CREATURE FEATURE

- Rhonda Owen

We found Rascal (terrier mix) when he was about 7 months old and, to our surprise, already housebroken. We leave him in the laundry room on a daily basis while we are gone to work. He has managed to chew and destroy the plastic mini-blinds, the power cord to the treadmill and some of the woodwork. I have used bitter spray and that does not seem to stop him. We put all of his toys and chew bones in the laundry room with him, but he seems to have anxiety when we leave him alone and turns destructive. What can we do?

How to address your dog’s destructiveness depends on what’s causing it - boredom, lack of activity or separation anxiety.

A professional dog trainer can help you assess the situation and determine the reason behind Rascal’s behavior, then let you know how to proceed depending on the outcome. Boredom and lack of activity require different approaches than separation anxiety, which is the more serious of the three possible causes.

“There are many questions to be asked to determine the underlying issue,” says Lisa Mantle of Roland. Mantle, a certified pet dog trainer, is training director at Canine Country Club of Arkansas in western Pulaski County.

Mantle lists behavior that could indicate a dog may suffer from separation anxiety:

• “He may be a very clingy dog when the owner is home, always following him from room to room, barking, howling or whining when the owner leaves.”
• “Chewing occurs only when the owners leave.”
• “The dog is unable to eat unless the owners are present.”
• “Self-injurious behavior such as chewing or scratching.”
• “Potty accidents, again only when the owner leaves.”

“Also, with separation anxiety, often the points of destructiveness are window frames, door frames and blinds,” Mantle says, adding that “the destruction also takes place within 30 minutes of the owners’ departure.” (A video camera comes in handy when trying to pinpoint when the chewing actually occurs.)

A dog can be conditioned out of his anxiety, but “there’s not a short-term fix,” Mantle says. “You have to set up a program and people have to be willing and able to accept what they have to do to make their dog feel better.” Also, the owners will need help from a professional, “someone who understands behavior modification.”

A program to relieve a dog of separation anxiety would include things such as the owners ignoring a dog’s clinginess while they’re home, the point being to accustom the dog to not getting attention, she explains. Also, the trainer working with the dog’s owners would teach them how to acclimate the dog to tolerating their absence for short periods of time. “It’s a pretty detailed process,” Mantle says.

On the other hand, dealing with a dog whose destructive behavior arises from boredom or inactivity is simpler. The main issue is keeping him occupied.

“A lot of toys - balls and stuffed animals and all of that stuff - really require interaction between the human and the dog to keep the dog involved in something,” Mantle explains. “Also, a lot of things we leave for them to chew on, they don’t care anything about.”

A toy such as the hard rubber Kong can keep a dog occupied for quite a while. The basic Kong is hollow and shaped kind of like the Michelin Man - three rings going from small to large. At the large end is a hole in which to stuff treats or kibble.

“Put something really good down in the tip,” Mantle says. “Put things in there that the dog can get out, but it takes some time to do it.”

If the owner is going to be gone for several hours, he can get a dispenser that shoots out several filled Kongs a day.

Interactive toys such as the Molecuball and Buster Cube also can be filled with hard food. Mantle suggests a person put the dog’s breakfast in a toy instead of in a bowl. “The dog has to paw it, nose it and get the food to come out by interacting with the toy.”

If you leave a treat-filled toy with the dog each time you leave the house, he’ll not only be occupied during your absence, but also come to associate it with something positive. This works best if the Kong or other toy is used only while you’re away.

Do you have a question about pets? We’ll get you an answer from an authority. Send your question to Rhonda Owen, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or e-mail rowen@arkansasonline.com

This article was published on page 29 and 31 of the Wednesday, December 13, 2006 edition in the Family section.