can calming him down some.

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.

Puppies are notorious for destructive behavior. Most dogs will outgrow this by 2 years of age but not all do. Additionally, this behavior is not only destructive but it can lead to ingesting toxin substances and intestinal foreign bodies which are fatal without treatment. Addy needs to be crated any time you are not physically watching her. It's safer that way. Here are two helpful links: https://www.petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-crate-train-your-puppy-or-older-dog/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I'm so sorry you're going through this with Max. Unfortunately, young dogs have a lot of energy that can become destructive if they don't have any other outlet for it. The simplest short term solution might be to crate Max during the day while you're gone, but I think the best long term solution will be to find appropriate outlets for his energy. One of my favorite things for young dogs are feeding balls and toys such as a BusterCube. You can feed his entire meal in it, which will take him a while and require him to "play" more. I would also strongly recommend some additional training classes. It sounds simple, but my dog is 2 years old and he is always tired (and better behaved) for a day after an obedience class because he really worked his mind. I would also consider a doogy care care or dog walking service. That can make a world of difference. I hope that gives you some ideas. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Camellia may have generalized anxiety, or separation anxiety. This can cause dogs to have destructive behaviors, such as chewing excessively, tearing up furniture or clothes, etc. I recommend consulting with your veterinarian about medications that can be given to help reduce anxiety at home, and make dogs much more calm at home. These can include Trazodone, Prozac, Clomicalm, etc. Many dogs tolerate these medications very well and can save them from being relinquished to shelters. I hope this is helpful! Please consider there before rehoming Camellia, as her underlying problems will not go away on their own, and changing homes can actually worsen her signs.