how to be alone?

[brinkerb]

Hello everyone. I am new to the forum and a new dog owner. My beautiful rottie is a 6 month old (german) male, named Brinker. Not neutered. Mostly housebroken (I'll explain in a moment) . He has been through obedience training and listens very well (when the leash is on). My question is how do I train him to be alone in the house with out destroying everything?

Let me first clarify that he always tells me when he has to go out if I am there, (except for a few fits that he has thrown, which is another question topic all together...) so when I say he is mostly housetrained that is what I mean.

I am traveling right now, and am in a two bedroom hotel suite with him. I have limited tools for baracading, but have tried to baracade him into certain areas. He always breaks out, and destroys everything! (He ate a lamp shade, silk flowers, phone book, no furniture luckily...)

I have also tried just leaving him for very short amounts of time. It seems that under a half hour is fine. If anything is left out, he will destroy it, but that is all. But if it is any longer than that, he will mess right in front of the door (entrance door). I know he knows this is bad, because if I leave and he doesn't mess, he will greet me happily at the door, but if he has made a mess, he will sit on the couch and stare at me when I come in the door.

I work, and can get home every four hours, but no more than that. I have considered hiring a dog nannie to come let him out more often, but don't really know if that is a good permanent solution...

Please help!!!!

[Nancy Estes]

Have you considered crate training him? With sufficient exercise and walks he's old enough not to have to go to the bathroom every couple of hours so he should be fine if he's in a crate. It would be cheaper than replacing furniture http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/wink.gif. You might do a search (upper right corner) for previous discussions on crate training and the use of toys, bones, etc., to keep a dog occupied while it's alone.

Nancy

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von Dorow Rottweilers

[brinkerb]

thank you for your response. Actually that is where he stays now, (due to the above issues..) But I feel SO bad. I want to be able to let him stay out while I am gone...

He doesn't seem to mind the crate, and will "go to bed" when I tell him to, but I don't see that as a permanent solution either. Since I am staying in a hotel, I figured now would be a perfect time to get him used to what is allowed and what is not (better there than in my house...)

[HackN2it]

When he is home alone does or has he: been played with a significant amount of time, have toys to play with(Rotties are not like humans and don't have the same emotions:they don't try and get even at you for going to work! He is bored and needs toys and something to do! With no toys he finds a lamp and it becomes his toy. Without proper excerise he will have tons of energy and no way to release it.

As for the accidents on the floor: do you leave him food and water while you are gone? After you feed him in the morning take him out and play with him/let him go potty. If you aren't going to be gone a long period of time pick up his water and food bowl and put them away.

Not trying to sound mean but, it sounds like you are very busy and he is not getting enough attention. He MUST get plenty of excerise/training. This is a breed that was bread to WORK, they are constantly using there minds and there bodies. If he stays home and gets let out to do his buisness but, there is no play time because you are late for work then, he will destroy things! Especially if there are no toys for him to play with. These dogs are ment to be trained and worked with for there entire lives. They live to serve there handlers and work throughout there lives.

Hack

[SarasMom]

Your puppy has a lot of growing up to do. At 6 months, they will get into lots of trouble when unsupervised. The crate is the safest place for him, and for the furnishings. I know that without the crate, my 4 month old pup probably would have burned the house down by now. http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/wink.gif (He's a very active and inquisitive puppy, just the kind I like.)
Brinker will eventually learn his house manners, and then everything will be better. But for now, keep him in his crate with a nylabone to chew on when you are not there. If you are spending lots of time away from him, hire a pet sitter or dog walker to give him some exercise. Really, the crate is the safest place for him, and I assure you, he won't think any less of you for keeping him there.
Welcome to the forum. http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/smile.gif

[frau]

I sympathize, brinkerb. Gypsy is also 6 mos. old and I wouldn't dream of leaving her in the house alone. I only recently became comfortable with leaving her outside alone.

When I had Danes I learned that they can be destructive up to about 18 mo. old. Therefore I am not alarmed that the Gypster is such a rat fink about this. In just 2-3 minutes she can shred a newspaper, roll of toilet paper or roll of paper toweling. Just this afternoon she romped outside with dirty clothing articles twice.

I try to keep everything up and all doors closed. It is comforting to know that if I am patient and consistent this will all be over soon.

Good luck, this too shall pass!
http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/biggrin.gif

Frau

[brinkerb]

That doesn't sound mean at all. I understand what you are saying. I try to play with him for at least 1/2 hour before I begin getting ready for work, but I do notice that his behavior worsens if I don't get that time in.
As for him not trying to get back at me, I read that somewhere, and thought that sounded nice, but for example my shoes... He knows that he is not allowed, and if I am watching him closely and we are playing he will leave them alone, (or at least try to hide when he sees me see him...) but when I get ready for work in the morning, he will put down his toy, go get my shoe and bring it right in front of me. As soon as I look at him, he runs... I know he knows it is bad... That makes me wonder if he is mad at me... I know that I am probably personifying him too much, but...

