Anxiety Or Boredom?

[SAAM]

Hi everyone, I have posted this on another forum but have had no imput so am hoping someone here may help.

I have a 12 month old Samoyed who is a rescue dog. I have had her for about 6 weeks and she is gorgeous and gets along with everyone really well.

I go to work for 8+ hours on 2 days a week and she is left in the house with my older samoyed for company. She has become quite destructive while I am out and I am not sure if this is due to anxiety from being left or just plain boredom.

I have tried kong balls and juicy bones and toys but none of this seems to work. She is not at all food focused, so that is not an option, my older sammy is just getting fatter!!

I could put her in a crate but I know she will bark, thats OK but I really dont want to do that if i can avoid it and find another solutions. Does anyone think Feliway (sp) might be worth a try?

I cant put her in the yard as I live on a small property and the fence would not hold up to her trying to get out and follow, also she is a digger, so if I built a garden pen it would have to be a real escape proof one. I would sooner have her in the house and know she is safe.

Any ideas, she goes to doggy day care the day before I go to work to try to tire her out, but I cannot get her there on my work days, so that is not an option.

Hoping someone might have an idea or two?

[Weasels]

Hi SAAM, I was going to reply to your other post but I got called off to an impromptu puppy-date

The destruction you described before seemed pretty intense, I recommend a professional to assess the dog's behaviour. If you can get a video recording of how she acts when you are out that would be helpful too.

Generally the lack of interest in bones and kongs would suggest anxiety rather than boredom, but if she's not into food normally it's hard to say. You can buy DAP (dog appeasing pheremone) and I'd say it's worth a try but not a long term solution.

Best of luck

[cassie]

You could try taking her for a big walk/run/play before you leave to tire her out some more.

[Bjelkier]

Sounds like a typical bored Sammie to me.

None of my Sammies really enjoy kongs once they are out of the puppy stage and they dont really like treat balls. When they have used them they get it over and done with in about 5 mins.

I filmed them one day when I was out and they played a little with each other and the toys but then they left them alone and chewed pine cones and sticks instead.

How much exercise and training does she get daily?

EDT to say.

A bored Samoyed can cause an insane amount of damage. I've known one that ate threw a garden path (concrete) and another that put a huge hole in a wall!

Edited September 6, 2011 by Bjelkier

[SAAM]

thanks for the answers so far,I have fostered a few sammys and had one really badly destructive one, could not leave anything near her, shredded everything.

She gets a big run and ball chase before I go out and that is also why she goes to doggy dare care the day before because it seems to make her a bit tired the next day, but I just dread coming home after I have been out. She has eaten through the bed mattress and the chair seat, and dug up the lino near the door to get out of the door.

I will try to tape her, not sure how, I have tried to sneak out, but she works it out after a while. I have left tv on etc.

I will try the diffuser and maybe look for a behaviouralist, I will try to take her to work but my brother takes his dog and it is not really dog friendly and of course she will have to be left sometimes.

I guess I have found out why she was left at the pound

We love her anyway and will try to work it out.

[happypaws]

thanks for the answers so far,I have fostered a few sammys and had one really badly destructive one, could not leave anything near her, shredded everything.

She gets a big run and ball chase before I go out and that is also why she goes to doggy dare care the day before because it seems to make her a bit tired the next day, but I just dread coming home after I have been out. She has eaten through the bed mattress and the chair seat, and dug up the lino near the door to get out of the door.

I will try to tape her, not sure how, I have tried to sneak out, but she works it out after a while. I have left tv on etc.

I will try the diffuser and maybe look for a behaviouralist, I will try to take her to work but my brother takes his dog and it is not really dog friendly and of course she will have to be left sometimes.

I guess I have found out why she was left at the pound

We love her anyway and will try to work it out.

How about rescue remedy , I think it's in chemist , calming blend .. Know a lady who used it on her rotti to calm down , worked well. If that fails there is always professional help .

[SAAM]

Thanks, I have some, how do you give that to a dog?? worth a try.

I definately think professional help will be next.

How about rescue remedy , I think it's in chemist , calming blend .. Know a lady who used it on her rotti to calm down , worked well. If that fails there is always professional help .

[RubyBlue]

You have my sympathys. I also have a rescue, fortunately now passed the distructive stage but some evidence remains

I have used rescue remedy. I have found it useful to calm dogs/me down but I dont know that it would help with boredom....well given that a very large proportion of it is ethanol it may help my boredom but I dont think dogs would appreciate it in the same way. I gave a few drops in the food. I dont think it lasts too long though.

I also tried DAP and didnt find it helpful.

Good luck.