Serious Problem -- Please Read!

[jljn88]

Lexie is now 9 months and we thought it would be a good time to get her used to not being kenneled all day when we're at work. So we tried leaving her our for a few hours when we went to the store or something but today I left for about 2-3 hours and when I got home she had torn apart our mini-blinds, ate the remote to the TV, tore up a spray bottle, and started to tare up a blanket. I am obviously steaming but do not know what to do to get rid of this behavior. I've read that boxers have a lot of separation anxiety and figured that is what Lexie has but how do I make it stop? I don't want to keep her in the kennel for the rest of her life!!!

Please help~
Jennifer

 

[Queenmum]

I was able to leave Wilma alone at around 7 mos. Emmett is 8 months old and he is not even close to being trusted. I think it depends on the dog!

 

[Louise501]

Maybe taking her out for a run before you leave her would help, I know Ruby behaves at her best after a walk! Ruby is put in the kitchen when I need to leave her for an hour or two

 

[gmacleod]

Baby steps! Especially with a dog that's had no freedom at all up until now.

Try leaving her loose for periods of five minutes or so. Then work your way up to ten, then fifteen, and so on. If you try 2 or 3 hours right off the bat, you're setting her up for failure, particularly since she's an adolescent.

I like to start leaving puppies out of the crate for short periods (minutes) from about the four month mark. Then there's no big surprises when they're older and you want to start leaving them longer - it's all just normal. But if the dog has been crated up until now, then sudden freedom is a big responsibility and you've got to start with short time periods. Practice "leaving" and go sit outside your front door for five minutes. Then for ten, and so on. Sure, your neighbours are going to think you're nuts, but that's a small price to pay. But you need to desensitise the dog to you coming and going, and to work your way up to leaving them for longer periods.

 

[richarc6]

From what I have experienced, this is pretty normal-- If you want to keep them out of the crate, this is the risk. We did not crate after 3 or 4 months but learned the hard way with the first pup that EVERYTHING has to be put up. Keep all doors shut, put up all remotes, candles etc.. Unplug any plugs they can get to and don't leave out blankets, pillows etc. We even turn up the cushions on the chaise lounge and love seat sometimes when they're getting that itch. I know it seems like a pain, but it should be temporary--unless of course, he has seperation issues. Um, never had the blinds issue......that sucks....(knock on wood!)

Good luck to you..it does get better and it's so nice to be able to leave them out!

Carolyn

Mom to:

Ali 2 yr brindle baby girl
Dempsey 5 month flashy fawn male

Ruckus 04-00/01-06 brindle love muffin

 

[sgbtab]

I feel for you.:( gracie use to be a nut like that. she taught me to pick everything up. even though she is gone I still go through the house and make sure there is nothing around. the good thing about doing that is I always have a clean looking house. but don't look in the closets. that is really the only thing you could do if you are not crating.

 

[LeahR]

We have experienced the same thing with Aspen. We started "weaning" her off the crate, a little bit at a time ( grocery store runs, errands etc). Eventually she got her big chance to be out during a workday. She was good for almost two weeks then BANG, one day we came home and the couch was ripped up, a nice book destroyed, the remote etc... she even went so far as to go upstairs, get the remote from our bedroom and chew that too!!!!! Mason has the run of the house and has since he was about 6 months, he never does anything so we think that the two of them together all just just egg each other on.

 

[harley03]

Bad News...

Harley is 3 and I still can't trust him out of his crate for too long. He jumps on/chews the doors and windows and messes on the floor EVERYTIME we used to leave him. He's been like this since he was a tiny puppy (I think I actually posted about his anxiety shortly after joining boxerworld). It's strange because we leave him loose in the house when we're outside working at something and he's fine and relaxed, but the minute we step into the car to leave he knows he's missing out on his ride. We had to upgrade his kennel to giant size right now, and maybe someday we'll try to give him some freedom again.

 

[ladyluck_t]

My female is almost 6 yrs old and she is still crated when I leave the house. Even a 10min trip to grocery store. I cannot trust her still. I bought a bigger crate and filled it with a couple of old comforters. She makes herself a little "nest" and as soon as I walk into the front entry way she goes and gets in her crate.

I had a break in once, the guy left the door open to my home. If she had not been crated she would have run off. In my eyes, I know exactly what she is doing now and that she isnt getting into anything or trying to jump out the window. I read on here quite a while back about someones boxer that jumped through their living room windows to go outside while alone.

 

[Lola's mum]

I'm lucky in that my mum lives with me & Dh so my two are not really left on their own but if they are like when mum had to go into hospital last year for a week I worried about leaving Lola (didn't have Zeb then)
I just took her for a long walk each morning before work and tired her out, left her a filled kong and hoped for the best.................... she was fine, no damage to furnishings, no pee or poo

When I take Lola for a walk and no ones in I leave Zeb uncrated in the kitchen and he's fine with a filled kong and is snoozing when I get back.

Like Gmac said leave her for short periods of time, gradually building it up.