Just don't know what to do

Ok so after a few weeks/month or so of good behaviour at home (being left upstairs in our bedroom with the run of the front bedroom, landing, and stairs, the other half has gone home to find that Knox has ripped the door frame off into our front room.

I just don't know what to do I just can't have him destroying stuff. He's taken out for a long walk in the mornings, left for 4 hours then long walk at lunch, left for 4 hours then a massive walk when we get in and shorter walk before bed.

I'm getting so upset because I don't want to have to lock him in his crate, I like him to feel he has the run of the house but I just don't know what to do.

We have a lean to on the side of our house that links to the backyard and our kitchen. It can get cold in there but it is dry. Do you think I'd be really awful if I put his crate in there with lots of blankets and toys and his food and water? Do you think he'd be warm enough?

I don't think it'd be awful, it'll stop him wrecking the house. But...if he's getting enough exercise, then that means it might be separation anxiety? I can't really give advise on how to deal with that, but hopefully someone can, because I think the problem won't go away just because he's crated, just that he won't destroy your house in the process.

Here's a link on it:

http://staffy-bull-terrier.com/separation_anxiety

Honestly, you should reconsidered using crate training for one of the stretches. My dogs tend to be more restless in the afternoon even after a second walk and that is when most destruction has taken place (even had a door frame incident myself!). The walks sound good if they are at least 45 min each, but also a crate can be a life saver. I don't advocate doing 8 hrs/day in one, but one of the stretches should be fine if you build up to it. Also, confining the space could help a bunch. We have also blocked-off part of the house where we feel they are less likely to damage things or get hurt. The crate might just be a necessary step as they can be creatures of habit and mine really don't mind being in their crates as long as they aren't in there for extreme time periods. I'm not a big advocate of outside, but depending on weather and if there is a warm crate (lots of snugly places) and it is safe from dog thiefs... there are plenty of others that have done this and it works for them and their dogs.

I'd never resort to leaving him outside - he's a house dog through and through.

I just hate the thought of cooping him up in a crate, plus because he rucks his bed all over the place I can't leave food/water in there cos he'll soak his bedding and himself from rucking around all the over place.

The thing is we've had him two years and he's never been like this until this last couple of months. Nothing's changed in the routine at all and some days he can be as good as gold.

He tends to be more destructive in the morning than the afternoon *touch wood*. I always dread going home at lunchtime just in case something has happened.

You lot are going to be sick of me complaining about the things that he does I'm sorry. I just don't know where else to turn to.

Well, if the crate is a no-go, why not confine his space a bit more (especially don't let him back at that one spot as they can develop habits. Might have been something frightened him as well. Mine did it one time and never again, so sometimes it is just a freak incident.

VikkiGT4 wrote:I just hate the thought of cooping him up in a crate, plus because he rucks his bed all over the place I can't leave food/water in there cos he'll soak his bedding and himself from rucking around all the over place.

The thing is we've had him two years and he's never been like this until this last couple of months. Nothing's changed in the routine at all and some days he can be as good as gold.

If he's only being left for about 4 hours, you wouldn't need to leave food or water in his crate, but you'd have to get him gradually used to the door being shut.

Also, if it's only the morning, then he'll be let out when you come home lunchtime & will have free range in the afternoon.

It sounds like either boredom or seperation anxiety. Either way, for it to have suddenly started something must have happened to trigger it. Has there been any loud building work going on near you?

I could confine him further but I feel awful doing so - don't know why I just do. It's not like he isn't looked after or anything, I think we look after him very well lol

I've said to the other half about getting a stair gate at the top of the landing so he can't go down the stairs and so he is forced to stay in our bedroom or the front bedroom, either of these there isnt anything expensive he can get to (we shut the bathroom cos he locked himself in there one day lol and we shut off the reptile room, well because we don't want the burm getting to him (just in case)).

The other half doesn't want him chewing on the banister as it took forever for us to get it right (we're rennovating out house slowly) but I've said we can get something to cover the banister up. I'm just worried about him trying to jump over the stairgate onto the stairs and falling.

The other option I have is confining him to one bedroom and putting the stairgate on there.

No building work no - only us putting the kitchen in over Christmas BUT he was fine for a while after that.

The only other thing is pigeon scarers BUT we can't hear them in our house. I know a dog's hearing is better than ours but we leave the TV on quite high up for him.

I'm thinking he may have developed separation anxiety but I have no idea why. Sometimes he'll be fine, other's he's a little >

I just wish I knew what was causing it then I'd hopefully have a chance to sorting it.

He doesn't seem to "play" when we're not there. He won't eat his treats until we get home, I'm not sure if that's something that was beaten into him from previous owners or what, but as soon as we're home he's bright eyed, running round like a lunatic and gobbling treats up left right and centre.

