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Thursday 9 September 2010

Alfie: What's it all about?

About a month ago me and my partner got an eight-month-old Shih-tzu cross - Alfie. A friend at work bought him when she was drunk - she got the impression that he was just going to be abandoned.
She only had him for the weekend before giving him to me (as she couldn't cope). Although my partner has always had dogs as a child, I have never had one. I am a dog lover, but really don't know what I'm doing.
When we first got Alfie was very unsettled and my partner (who was then out of work) couldn't leave him alone. He would bark constantly - we live in a flat and we worried about the sound. My partner now has a job, we both have to leave before 6 am, so we started taking him to my partner's mum on the way to work - as she is not working. Whenever she went out and left him he would wee and/or poo - sometimes on mats left for him, but not always.
My partner's mum recently went away for a few days, so I took his cage over and put him in it while I was at work - he had his food, some treats and a couple of toys in with him. He went mad when went to pick him up. He had made a right mess - his water was all tipped over there was food everywhere and the treats were outside the cage. The next day when I went to pick him up - he greeted me at the door - he'd got out!! He had chewed off three of the bars! A neighbour lent us their cage which seemed much stonger - but he still managed to chew off on the bars on that cage too. I don't want to use a cage anymore as I'm worried about him hurting himself. He obviously is really distressed whenever he's left on his own - but we have to go to work. He still has his balls, but we are hoping to get him neutered very soon - but I don't think that will stop his anxiety. I also would like to be able to leave him at home, and not keep moving him around. Please can you help, how do we stop this behaviour?
Sally Neatham, by email

2 comments:

  1. It may be that your dog has never been left alone in the past and it sounds like he is panicking. A change in routine can also worsen feelings of insecurity. A dog that is showing such signs of distress needs to learn, gradually and thoroughly, that being left alone is not necessarily a threat. A crate, if used, needs to be introduced as a positive place where the dog can feel safe. Unfortunately it sounds as if this dog has not learned this and could well feel trapped in the crate, even to the point where escaping could mean that he harm himself. Retraining him to get used to and potentially enjoy time alone is one of the options open to you. You could also look at your actions and interactions with him to see if he is picking up on signals when you leave and return. Separation anxiety of this type can be improved greatly with professional help - you could try www.apbc.org.uk to find one in your area.

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  2. Oh dear! How long is he expected to remain crated??? If you are working how many hours is he restricted for. Although we do not use crates I appreciate that some people do but am sure everyone will agree they should only be used for VERY short periods of containment. A young dog is generally a playful dog who needs interaction and stimulation at this crucial stage of development.

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