Hi folks.

I returned home today after being out of the house for 4 hrs approx to find my 11 month old x collie retriever has chewed a hole in the stair carpet - totally out of character for her .......i have been out tonight for approx 2 hrs and come home to a house full of detroyed toys......ie. a tennis ball that is in a thousand peices and a stffed toy that has been destroyed completley .....

The only thung that has changed recently is that she had four days in kennels last week (first time) but has been home now for almost a week......

any ideas please ?

Hi xenaqueen,

Frustrating though it is for you, believe it or not you've been lucky if this is a first - at 11 months your dog is still very much a juvenile ;)  I wouldn't leave my 20 month old youngster for two significant periods in the same day and certainly not when one was for 4 hours - even though she has her mum for company when all the family are out.

She probably is both bored and stressed, particularly as she's had a recent first spell in a kennel environment too.  Is it likely you will have to leave her for such lengthy (split) periods again in the near future?  Dogs have very little sense of time - you probably notice that she greets you with almost similar excitement when you return from the loo as she does when you've been out shopping :D  Mine do anyway (when they've not joined me in the loo in the first place :rolleyes: ).  

I'd suggest you try to ensure that if you have to leave her for a max of 4 hours that she's had a physical and mental workout before hand to get her suitably satisfied and sleepy.  But then I'd recommend you avoid leaving her for any further time the same day - IMO that's pushing your luck with a youngster ;)   Is there a more secure area you can leave her in which is less easily trashed - say the kitchen or utility room if you have one.  Make a comfy bed for her, leave her with something carrying your scent like a worn T-shirt and give her a varity of toys including a stuffed kong so she can give her teeth a work out without resorting to damaging your walls, floors, furniture etc.

HTH, regards, Teri

My fella did this (only he chewed a hole in the wall) the following day he had 'explosive' diorreah (sp?)........

We had the same problem with our Lurcher after we had to kennel him for a week when he was about 7 months old.  We brought him home and he wrecked the place (probably with some help from our other, older dog) 
Before he was in kennels he was only left for short periods of time and was great but afterwards everytime we went out out (which wasn't often and not for long) he'd go on a frenzied chewing spree.  We even set a camcorder up and found the minute we started the car up he'd start the spree.
I think that he thought everytime we left the house we were leaving him for a week like in the kennel's.  In the end we went back to basics and started leaving him for 5 minutes a time after a walk and with plenty of toys around for him and then gradually for longer periods.