When we leave we don't make a fuss, we put him upstairs in his crate with the door open and say see ya later be good and then we go. When we come home we don't greet him straight away. I open the door, walk into the lounge and wait for him to join me, I then go upstairs and check around to see if there is a mess or not and then I greet him.

It doesn't sound like separation anxiety to me if sometimes he's fine an other times not. Real searation anxiety isn't that common either, destructive behaviour when left alone is usually down to boredom and frustration.

Is this the first time he's done it? Is it just the door frame he's damaged? If so then I'm wondering if there's anything the other side of the door he's tried to get at?

8 hours is a long time for any dog to be left, especially a Stafford, even if there is a little break in the middle. How long are the walks he gets?

Is he entire? Could there be a local in season bitch that's set him off? Sorry for the Spanish Inquisition! Just trying to think of why the behaviour has started out of the blue

He's on a 45 minute walk in the morning. 45 at lunch, at least an hour after work and a half hour before bed.

There's nothing in the front room he should be trying to get at. He's had a couple of episodes of destroying stuff. He chewed our new worktop in the kitchen (lucky for us it was the one that hadn't been cut to size, the other side is a 4 meter long one!!!!) and he chrewed a side panel and scratched a door in the new kitchen.

He's just being a naughty little beggar. He has plenty of toys. Kongs stuffed with food stuff, lots of things to rip up and tear, teddies, squeakies, a nice warm bed, lots of blankets to bury himself as he loves to do that.

He's neutered and not interested in females at all.

I've contemplated getting him a "playmate". He's always been fine with other dogs. He's lashed out once as my Sister in law's puppy but the puppy wouldn't stop biting his face and ears and he snapped but only the once and knew straight away he'd been naughty and sulked in the corner without being told off for it

But I don't know whether it will help or whether he will encourage the other dog to misbehave or what.

Are you really walking him everytimebefore you go out?

Are you really walking him for 45mins? i would time your walks if you are take him out longer

http://staffy-bull-terrier.com/a_tired_dog_is_a_good_dog

Yes I am walking my dog every time before I leave. I try and give him as much exercise as possible as I try to tire him out. He has lots of energy as most staffies do.

I've timed my walks with him previously.

The morning and lunchtime walks are the same. We take 20 minutes walking "around the block" and then 20 minutes running over the playing fields - playing ball or stick, and then 5 minutes walking back to our house.

After work it's the same but extra time running over the field.

At night it's just the walk around the block but a nice slow walk so he has plenty of time to sniff and pee.

VikkiGT4 wrote:He doesn't seem to "play" when we're not there. He won't eat his treats until we get home, I'm not sure if that's something that was beaten into him from previous owners or what, but as soon as we're home he's bright eyed, running round like a lunatic and gobbling treats up left right and centre.

This, to me, sounds like seperation anxiety. There are many degrees of this, ranging from just mild anxiousness right up to full blown panic!

Confining him to his crate for a few hours (as long as it's only about 4 hours) won't harm him, but could not only save your house from damage, but also save him from injuring himself.

But it would have to be built up slowly so that the idea of going in his crate doesn't feel like a punishment to him.

Caryll wrote:

VikkiGT4 wrote:He doesn't seem to "play" when we're not there. He won't eat his treats until we get home, I'm not sure if that's something that was beaten into him from previous owners or what, but as soon as we're home he's bright eyed, running round like a lunatic and gobbling treats up left right and centre.

This, to me, sounds like seperation anxiety. There are many degrees of this, ranging from just mild anxiousness right up to full blown panic!

Confining him to his crate for a few hours (as long as it's only about 4 hours) won't harm him, but could not only save your house from damage, but also save him from injuring himself.

But it would have to be built up slowly so that the idea of going in his crate doesn't feel like a punishment to him.

Yeah, perhaps. I just thought it strange that he only does it sometimes...

Yes, but maybe sometimes he's more tired than others? I don't know - it just sounds like SA.

I'm glad you lot are as confused as me!

I think our next step is to get a stairgate at the bottom of the stairs so if he does decide to try and jump it he's not going to fall down the stairs. He's not a "jumpy over things" kind of dog.

Last resort will be full crate training I think as I don't want him to feel punished or shut off.

If I do crate train I'll do it the proper way by increasing each time by a few minutes until it's around half an hour, then an hour, then 2, then after that he should be ok.

I'm thinking I may have to get a camera installed for when I do this so I can see what he gets up to.

Something worth trying might be a DAP diffuser or Adaptil I think it's called now.

It's a dog appeasing pheromone and is great for calming

Apparently so but we have tried that before around bonfire night. We plugged it in weeks before as they advised but it didn't seem to have an affect.

Plus I have reptiles and I can't use those plug ins upstairs because of this.

