Hi everyone! I will give the short version of my problem and if you would like any more information just ask! I have Ernie, a year old black lab. We (my fiance and I) have had quite a lot of challenges with Ernie. The newest one being that when Ernie is home alone with me he is a complete nuisance and as soon as my partner gets home he is fantastic. Is this separation anxiety at my partner being out? Is he just taking the mickey with me? Is he just attention seeking with me? The behaviour he does when Im alone with him is - Jumping up at the sides and eating anything he can find, wandering around/not settling, barking at me, taking things like cushions, being destructive. Within five minutes of my partner being home he was lying on the floor and started snoring! Any information would be so helpful! Here is some more background on Ernie - We have had Ernie since he was 8 weeks old. He loves food and is a very very quick learner (he can grasp a new trick in a couple of attempts). Ernie is also big and brave. So far nothing has scared him. Which means that he will dive straight into any situation and it also makes it difficult to scare him out of things e.g. leave tins on the side so that when he jumps up they will make a loud noise. Ernie is also very determined. These characteristics make him very tricky to handle! On the plus side he was a doddle to toilet train and we have taught him some amazing things, he is also very funny! I had 6 weeks off with Ernie when we took him home (I work term time only) and we bonded so well. He was very attentive as a puppy. I have kind of meandered off topic here, sorry! Thanks for any advice/signposting about Ernie's behaviour! Danni
Re: Help! Baffling Behaviour! Hmm it does sound like he may have a bit of a separation issue with your fiancé. My Penny is exactly the same - my OH reports that when I go out she paces around the house looking for me, won't settle, and often sits in the front room facing the front door waiting for me to return. She has gotten a lot better recently as I have started leaving her alone with my OH more often and she has gotten used to it. I'm her primary caregiver and although she loves my OH and is bonded with him too, she's very much my dog and would come to me over him if we both called her. What do you do when you are at home alone with Ernie? Are you working and not able to supervise him? If this is the case I would wonder if perhaps he was bored and trying to find a way either to amuse himself or gain your attention. Perhaps you need to start teaching him to 'settle'? Restrict his acces to the room you are in, and start off slow. Let him lie down with a kong or chew whilst you work, and gradually increase the time you want him to be settled for. I'm not entirely sure what else to suggest really, I'm sure some others will be along soon to offer some better advice! Oh and welcome to the forum!!
Re: Help! Baffling Behaviour! Ernie's behaviour sounds like boredom to me. Sounds like he is trying to get your attention and, if he doesn't get it, is looking for his own entertainment (taking food). It sounds like when you are alone with him he is expecting something to happen. It may be a co-incidence that he settles when your partner gets home (maybe by that time he's worn himself out, or it just co-incides with a time of day when he wants to have a snooze). Or maybe he's learned that his attempts to get attention don't work when your partner is home, so it's not worth it. What do you do when he is barking at you or pacing etc? It might help to add in some exercise or training time (I'd recommend a half hour training session) before the 'annoying period' gets going. Maybe a couple of times throughout the day. I think he might need more to do
