My 6 nearly 7 month old labradoodle puppy has been an angel since we brought him home at 16 weeks. He is crate trained, never had an accident in the house, goes to work with me once a week and hasn't destroyed the house - until now! Around 2 weeks ago we decided to give him a bit more freedom whilst I am at work so left him with the crate door open in the kitchen with toys Kong etc. no problems. A friend comes and walks him at lunch for me and he is never alone for more than 3 hours max. I have had to do some extra hours this last week and Blue has taken to removing items from the sides or table and destroying them. iPad, cookbook, door mat etc! He has never touched anything like this before always chewed his toys etc which there are plenty of and I switch them round regularly. Any advice? I have gone back to crating him whilst I am out (he loves his crate) but have never had to do it if leaving him downstairs but I might have to!!
P.s: only at home by himself for 2 days a week and no more than 3 hours before a walker comes in. I also walk him before work.
Hello there and a warm welcome to the forum. There isn't a reason to think this is separation anxiety at least from your post - if you have other signs this is really separation anxiety, then consulting a professional is wise as it can be a tricky thing to deal with effectively. It sounds like simple boredom. Looking for things to do. What is his overall routine? Is he left for 2 sessions of 3 hours on those 2 days a week? That's quite a lot for a puppy, even with a break - it's approaching the maximum, I think, even for an adult dog but of course some dogs are better able to deal with alone time than others, I think a target of no more than 5 hours alone time is a reasonable aim. My own adult dog (in normal times) does 2.5 hours, a hour with a dog walker, and another 2.5 hours alone and I try never to make it more than that on any day in terms of time alone. I'd be looking at his overall activity levels, whether he has enough training, outings, and entertainment through the week. Perhaps day care on the 2 day a week that he is currently home alone? Try to look for day care that is appropriate for his age - play, activity and down time. Not just 8 hours free running.
I wouldn't worry too much as chewing things up is quite normal behaviour for a puppy if given the opportunity. If in doubt just close the crate door if he is to be left alone, even if you are in the house - Juno was crated when little for example when I went for a shower. Gradually re-introduce a bit more freedom in a few weeks time. He is very young so it's best to err on the side of caution so he doesn't destroy belongings or hurt himself.
Thanks so much. I can always take him to work with me an extra day leaving only one day at home with the hour break at lunch.
Hi and welcome to the forum. Other than reassessing whether he needs more mental stimulation, or if he's not ready to be decrated (for his own safety as well as that of your stuff), simply making sure there's nothing of value he can reach is probably a good plan. It might be annoying and expensive for your stuff to be destroyed, but it would be even worse if a bit of that doormat (or ipad!) got stuck in his mouth or throat while you weren't there. I think he simply needs more time interacting with people during the day at this age, and he's just getting bored. I've found bored dogs don't play with the toys they've been left. They find other, more interesting, things to occupy themselves with.
Thanks everyone. we are going back to basics on his crate when out rather than the run of the kitchen. He is amazingly well behaved and very chilled out so it is easy to forget he is so young still. Thanks again
