Question about separation anxiety and eating rocks, bolts, etc.

[kings mom]

Hi everyone!
This is my first time doing this, but I do have a question about rottie behavior. We keep King in the crate while we are at work, he seems to have seperation anxiety, but when he is out and about, and we are doing things in the yard, he will eat dirt,rocks, and he even ate a bolt from one of my husbands projects. I know this is not normal behavior, does anyone have any suggestions?

[Janus'sMom]

I'd keep him on a leash and teach him the "leave it" and "drop it" commands. I don't know why he's doing it. But thats just my opinion. Maybe he's missing something in his diet... Maybe he wants more minerals and iron :P (jokin).

[Terri Lambert]

If you cannot correct his behavior of eating things he shouldn't you may want to invest in a basket muzzle before you end up with a foreign body surgery.

[Luvtails]

Maybe try to give him something better to occupy his time in the yard like a marrow bone, once the marrow is gone you can fill it with peanut butter or cheese or other things. you could also do this with a kong but it might not be as interesting. this idea also helps separation anxiety by only giving him the "good stuff" when you are leaving. just make sure the toy/bone is safe if you are leaving him alone. I would keep him in direct supervision when in the yard if possible. I have a girl that has eaten everything. She would only do it when she was in heat. She once ate all my husbands screwdriver bit heads and auto light bulbs, nuts and bolts and wires. Lesson learned not to leave the tool box open. The doggy ER made her vomit and she threw most of it up( now learned how dangerous cause of the glass). We were scared about the glass auto bulbs and fed her a high fiber diet for a few days and hoped for the best as they could not operate for glass. She is fine and is now spayed and no longer does it. The joke at the animal hosp was that her xray looked like home depot! we laugh now but definately wasn;t funny at the time.

[kings mom]

He's good with commands, but if we are not paying attention to him, he does things to get our attention. I feel bad that we have to keep him in the crate, but I'd rather have him in there, than peeing and pooping on my floor.I do give him bone marrow, and other treats, but it doesn't seem to work. When we are home, he constantly needs attention. We have no relax time. I don'y know what to do!!

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by kings mom

He's good with commands, but if we are not paying attention to him, he does things to get our attention. I feel bad that we have to keep him in the crate, but I'd rather have him in there, than peeing and pooping on my floor.I do give him bone marrow, and other treats, but it doesn't seem to work. When we are home, he constantly needs attention. We have no relax time. I don'y know what to do!!

I take it this is a puppy? How old?
I hate to tell you this, but puppies and young dogs need a hell of a lot of attention.....and you may not be able to come from work and relax. Make playing and walking and training your dog, part of your day....just like you would cooking meals, doing laundry, working,etc.

This pup need more exercise and attention. How much time does he spend going for walks each day? How much time playing fetch or tug with you? How much time do you spend training with him? Have you got this pup in obedience classes?
A tired pup is a good pup. This is a working breed, that needs something to do....if you want to come home and relax...then you probably should have gotten a stuffed dog.

How many hours is he in the crate each day? How many hours at night?

Gina

[Janus'sMom]

Janus doesn't give me any relax time either, and I'm at home all the time ( no job, getting ready to move). But I expect that of him since he's 6 months old. Puppies are alot of work, but always worth every second and every penny of effort you put in them.

You also have to remember that the time you spend with your pup now is extra bonding time you have with him. And I hate to say this, but your pup won't be around forever, cherrish every second of every day you can spend with him. Time flies, and sooner or later ( prefferably later) you're going to be looking back and saying "wow, he was so much fun, all the goofy things we did together".