[Nancy Estes]

"Everybody" is right - six months is too young to expect him to stay loose and unsupervised. He will eventually outgrow the need to investigate everything by chewing, etc. As long as he has toys or a good bone to occupy him while he's in the crate he will be just fine and only minimally frustrated, if that much.

Nancy

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von Dorow Rottweilers

[HackN2it]

LOL LOL LOL....The shoes!!! You should be happy!!! The eating of shoes when you are not there means that he LOVES YOU AND MISSES YOU!!! Your smell is on the shoes and that is his way of being close to you!!!

I know it's rough on the wallet, but it really just means he misses you!!!

Hack

[Bucky's Mom]

Just a suggestion to minimize damage - if you don not want to leave him in a crate during those four hours - why not try the bathroom (after removing any rugs or destructable items) Most bathrooms have a floor that is easier to clean up and slightly more room to stretch out in - although I agree the crate is best. Good Luck - Lisa

[WorkinDogz]

KennelAire makes a lovely (collapsable) crate...with a "front" door AND a SIDE door for your crate-setting-up conviencence. Easily packed up and they add so much to the decor of a hotel room http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/wink.gif

Dog tearing up the joint is only one concern....what they EAT while they are dismanteling the couch, shoes, carpets (know how many dogs have died from intestinal obstruction from carpet??) etc is of greater concern.

Crates don't have to be prison; they certainly can be a very happy place for dogs.

Keep in mind also...if the dog is tearing up the hotel room....it's going to make it difficult for the Hotel Management to continue to ALLOW PETS. Many hotels already HAVE a clause saying "Unattended Pets in Crates ONLY". For good reason.

[Joanne in NJ]

hehehe, Frau, We all know what "dirty article clothing" Gypsy was dancing around the yard to the delight of the neighbors with is. http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/biggrin.gif Gotta love them. Joanne

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[Paxx]

I am moving this to training.

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[Ethár]

Okey your dog is now 6 month... so maybe my story about training Ambrosius is helping... but I written it here anyway because maybe you can have some advice.

I think you should act towards him in this matte as if he WAS a little puppy and only have him in your kitchen. Ambrosius was only allowed to be there when we didn't have an eye on him. I closed the way with a gate.
You can also see to it that he has a large FRESH bone or something he finds interesting to gnaw at.

HOME ALONE
We started immediately to train Ambrosius to get use to us coming and going. Doors opens and shouts. We were careful with not doing any affair of this. Of course we did not stay outside any door, it was opened again IMMEDIATELY so that he never got any reaction by feeling abandoned.

When Ambroisus had lived with us for a couple of weeks and so to say "find his home" we started -very carefully- with the training to be home alone. We went into the bedroom and closed the door, just to open it again a very short while after. If I for example should put the newly washed sheets into my closet I closed the door behind me.

When he did not react at this small moments being left alone we started to do this for a little longer while (some minutes). We also started to close the frontdoor with the kee so that he got used to this noise.

After that the next level was to leave him when going to the dustbin, which takes about 3-5 minutes.

We also closed the front door with the kee. Then we sat right outside the frontdoor (quietly). We sat there and listened. As soon Ambrosius did scratch with his paw on the door, we said "NO!" and continued to be quiet for a LITTLE WHILE. Then we opened the door and came home.... we did NOT do ANY affair of coming back. Not pet him very much.

In this way we trained him until he didn't care at all - it took about one week.

IMPORTANT: Do not do any "affair" of the situation when you leave the dog or come home. If you do the dog thinks "oh dear, my mistress is very exited about this... it must be something special with this situation..."

The best thing to do (my personal opinion) is to show the dog by doing.... It IS very normal that people come and goes all the time. The dog will also think that after a while.

WE USED THE WORDS "COMING SOON" WHENEVER A DOOR WAS CLOSED SO TODAY HE KNOWS THAT HE WILL BE HOME ALONE FOR A WHILE BUT THAT WE ALWAYS COME BACK TO HIM. WE HAVE WATCHED HIM OUTSIDE WINDOWS SO WE KNOW THAT HE GOES TO SLEEP WHENEVER WE ARE LEAVING HIM.

Do not put pressure on your dog IF you notice him/her to be very anxious... train with calm and respect.

[Don]

CRATE TRAIN HIM. IT WOULD BE THE BEST THING. HE IS NOT READY TO BE LEFT ALONE. HE DEMONSTRATES THE FACT THAT HE IS UNCOMFORTABLE BEING LEFT ALONE AND HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN HE IS ALONE. I WOULD CRATE HIM. HE WOULD BE HAPPIER I BELIEVE.