Destructive Behavior When Alone & It's Dark Outside

[sarabz]

Bella has been great for the few months that we've had her. I'm noticing more and more, however, that if she's alone in the evening, she gets destructive (she doesn't during daylight). Shredding tissues, chewing pajamas, dumping the trash can in the bedroom (nope, it's no longer there), rumpling up our bed, moving an area rug.... I'm thinking she's going to have to go back in her crate, but with the time change and winter coming, this would mean all day and I'd really prefer not to do that.

 

Walking at lunchtime doesn't work - this also happens if we come home, walk & feed and then leave again for a couple of hours.

 

She's left with a frozen stuffed kong and the radio on, along with the curtains open (this was causing problems for a while). She has access to the bedroom during the day, which is where her crate is, and is baby-gated off from the rest of the apartment. She loves, loves, LOVES the sofa - she might be less destructive if left the run of the apartment but I really don't want to find that out the hard way......

 

thanks for any thoughts!

[TheFullHouse]

Have you tried muzzling her and leaving the lights on when you leave during the day? If it's the dark, having the lights on might just fix the problem. Muzzling will prevent her from destroying anything. You might close the curtains so she can't see that it's dark outside.

[TheFullHouse]

Another thought I had, if the curtains are open, she may be seeing her own reflection in the window. You can't see it during the day but can at night.

[cleptogrey]

the weather is getting chilly and the dogs are much friskier! exercise, exercise, exercise and a wide variety of things to keep her busy indoors. i leave a basket of dog toys out, each dog gets 4 kongs, (remember not to fill them all the way, just schmear the inside w/ peanut butter- use a finger), dried tendon piece, raw marrow bone, and biskets when i go out to work. they will nest in what ever bedding they can get into, how about a comforter thrown on the dog bed if you don't want her on your bed? mine find remote pieces of tissue, dh never empties the bathroom garbage...just be glad she hasn't figured out how to unroll the toilet paper!! one of my greys used to collect pocket books, bras and toss pillows from the couch, thus the name "cleptogrey" evolved.

 

premire makes a couple of toys which you can place kibble in and they can roll it and get the kibble out, maybe some interactive toys???

 

i agree w/ leaving the lights on. i leave a florescent light in the living room and 2 small florescent kitchen counter lights on and the radio, classical music. if you have blinds lower them and tilt the blind up to let the light in but it will block the window.i don't let the dogs into the bedroom during the day and keep them off the couch w/ plastic runners turned upside down(this doesn't work for all dogs, one boarder liked the nubs and slept on it anyway).

 

can you possibly make it to the dog run during the day?? or before work, exhaustion seems to be the answer to most problems, a tired hound is usually a happy hound and a happy hound is a happy owner. if worse comes to worse, how about a dog walker?

Edited November 9, 2010 by cleptogrey