Question:I have a 8 month old Pit Bull and everytime I leave the house, he tears everything up. So, I have to put him in his kennel while I am gone. I don't like doing that because his kennel is rather small. I am sure the only reason he does it is because he is upset that I have left him. How do I let him know that it is okay and that I will return?
Answers:
You are giving your dog human traits when you think he is upset while you are gone. Keep putting him in the kennel until such a time that you train him not to do that and you can trust him alone in the house.
Crate training him is your best bet. Don't feel bad about it. Dogs are denning animals and as long as the crate is the right size for him, he won't mind at all. Partner the crate training with giving him some real quality time when you get home and he will know that everything is "ok".
You can find a Dog Hotel or a Kennel.
you must get another crate for him, you can do damage with a crate that is too small.
is this dog getting at least two 20 minute walks a day?
he is suffering from seperation anxiety - you can google for info.
change that crate
leave the dog with some chew toys. Leave the kennel open for him if he wants to lay in there (kennels sometimes become very much like their personal space that they feel comfortable in) The dog, being a puppy, will want to chew, esp while you're away... try putting some tape on the furnature so that the sticky part faces out (maybe use double stick tape) That will discourage him while you're away, and the chew toys/rawhides will be more encouraging.
I have the same problem, with my American Pit-bull Terrier, he chews everything up, regardless of how many chew toys he has. I will put things up, and it seems as though he perposely will find them because I put them up. I would just get a lot more toys and take him for many walks, it should tone him down a bit.
Oh the kennel isn't so bad, as long as he has water and isn't in there for too long, and when you let him out be sure to take him for a nice walk to stretch his legs, and release his energy.
keep him in a kennel, and don't leave unless you have to cause it won't like it in the cage, and it's probobly doing it because he's missing you and doesn't know where you are.
Dogs do have seperation anxiety but in yoru case I think it is just for something to do. Dogs are fine in crates. I totally believe in crate training a dog when yoau re not home. Just make sure he can stand up in it and turn all the way around wihtout slouching, otherwise get a bigger crate. You can also get him a big kong toy and fill it with peanut butter. This will help to keep him busy when you are out. Give it to him in his cage first, then work on giving it to him and just go outside for 5 or so minutes at a time. IF he does nothing bad, reward him. If he starts chewing and biting things, you should tell him NO in a stern voice and try the sprays they have for dogs that bite and chew. They do help a little.
BTW you might want to also get him neutered if he is not already. This helps them to calm down and not act so crazy.
Keep crating the dog. Do not think that he is doing it to tick you off, he isn't, he is exploring, bored and is amusing himself. crates protect your dog and protect your things from getting hurt, or destroyed. Can you imagine if he chews an electrical cord? Sounds like you need a little bigger crate, since it is small. Also give him a big cow knuckle bone to keep busy with, just be sure to introduce them to his diet slowly, like over the weekend so he doesn't need to potty whilst you are not at home. You can also see if there is a doggy day care center around or pay a dog walker to come by and visit and take him out of your crate. You may find a willing teenager to take him outside IN YOUR BACKYARD and play ball with him. This way you will not have to face any liabilities if something were to happen while he is out. I have had dogs off leash attack my dog and she was very very hard to rehabilitate. Do not have a stranger or non professional take your dog where it can be attacked by another dog, (like a dogpark).
the best way you can train ur dog that its ok is to put him in the kennel. he will learn that you will always return home. And if your uncomfortable because the kennel is small, then get a bigger one. And dont forget to put food , water, blankets, and a toy in the kennel while your gone! good luck!
Buy him a bigger crate and it will keep him safe and he can't destroy things while you go out.