You can get really large crates and clip water bowls that attach to the side. That way he would have plenty of space to move about and he wouldn't knock his water over .
You could leave him a kong filled with something or something to chew , put on the radio low and plenty of bedding and toys.
I think that is a better option than leaving him in a room . If he is truly anxious or even bored then he will always find something chewable .
Another alternative if you could afford it , would be to have a pet sitter come for one hr a day in the afternoon , perhapds for a short walk or just to play abd keep company . Unless you know someone who could do that for you ?
Good luck . I realise it must be really hard for you .

Thanks - it is hard cos I just want him to be happy.

He has the largest crate we could find but he scrabbles and rucks at his bedding sending everything flying so that's why I don't think the food/water bowls would be a good idea in there.

He doesn't play with Kongs or anything else whilst we're gone. We always fill them with treats and peanut butter etc but he waits until we're home before he plays with them, even though we're always encouraging him.

He has the tv on all day and loads of bedding, millions of toys in a toy box (spoilt hound!).

I can't really afford a sitter to be honest - I've even looked into doggy day care but it's so expensive. Plus he's left for four hours in the morning then I'm home for an hour then four hours in the afternoon.

Gone home at lunch today to find he's chewed our front door handle - the door we only have put on in September and what was an early Christmas present from the Mother

Do you make a fuss before you go out?

I know a few people who give their dogs a real fuss before they left the house and they suffered terrible separation anxiety because of it. It must be totally baffling for them to get all wound up and excited then be left alone. A friend said she learnt not to do this and now just chucks some treats or a kong down and walks out, which makes a big difference.

Mind you, Mia was a nightmare for separation anxiety. When she was little I couldn't even leave the room to go for a wee without coming back to find she'd done the same. Luckily I was off work so could ease her into the idea of being left, a little bit at a time. It took weeks but she's fine now, and almost ushers us out of the house so she can have the treat

The only time she's done damage is when neighbours have had building work going on and the weird noises must have freaked her out so she took it out on some cushions. Could there be some noise in the area that's spooking him?

I think you will have to use the crate otherwise you will be coming back home to no house soon !

If you are coming back at lunch and he is getting a good walk in the morning, then I honestly don't think the crate is at all cruel. He can do without water for a few hrs at a time, especially if he has a good drink and a wee just before you go back out.

He might actually feel more relaxed in the crate.

He sounds very loved and if you have to work then you are doing all you can by walking him lots

Unfortunately I do have to work - I wish I didn't lol but I'm not that fortunate.

In answer to a question above - I don't make a fuss of him. I just say "crate time" and upstairs he goes to his crate, lies down and awaits a treat but doesn't eat it and then I say "see ya later" and I go out. I don't make a fuss when I return either.

I'm going to have to try building up to the crate. I just can't let him destroy all the hard work we're putting in

So - bought a stairgate last nite. We've fitted it at the bottom of the stairs so that if he does decide to be brave and try to clear it (he doesn't do jumping over stuff normally *fingers crossed*) then at least he won't fall down the stairs - only onto the porch floor.

Here's hoping this will keep him from destroying the front door and the front room door. Also hoping this doesn't mean he'll turn his attention to the bannister upstairs as that was a nightmare to fit!

I understand your reluctance to cage, I was exactly the same when I got Rocky. I soon found that if left for any length of time he is settled and calm in the crate, but becomes fretful if left out of it, or even if the crate door is not locked. I imagine his distress could manifest as destruction too if allowed to. So now he is crated when we are out and everyone is happy. It really wasn't the route I wished to take, but it's his choice, not mine! Good luck

Thanks

I'm trying the stair gate option today and hopefully it'll work.

If not then it's going to have to be crate training.

The thing is, in the afternoon he's as good as gold (touch wood) it's just the mornings that he's a little bugger!

I just can't have him destroying stuff so I'm trying everything I can think of before crating him.

When he was left in the kitchen, before we had a door on there, we would put a 2 foot high piece of wood across the door and he wouldn't jump it so I'm hoping that he won't attempt to jump the stair gate at the bottom of the stairs and it comes up to my chest *fingers crossed*.

If he does jump it then he'll be stuck in a 3ft by 3ft space which may not be good for my front door or front room door!

So lunchtime was a success today. Went home and he was flat out asleep upstairs. Hadn't attempted to jump the stair gate.

Hopefully this means he'll now settle and it's not just cos he was knackered from his walk this morning

Fingers crossed!

To be honest, it doesn't matter if he's more settled because of the gate, or if he's knackered from the walk - whatever works!

Indeed! as long as he's not destroying my house and is happy then I'm a happy Staffy Mummy

Ok so second day - hasn't attempted to go downstairs at all AGAIN flat out asleep upstairs on his bed.

Fingers crossed!!

Brilliant

so far so good - aint counting my chickens though