When I'm playing at the computer we'll play tug 'o war with his rope... I only need one hand to click a mouse, so the other is getting a work out with Janus I just gotta keep both feet planted on the floor or he'll drag me all over my office

My trick is this (since I have all day to get things done...) throw a ball (while Janus is fetching) type a line or two, throw the ball, type a line or two... same thing with regular chores. The only time this is not done is when I'm in the bathroom, cooking, or sleeping. Even when I'm sitting down to read a book, read a paragraph, throw the ball, read another paragraph, throw the ball, read a paragraph (oops already read that one), throw a ball... that way he's busy, playing, and I know he's not getting into trouble and he's not locked in his cage or tied outside. (Just be careful not to get a slimey ball when reading )

[kings mom]

Thanks for the info! King is going to be 7 in October. We adopted him from an animal about three years ago. His previous owners abused him, By the time we adopted him, he had alot of issues. We have worked through some of them, but we still have a long way to go. He is very possessive of his toys, food, and Daddy!! King spends about 8 1/2 hours in the crate. We had two other rotties that had the run of the house, but with him, we tried, but it didn't work. I don't like to keep him in the crate, but we do not have a choice at the moment. Because of the sepratation anixiety, he feels comfortable in the crate.
Besides all of the issues that King has, he did turn out to be a very loving dog. He follows us every where, but also remains indepenant. As I am writing this, he is out side with my husband playing with his tire!!

[myandromeda]

It sounds like boredom to me. Both our dogs do this, but I've found that the more I play with with them and train them, the less of an issue it has become. Don't get me wrong, I still need to watch them like a hawk.

I highly suggest working on the "leave it" and "drop it" commands. Though he may know them, I believe you may need to concentrate on those during your training sessions. I also wouldn't leave him to his own devises. You'll need to keep an eye on him at all times so that if he seems like he's going to eat something, you can tell him "leave it" or "drop it."

Our dogs favorite "treats"? Socks. It's so annoying!

[kings mom]

Thanks for reply! I agree with you. I figured because he is in his crate for the duration of our work period, he is bored. My husband had an old tire from his motocycle which King loves. We go outside just to keep him active, because he doesn't like to go out alone. I also through the ball against the house to keep him busy. He also like stealing socks, mostly my husbands.

[Coleboy]

I haven't read all the posts here but, sounds like he's board...they get into trouble when there board....get busy with him, and I "bet" you'll see a change:)

[Meegs]

Hi KingsMom,

It sounds like a disorder called 'Pica' to me. This is caused by a number of things but i have posted a website that may be able to help you understand.

Pica Behaviour in the Adult Dog

[kings mom]

Hi Meegs,
I want to Thank You for that very informative article. I does sound like what King has and is going through. I am going to give a copy to my vet, so he can read it and also make copies for other "parents" having the same problem. Thank you, once again.

[Meegs]

No worries Kings Mom,
Please, let me know how it goes with your doggy. It may be that he has some dietry problem or it may be something really easy to fix.
Let us know what the vet thinks :)

Meegs

[AngelBunny]

I have an 8 yo bitch (give or take--she's a rescue, so we're not 100% sure).

Mox was the energizer bunny when she was a puppy and she still is. Smart, manipulative, energetic. She's in class because I want to put a CDX on her this year. I also want her drafting novice title.

In addition to going to class and daily practice sessions, Mox gets free walked 30-45 minutes every day before I leave for work. When I get home, I take the dogs for another walk--45-60 minutes. I do this almost every day and longer on weekends and when I'm off work. I don't stroll--I move along smartly.

If I don't burn off her energy, Mox can be quite a pest--running thru the house, pulling clothes from the hamper; barking at me, hitting me with her paw, pulling at my clothes; harrassing her sister and foster brother. When she's like this, she's a little hurricane, storming thru the house, leaving exasperation and annoyance in her wake.

I didn't read much about King's exercise regime.

To me, King sounds seriously underexercised, both mentally and physically. My suggestion is that you up--way up--the exercise, both mental and physical--King is getting. All the energetic dogs I've had (and I've had quite a few, as we're active in Rottie rescue and foster adult males) were more interested in napping and snoozing than engaging in behavior I don't like once I got them worn out from mental and physical work.