Question:
We have a 2-1/2-year-old Brittany spaniel who is a wonderful people dog and very content when we are in the house. However, when we are away for any extended period of time (three to seven hours), he gets anxious and chews on shoes and books. We have tried putting him in a cage or restricting him to the outside when we are gone, but his chewing habits continue. Any advice?
R.G., Vienna, Va Dec 27, 2009
Answer:
Your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, now a well-recognized condition for which I was ridiculed earlier in my career for even suggesting, as it was commonly believed that animals don't suffer emotionally as we do!
Keep the dog in the room where he usually stays after you have removed anything he can reach to chew on. Give him a beef soup bone (a 2- to 3-inch piece of marrow-filled shank, raw) or a hollow rubber dog toy such as a Kong stuffed with dog chow, cream cheese or peanut butter. The stuffed toy can be refrigerated to make the tasty stuff hard. Then leave the house for five minutes, return, take the chew item away, and ignore the dog. Greeting him effusively when you come home sets him up in greater anticipation. Make leaving him a reward with the chew treat.
Repeat going out and coming back at various intervals for two to three days, leaving the chew treat with him when you depart. He will, hopefully, come to see you leaving as a pleasant experience (it produces a treat). There are dog-food toys on the market for your dog such as Ruff Wear Gourdo dog toy, Nina Ottosson's interactive dog puzzles and Canine Genius toys (that my dogs love). Leaving a radio or TV on may also help him feel less alone.
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