Please help - I think my two year old black lab is experiencing separation anxiety when I leave the house. 

He is left with my older lab, a four year old chocolate who is no bother when left.  When I leave the house I put both dogs in my dining room with toys and kongs with frozen food in.  However, the black lab has started eating my desk and I am worried that he may do himself some damage.  I would remove the desk but I am concerned what he will go for next.

Could this be separation anxiety?  When I am at home he is fine, while he likes to be close and know what you are up to he is also content to take himself off somewhere for a sleep.  He is quite highly strung and has lots of energy but exercise before I leave him does not seem to make a difference.

Will putting him in an outside kennel and run when I go out simply make him more upset?

Any suggestions would be welcome.  Thanks. 

 

have u tried doing some obedience with him or thinking games b4 u leave so he is mentally tired as well?  like hide and seek for example and hiding toys for him to find.
Does he have bones to chew on?  or an activity ball that u can put his breakfast in so he has to work to get it out.

u cud try change the routine for when u go out, what do u do when u go out? do u say buy to the dogs? do u leave through a certain door?  do they only get kongs when u go out

No I haven't tried obedience training before I leave.  He does have bones and other activities which he does do for a while.  He does know my routine for going out as I have a four month old baby so I tend to get ready by doing certain things - i.e get the pram / car seat, etc. I could try changing this.  When I pop out the front door to my car or to put rubbish out or something he does not budge - so maybe I am making it seem like a bigger deal when I am actually going somewhere??  Maybe changing this will help but he is pretty bright - I'm not sure he'd be fooled.

i went thru a stage where my 11 month staffie was ripping up the carpet left right and centre.  It turned out that because i was makin a fuss of her before i left, ie giving her a cuddle and kiss and sayin bye, she knew id be gone for a while and would start barking when we left and then wud destroy everything.  When i stopped doing this and jus left as though i was only going downstairs (we live upstairs) to get somethin to eat or sumin she stopped wrecking everything and no longer barked when we left!  it was really bizarre, but i think they pick up on things like that.  Especially if ur dog isnt wrecking the house when u leave for 5 mins to put rubbish out or something, cos u obv wouldnt say bye or anything in that case,lol.

Does he see you getting ready when u go to leave? maybe gettin ready out of his sight? try also leaving him different things every day so he doesnt get bored with them.

Yes he does see me getting ready.  Thanks for the ideas I will rethink how I get ready and leave.

You say he is 2 years old - i take it he hasn't shown this behaviour before? It may be separation anxiety but such dogs tend to stay very close to the owner in the home, follow them to the bathroom etc...

Has anything else changed, ie routine etc?

Lindsay
x

Well he chewed things when he was very little - as expected of a puppy really, trying things out , but has started again recently.  Major changes have been a new baby in the house (4 and a half months now) and my husband going away for a while and then returning.  He didn't seem too bothered by the baby - though I can see why this may be a reason.

Could be boredom. Just a thought........

Yes that is what we initially thought - so we leave frozen food in kongs - which he loves generally but will sometimes chew furniture anyway, different toys and activities and long walks before he is left but we don't seem to have stopped it yet.

Protect your furniture with vicks or oil of cloves .... renew this every day or other day.

I suspect it is also more boredom but it's hard to tell.

Lindsay
X

Thanks - do you smear it all over?  Does it stain at all?

bitter bite sprayed on ur furniture can work with some dogs to deter chewing.
u cud try a  tedious routine of leaving and comin back and slowly lengthening the time so that the dog knows u are comin back

Mmm - like starting over and retraining him, might give it a try.