Crate training is really the way to go- I have a Rottie X who panics when we leave the house. After him throwing himself through a window screen when we were standing outside the door I realized that his random destructive habits while I was gone was escalating. At 6 months old my boyfriend decided it was time for him to "learn" to be outside his crate. At first things were just "puppy" destroyed- but at 7 months i had enough and talked to the vet about it. One thing with dogs- YOU are their pack. Dog's arent like cats- they need to be around their people. Crate training will curb those destructive habits. Leaving the crate door open when you are home is a good way to show your dog it is okay for him to get into the crate- it took about two weeks of weaning my dog back into crate training before we were able to leave him home for an extended period of time. Crates can be like dens for your dog, places they feel comfortable to sleep and hang around in. Leave a favorite (safe) toy with your dog and a blanket or article of clothing that smells like you. With summer here make sure you provide him with a fan or mister (they sell crate misters at most pet stores) It's alot to get used to but-- upgrade to a larger crate and look into re-training him.
You have gotten a lot of good answers here. Def use a crate but make sure its the right size for him. An APBT should be fine in a size 500 VariKennel. Also - get some of the black KONG toys. Fill them with a mixture of various foods like peanutbutter, yogurt, kibble, cheese, whatever he likes and freeze the KONGs. When you leave tell him to 'kennel' and lead him to his crate and give him a frozen KONG toy. Then just leave w/out making it a big deal. When you come home be sure to give him a lot of attention, a long walk, toss the ball, spend time teaching him tricks and take him to obedience classes. He will grow up happy and healthy!
One thing to remember - when you feed him food in the KONG cut back on his meals so he wont be getting too many calories.
Good luck and take care of your dog :-)
you really have to crate him while you are out, it is not mistreating an animal. You cannot teach a dog not to tear up stuff when you are gone, you need to remove the temptation. Give him lots of attention when you get home, play outside and take walks to release his energy.
There are a lot of reasons dogs do this, but it is generally due to boredom, or unused energy. Provide him with something to DO while you are gone, and make sure he gets a ton of exercise. If you want more details, please contact me
You can get this special spary stuff that tastes like rotten apples that has no smell to humans. If you spray that on the things your dog is chewing it will hate the taste and will stop chewing on things.
get a kennel that is a good size but don't think it will take care of the problem, my little girl did that when i went to work and she knew she did wrong because when i found them she went to hide i spanked her with a newspaper and she never did it again she is the best ever we love her very much they need to know this, i think she was mad cause i had to leave
You know people have crates for sale all the time on Craigslist. You can 'upgrade' your crate for very little $ and also sell the one you've got.
And make your comings and goings very boring, repeating "leaving" several times a day. Put your dog in his crate using treats, pick up your keys, walk out the door..and then come right back in again. The goal is to have the dog be like, "Oh, you again." and desensitize him to your leaving, so that he doesn't always associate that with you being gone for long periods of time.
A stuffed Kong or other interactive treat will help too. Dogs need to chew!
Good luck!
Pit Bulls have a lot of energy, and they need to be able to get it out of their systems or else they can become destructive. If you are gone much of the day, you might consider hiring a dog walker to take him for a long walk so that he can get out a lot of his energy.
Another possible reason for his destructive behavior is separation anxiety. You might try turning on a TV or radio so that he has the sound of human voices while you're away. You can also try closing him off to only a small section of your home by using baby gates or fencing specifically designed for corralling dogs.
If you do need to leave him in a crate, then make sure it is big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lie down on its side comfortably. Also, make sure to give him plenty of water. It's not recommended to leave a dog in a crate for long periods alone; try to limit the time he has to be crated to only an hour or so.
The idea behind crate training is not to give the dog a place to be locked up, rather it is to give the dog a sense of security in having its own "den". (Please know that I do not say that because it sounds like you use it as a "puppy prison", but just to explain the true concept behind crate training.)
Whatever you do, do not punish him after the fact. If you see him ripping up something, then punish him at the time. Dogs do no necessarily understand why they're being punished if the punishment is for something that they did a while ago.
You sound like you have a good head when it comes to your relationship with your dog. Keep up the friendly and loving relationship, and you'll have a great family member! :)
Ours has to be put in a crate too. It is large enough for him to stand up in and move around. He has his food and water in it also. Our pit bull tore up one leather couch and a queen size sofa bed! He does NOT like for us to leave him and I feel bad about leaving him-but my husband is mean and makes me work-I would like to say at home with my "baby."
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