Dogs Love School

Dog Left Home Alone
A frustrated dog chews and scratches when left tethered in the kitchen.

Q. We leave my dog at home when we go to school and my parents go to work. We leave him on a leash in the kitchen with his food and water bowls filled, a blanket, and some toys. We let him out to do his business as soon as we get home. Sometimes when we come home we notice that he has chewed on the door and scraped the paint off, or scratched the walls. Why does he do this?

A. Dogs chew doors and scratch walls for different reasons, but when they do it while tethered it usually indicates frustration about being confined. Your dog may sometimes need to do his business before you get home, and having to hold it until you’re there to let him outside may make him antsy… so he chews. Or he may simply be bored with being home alone and crave more exercise than he can get when tethered … so he chews.

Here are some possible solutions that will relieve his boredom, give him some healthy exercise, and provide a potty break during the day:

Ask a dog-loving neighbor to drop by during the day and let your dog out to eliminate and get a bit of exercise. You could offer to do chores for that neighbor in exchange for the help with your dog.

Hire a pet sitter to walk your dog during the day and give him a chance to eliminate if he needs to.
Fence part of your yard and install a pet door your dog can use while you’re gone.

Send your pooch to a doggie daycare two or three days a week, where he can exercise and practice social skills with other dogs.

Problem Puppy Chews At Night
Keep your puppy in close quarters, with proper chew toys.

Q. We just got a puppy. He’s a 3-month-old German Shepherd mix and has chewed up two cell phone chargers and the cords to my computer speakers. It happens at night when we are asleep, because during the day he is outside with our other dog. How do I get him to stop chewing on things?

A. Your 3-month-old puppy simply isn’t old enough or wise enough to safely leave loose in your house while everyone is sleeping. He is at a teething stage now, and losing his baby teeth. Also, at this age, pups typically learn about things by chewing on them. So it’s a small miracle that he hasn’t chewed up even more stuff. He won’t be finished teething for several more months, so don’t expect him to stop chewing for a while.

The best way to teach your pup not to tooth-test whatever he finds is to guide him back to an appropriate teething toy whenever he chews the wrong thing. Obviously, there’s no way to do that while you’re asleep, so confine your puppy at night to keep both him and your furnishings safe.

Bed him down at night in a sleeping crate, a folding pen he can’t escape, or a room you’ve diligently puppy-proofed. Leave a chew toy or two with him, so when he wakes at night and feels that natural urge to gnaw, he’ll have something appropriate to chew.

Don't see the answer to your dog's chewing problem here? Please contact us for an in-home or phone consultation.

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