separation angst or just plain norty?

[ondrak]

I could do with a bit of advice about what maybe a phase of seperation angst or quite possibly the dogs just being norty....

When we got Ned, we were told that he had problems being left alone in my home office......but apart from a chewed door handle & a ripped ironing board cover in the first week he's been absolutley fine.

Wanda never had any problems with leaving Griff and as far as I know he's not one to destroy stuff.

we've had Griff for 16 days now & for the past week I've come home from work every day to find something destroyed in the office (I lock them in when I go out)...so far they've (or could be just one, i don't know) ripped cushions; emptied & shredded the bin a few times; chewed filing boxes that I didn't think they could reach & today I came home to find loads of paperwork all over the place.

as I said, I have no idea who is instigating this or if its a joint job - but since its been happening, Ned is so excited when I come home (when he has previously been quite reserved) he goes mental to lick & jump up me - it seems that he's so relieved that I've come home.

The dogs are getting on brilliantly with no agression at all....

.....has anyone else experienced this? and do you think that Ned may be having a reoccurance of his seperation angst or do you just think that they are having the time of their lives together & being norty???

[Aoj]

Just to clarify...are you closing them into one room? If so, therein might lie your problem. Is there anyway you can give them a bit more room to wander about in when you're not there?

The greyhound in them will not like being closed in so if you can give them a bit more space it might help.

[ondrak]

They are both in the office which leads off the utility room (where they have their water bowls)
I admit that it is quite a small space but it has been Ned's favorite spot since we had him...he got all paniky when we let him roam the house alone when we were out.

I might try leaving the kitchen door open tomorow - this will allow them access from the office to the dining room, kitchen, hallway and up the stairs (it sounds like I don't have doors in my house!!!) I'll have to try to keep them out of the living room somehow (the door won't close properly) cos i'd be gutted if they had a go at my furniture!
I'll see how they get on

[Lisa]

Its either boys being boys and being norty or them disaproving. For now I wouldnt give them more space but what I would do is make sure that the door isnt shut square on them. Can you put a dog gate up instead? You can get them from Argos £29 and can raise them a foot off the floor aswell.

Settling in a new dog means the way the attention is given changes so try ignoring them more when your around for a few days and give them a bit of distance.

Am feeling a bit more human today so will call you this evening.

[Deleted]

I would say that Griff is not averse to munching something, he never did it when I left him but I always left him with a filled Kong and chew.
If you remember I said that he likes to chew & got through a chew a day. He really liked to get his teeth into something almost as though he had to chew something.
He would occasionally pick items up & take them away but if I removed them & said no he wouldn't pick that item again. If I gave him a yoghurt pot or something to lick if it wasn't taken off him he would chew it so I think it may be Griff who is your phantom chewer

[ondrak]

Hmmmmm.......I've a feeling that these two 'innocents' bring the devil out in each other!

(they are chewing each other as I type!)

[zacsslave]

We had the same sort of problem with Zac after the 'honeymoon period'. He would go bonkers at the front door when we came home and wee and rip things when we went out. We are in and out all day - it didn't seem to make any difference how long he was left for. The deers are very laid back and he wasn't picking up their vibes!
I had just started reading the dog listener by coincidence, and she had quite a lot of advice. - Mainly to ignore him more, especially when going out. When we came home we did the same, not even any eye contact with him( difficult when he was bouncing in our faces.. ). After about 5mins we called him to us and gave him a quiet fuss.
He was CURED! took about 2 days, we were amazed, so simple.... BUT, if we even make a little bit of fuss when coming home , even after 3 years, he will pee . So be warned!

[ondrak]

Hmmmmm.......this problem seems to be escalating - I came home yesterday & the fabric and foam had been ripped off the arm of the sofa

i did tell both dogs very sternly that it was not good - my instinct tells me that it was Ned, but this may be cos he looked most guilty......Griff just looked at me like I was bonkers.

I left plenty of toys & stuffed bones for them today & came home to find even more stuffing ripped out of the sofa & some other stuff that Nigel had left on the desk ripped to shreads.
last week the USB cable to my phone was destroyed & they also killed a dog cushion the week before......

......things seem to be getting worse & worse.
I know that Ned was given to the rescue that we got him off cos they said that he had seperation angst, but as he's been fine till now I'm wondering if this distruction only manafests itself when he's put with another dog.
I don't want to separate them as they havn't been apart at all since we got Griff & i think it'd upset them too much.

but on the other hand I don't want them to systematicly destroy my house!

Heeeeelllllllp!!!!! what can I do to rectify this??

[jackie]

Oh dear


I suggest you ring Lisa.