chewing???

[rilchar]

we are new to this forum, we have two golden retrievers, one is 7 and the other is 1, the older one suffered with seperation anxiety, and barked all the time, until we got the younger pup, then he stopped barking, he loves the younger one, he has a spring back in his step, and loves to play with the pup it makes me cry to see the happiness which they share together, and the companionship they have made. we had them neutered six months ago.

so, now our problem is when we are out, we cant take them with us to groups etc as a the older one gets bad car sick, b it would not be fair to be kept in the car for too long. so we leave them at home in the back end of the kitchen, with a stereo on, with toys, together, water etc, but when we get home we have clothes anything plastic etc ripped, and trashed, we put everything up high but some how he gets it! my husband walks them before work, and after etc, i am unable to walk them due to my back and they are too strong!

we have tried a muzzle, but nothing works! at one point we doubted if it was the younger one, so we seperated them and knew it was the younger one from that!

we have left the younger one in the end kitchen, and let the older one out so he knows he has done wrong and the older one gets praised and the reward of being with the family! again it does not work

we are all out of ideas .........

[DogPsyche]

Some very simple but consistent behaviour changes on your part over a prolonged period of time could sort this.

...let the older one out so he knows he has done wrong and the older one gets praised and the reward of being with the family! again it does not work

The reason this hasn't worked is that your younger dog will have absolutely no idea why he has been excluded and this could be adding to his distress. Dogs don't think like children and it's really important to get a good understanding of how the dog's mind works to ensure problems like this don't happen. An excellent book to start with is:

"The Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson.

Make sure before you start any behaviour modification work that the dog is physically okay with a vet check (because no behaviour modification will ever work if the dog is in pain or discomfort).

These books are highly recommended and should provide all you need to know about separation anxiety including why it happens and solutions.

"I'll be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell

"Separation Distress & Dogs" by James O'Heare

If you can't solve this problem, look for a qualified professional canine behaviourist to help you.

Good luck.

[nick_j007]

Originally Posted by silchar

we are new to this forum, we have two golden retrievers, one is 7 and the other is 1, the older one suffered with separation anxiety, and barked all the time, until we got the younger pup, then he stopped barking, he loves the younger one, he has a spring back in his step, and loves to play with the pup it makes me cry to see the happiness which they share together, and the companionship they have made. we had them neutered six months ago.

so, now our problem is when we are out, we cant take them with us to groups etc as a the older one gets bad car sick, b it would not be fair to be kept in the car for too long. so we leave them at home in the back end of the kitchen, with a stereo on, with toys, together, water etc, but when we get home we have clothes anything plastic etc ripped, and trashed, we put everything up high but some how he gets it! my husband walks them before work, and after etc, i am unable to walk them due to my back and they are too strong!

we have tried a muzzle, but nothing works! at one point we doubted if it was the younger one, so we separated them and knew it was the younger one from that!

we have left the younger one in the end kitchen, and let the older one out so he knows he has done wrong and the older one gets praised and the reward of being with the family! again it does not work

we are all out of ideas .........

Hi there.

Part of me is reluctant to offer direct advice on this one as I feel you could do with one to one help.

However, a few points and questions come to mind:

Why not deal with the car sickness allowing you to travel? (again 1-2-1 help could resolve this).

What do you mean by kept in the car for too long? if they're relaxed and travel well with sufficient room they should be fine for a reasonable period.

It sounds as though they require training to walk with you Have you put time into training them? Work with one at a time, and then bring both together.

So if I get this correctly, it's the 1 year old that is destructive? I would endeavour to film it to see if the dog is anxious, or just being a bored destructive 1 yr old retriever?! How long are they left before this return state?

DO NOT use a muzzle on a dog in your absence! Slapped wrist from me on that one folks. This could cause an immense amount of distress in a dog, and I have seen dogs froth at the mouth and go ballistic to get a muzzle off. This may then condition the dog to hate being alone, and you then make a rod for your own back.

Probably more questions than anything, but it could get the ball rolling.

Seek out a trained professional to offer balanced and experienced advice!

Best wishes in any event.

Nick