This entry was posted on 2014-12-03 by Robyn Adams.

Adopting pets from rescue shelters is becoming increasingly popular as people are becoming more aware of the abundance of unwanted animals that are rapidly causing great overcrowding issues in shelters around the country.

So you’ve visited the shelter. You picked out a 5 month old little guy; he instantly grabbed your attention and you knew right away that this was the dog for you. You’ve brought him home and showered him with love and affection (and yes, he’s already taking advantage of the bed and the couch and your fluffy slippers). You’ve noticed that he doesn’t listen when you tell him NO! and he’s chewed his way through the contents of the rubbish bin (as well as a toilet roll and your clean washing). But this is normal puppy behaviour, right? Not always. Yes, puppies do chew. But if you find that your puppy is relatively well behaved while you are around and then as soon as you leave, they seem to go absolutely crazy – your beloved new addition may have separation anxiety.

It is very important to be aware of how you react to your puppy’s plan for mass destruction. You need to keep it in mind that your puppy doesn’t know that when you leave, you will be coming back. Imagine being ignored, left out on the street, moved from cage to cage without anyone giving you belly rubs and ear scratches. And then one day someone comes along and can give you all of that, and MORE! A warm bed! Delicious food! Cuddles on the couch! You’re not going to let them get away from you that easily, are you? Exactly.

As soon as you leave, your poor dog experiences instant panic.

Why are they leaving? What did I do? Did I not bark enough? WHERE DID THEY PUT THOSE SHOES? I will show them that I am a good dog and I know how to chew and destroy! And then you come back from work/the shops/dinner and you’re excited to greet your puppy (assuming you haven’t seen the mess yet) or angry (because your shoe is now in 6 different pieces all over the lounge). And your dog only sees this as a reaction. And he remembers that whatever he did (greeted you at the door or chewed through your coffee table) made you pay attention to him. And he stores that information away for the next time you leave. And so begins the cycle of never having anything that hasn’t been in your dog’s mouth.

There are a few ways to deal with these situations. The first step is fairly obvious. Make sure that all of your valuables are out of reach of your dog’s pearly whites.  Now dogs are chewers by nature so you’re going to need to replace the socks and shoes with hooves and bones. Make sure there is enough to keep the little guy occupied. You also need to teach your dog that being alone is not a bad thing, nor is it punishment. And that when you leave, you promise you are coming back. And you do this by associating being alone with something that he really likes. Every time you leave your dog alone – even if it’s just while you’re inside and he’s out in the garden, you need to give him his special chew toy or ostrich bone. As soon as he comes back inside to be with you, take the bone away. Soon he’ll realise that when he’s alone, he gets a deliciously smelly bone – which is pretty cool and not altogether terrible. Leaving should not be an event. Give him his special bone, and make sure he’s settled down in his bed before making your swift exit.  If you don’t make a fuss about saying goodbye, he’ll be so busy chewing his bone that you’ll be back before he even knows you left.

It is very important to be aware of how you react to your puppy’s plan for mass destruction

The most important thing you need to remember is that not all dogs are the same. They’re just hairier humans with an extra set of legs. And just like humans, they all react differently to certain stimuli and situations and the trick is finding out what works best for your dog. It will be trial and error at the beginning but all the frustration and hard work will be worth it in the end. He’s somehow convinced you to let him sit on the couch and watch Masterchef with you and the days of coming home to a bedroom full of pillow stuffing are long forgotten.