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Old May 21st, 2011, 06:52 AM
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Larca Larca is offline
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You Guys Probably Get This Question A Lot..PLEASE HELP!!!

But what do you do with your dogs when you go to work?

I am only asking because I started a new job and do not know what to do with my dogs. They both have SA and since I started they have literally costs us thousands in damages to our home, as in floors, walls, furniture, I mean the destruction is unbelievable. When I am home they are great, they wont touch a thing, but even if they are left alone for 5 minutes they will just destroy stuff, not to mention urinating and defecating all over the place.

What we tried to do was keep them in the basement since it is big bare and there is nothing down there that could hurt them, I set it up like a playland for them, filled it with toys, beds and even a radio for sound, but that didn't work out too well because they literally broke the door down to get into the main house..well what is left of it now I guess. Yesterday we got home it was so bad that my husband told me to take pics of Lyca(he blames her for most of it) and told me to put ads up. I refused to do so and an hour later he was rolling on the floor playing with her..but still, what if it should happen again and next time he wont be so forgiving? I refuse to get rid of my dogs and I will quit my job if I have to just to keep them, but I really don't want it to get to that point. Options I have looked at were getting a outside kennel(but Lyca is a barker..would probably upset neighbors)..I cant fence my yard due to by law and I refuse to tether. But I was thinking of crate. I was always against crating in the past, but then again I was always home with them. Can that work? I leave at 7:45. I get home at 5:00 but my kids return from school at 3:00 so they can let them out then. Is that too long? would it be very cruel? because it just feels like it because these are dogs are used to free roam of the house, and that would be quite a dramatic change..a unpleasant one at that. Should I crate or does anyone have any better ideas...oh and rehoming is not a option, like i said I would quit my job before it gets to that point..just don't want it to get to that point.

P.S. I also considered hiring a pet sitter, I looked into it and the only one I found was two towns away and they expected to be paid 90% of the wages that I make..and plus Lars does not to well with strangers at all, so that probably wouldn't be a good idea.
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Old May 21st, 2011, 10:30 AM
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Melinda Melinda is offline
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it could be time to talk to a trainer or behavior specialist, do your dogs get a lot of exercise? what breed are they? take them for a job or long walk, a tired dog is a good dog, could you possibly take them to a daycare?
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Old May 21st, 2011, 11:31 AM
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Rgeurts Rgeurts is offline
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One of mine goes to daycare while we are at work. If left alone he gets very stressed. He can't be crated due to seizures and he's very destructive and also has pica, so will eat very inappropriate things. Daycare is wonderful because he's very socialized now, comes home just beat and it's good for their spirit to meet others and just play all day

One thing I would highly recommend is reviews and references before choosing the daycare. Some are absolutely horrible (as we found out the hard way! ). Good luck!
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Old May 21st, 2011, 11:46 AM
SamIam SamIam is offline
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The things I've done over the years are crating (and whenever possible coming home for lunch), taking my dogs to work with me, and dropping them off with a relative for the day. I've never hired professional help, but in addition to all-day sitters you could consider a doggie daycare or hiring a dog-walker - strangers who would, with repetition, become your dogs' friends. For most dogs the best crate is a small dark cozy plastic kennel with a blanket and some toys, but if you have never crated your dogs before, they may not take to it well. You could also put a chain-link dog run in your basement, with a top if they are jumpers, maybe even bolted to the floor.
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Old May 21st, 2011, 06:43 PM
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marko marko is offline
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here's a couple of ideas that may help
- perhaps a neighbor can look in on them in the day
- crazy amounts of exercise to tire them out in the morning might be a good idea
- Talk radio is supposed to help with some dogs.
- Perhaps do not feed them in the morning but give them Kongs full of safe foods/treats or their ration of kibble. Perhaps have their daily ration hidden in multiple kongs that they can find.

Not sure if any of these are useful in your particular case but i thought i'd throw them out there.

Good luck!
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Old May 21st, 2011, 10:37 PM
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luckypenny luckypenny is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larca View Post
But what do you do with your dogs when you go to work?
One of our dogs had severe SA as well. I was fortunate that I was able to take some time off work to help him overcome it. For the days that I had to go into work, I brought him to a neighbor's house to be taken care of. It took us many months just to be able to leave him for short periods and now, nearly five years later, I can only leave for several hours at a time. He does need at least 45 minutes of running and another 30 minutes of walking in terms of exercise before I leave. As Marko suggested, I also leave him with Kongs that have been stuffed with his food and frozen in order to keep him occupied. He still has SA but not to the extent as when we first adopted him (he's no longer destructive but can be vocal with his howling).

As for crating them, I would be strongly opposed to it if they are as destructive as you describe, especially if they're not used to being crated. I've known dogs who've caused serious injuries to themselves trying to get out of their crates. It took months and lots of work and patience for our Lucky to get accustomed to his crate...where he once avoided it at all costs, it's now one of his favorite places.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Larca View Post
... oh and rehoming is not a option, like i said I would quit my job before it gets to that point..just don't want it to get to that point.
I can't tell you how relieved I am to read that. Dogs with SA are extremely hard to re-home .

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix. I think all that can be done is to try to figure out how to manage it so that your dogs aren't left alone all day while you work on their SA. I recommend you read Don't Leave Me! Step-by-Step Help for Your Dog's Separation Anxiety by Nicole Wilde. It's a wonderful book that covers absolutely everything you need to know about working through SA. I got my copy here http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB1179 .
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