| Owning a dog that takes over
your home when you're not around can be a problem, a frustrating
one at that, because most owners feel that since they're
not there they have no control over the dog's behavior
when they are away. The truth is owners just may be contributing
to this dilemma when their at home often adding to or
causing the misbehavior. And so there is some control
over the dog's behavior when your not home as we will
soon find out.
First, you should do some basic obedience training
in the area where your dog is usually left alone. This
shows the dog to respect that area. Also you must first
teach your dog to chew things that are appropriate and
behave well when you're home before you skip to teaching
it to behave well when you're absent. If you catch your
dog chewing on an inappropriate object, make a loud
noise with a shaker can to startle him and get him to
stop the unwanted behavior. Then redirect him to a chew
bone and praise him for chewing that. Avoid many toys
made of different materials. It's hard for a dog to
differentiate a leather chew toy from your leather couch.
Most dogs or puppies engage in their wrong doings 15
to 20 minutes after their owners have left their home.
Of course if you wait to pick up things all over the
house 2 minutes before you leave while constantly telling
your pet what a good doggy it's going to be, topped
off with good-bye kisses and hugs, then your doggy should
be filled with energy by the time you leave, which may
cause your dog or puppy to let it's frustration out
by chewing objects that it saw you picking up around
the house which have your fresh scent on them. This
is especially true when touching objects within your
dog's reach without washing your hands during or after
breakfast, for example.
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Once your dog is behaving
well in your presence, then you may proceed to teach it
that it's not all that bad when you leave home. Remember,
if your going to pick up around the house, do it at least
a half-hour before you leave. When you finally leave don't
speak to your dog. Avoid even looking at him if possible.
Return 5 minutes later and praise your dog for being good,
if it was, and give it a treat. If your dog did something
wrong, like chew on a forbidden object, then simply pick
up the object and place it out of the dog's sight. Do
not correct the dog. It is far too late for him to understand
the cause and effect. You may correct it with a shaker
can if you catch it in the act. Try this technique a couple
times a day. Merely leaving the house and waiting outside
your door may not be enough to convince your pooch that
you are gone for the day. You should make a big act of
leaving. Get in your car and let your dog hear your car
engine turn on and drive off, only to be surprised 10
minutes later by your surprised visit followed by a treat
or correction (if caught behaving wrong). Since you parked
your car a block away before returning, your pet wasn't
alarmed by the familiar sound of your car's engine in
your driveway and gives you a better chance to catch Rover
in his true home alone state. Being very quiet and keeping
all your windows closed help this technique to be more
effective especially when dogs with very good noses are
involved. The more your dog behaves well between your
departures and returns, you can prolong the time you are
away from home by 10, 15, to 20 minutes gradually building
up to the whole day. As your dog remembers not to forget
that your surprise return could be in either 15 or 25
minutes or who knows when, Rover will start behaving in
a way that's good for you and him instead of tearing up
your home. It usually takes about 5 to 6 weeks to see
results. The more your dog gets praise and love for behaving
properly, the less your dog will behave in ways you dislike.
These are just some solutions of many that can be applied
to common behavior problems. But remember what works for
one dog may not work for another. In any case the problem
does not lie in the dog it self but the correct way to
train the individual problem dog.
If you're not comfortable with the way your dog or puppy
is responding to the training, then check with your
veterinarian to rule out any physical conditions that
may be causing or adding to the behavior problem. If
your dog is in good health, then you should seek a professional
dog trainer.
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