by kam
(canada)
hunter at 11 month old
hey i have a 13 month old boy rottweiler weighs 100 lbs, he is amazing very well behaved and obedient… until i leave the house.
as soon as he gets bored he starts destroying the furniture, as a puppy i used to crate him and correct him when i’m home however he is almost an adult now and still has the same behavior.
i was wondering what should i do, should i always crate him when i’m not home ?
Hi Kam
At 13 months old Hunter is actually still a pup, although he’s an adolescent rather than a baby. This means you’ll likely still see some puppy behaviors and he’ll have more energy to burn than an adult Rottie would.
From what you describe though I’m wondering if perhaps he’s suffering from some separation anxiety issues, because this type of destruction can often be a symptom of that.
Dogs who have separation anxiety often exhibit the same anxious behavior even when crated, but if Hunter has become familiar with being in a crate when you’re not home without any problem, it could be that he feels safe that way. BUT, if you leave him alone in the house without the comfort level afforded by his safe place (ie his crate) then his anxiety surfaces and he shows it by causing havoc!
I’m not certain that this is what’s happening, but it does sound as though it could be.
There are all sorts of tips, techniques and so on that you can use to help a dog overcome this type of behavior problem and you can find out all about this here… Separation Anxiety In Your Dog
However, if Hunter seems perfectly happy being crated while you’re gone, then I’d suggest that you continue to do that if you’re going to be away for any length of time. Dogs are naturally den animals and they feel safe and secure in their crates. As Hunter is old enough to control his bladder and bowels, and as long as he has safe, sturdy chew toys to keep him busy, there’s nothing wrong with crating him at this point.
If you feel that separation anxiety could be the root of the destructive behavior you’re seeing, then setting up some very short absences from your home and following the advice on the page above during those, may help. You can then work up to leaving him for longer periods once he’s less anxious and destructive.
Hope this helps helps, best of luck. You have two very nice looking dogs 🙂
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