Older dog destroying my home!

[vsimeone]

This is completely budget related because I am going to have to start replacing stuff!

I am at my wits end here. Back story (as short as I can make it):

This is the first dog I've ever owned. We got him as a puppy in 2002 and I read and researched how to take care of a dog. We attempted to crate train him but he totally destroyed two crates before we tried him on his own in the house. He has been a perfect angel - never destroying anything except for a minor item or two if there is a thunderstorm while we're gone.

Fast forward to yesterday - I don't know what happened. Maybe something outside spooked him or something but he destroyed my laundry room. He managed to open a cupboard and pull out a drawer (now they are both scratched to smithereens) and chew up anything he could find. I didn't think THAT much of it. I assumed something spooked him. Until this morning. I just left and was only gone for an hour. He managed to get the same drawer open again - this time pulling it out and onto the floor and he chewed up everything in the drawer.

What is going on??? He will be 9 years old next month! He's never acted like this before! I know a few things have changed recently - daughter moved out and son went away to school in September but they were both home over Christmas, but that was months ago! My cat that was 18 years old passed away 2 weeks ago but this behavior just started yesterday!

Any ideas? How can I keep my house safe and keep my sanity?!?! Thanks for any ideas that you can share!

 

[mom2val]

It could be related to the death of the cat. Our 12 year old lab died a few weeks ago and our 2 cats have been "freaks" since. Abbie our lab and the cats all got along fine and often slept together. Now that she is gone the cats are running all over the house, jumping up on counter tops, all over me when I try to sit down ( I have one cat right now that keeps trying to lay on my key board while I type and the other keeps trying to climb into my lap).

 

[SetzKitten]

Please pop over to the Community Board and find my post titled "Need help with my dog" that I posted yesterday. It's on the first or second page. I'm having the same problem and I got so much good advice from the folks over there. Good luck.

 

[Mickeyfollowers]

I got two puppies when they were 9 weeks old and now they are 7 mts old. As you know puppies love to chew on everything. They had started chewing on the base boards and the Vet told me about a spray called Bitter Apple. I spray it on the base boards and anything else that I think they may chew on. It doesn't stain and they can't stand the taste of it. I purchased it from Pet Smart. It is a white bottle with a yellow and green lable.

 

[Aanna]

When our first cat passed away it took a week or so for our other cat to realize the first one was really gone. They really do get lonely.

 

[ShiPooOwner]

The bad behavior might also be related to a physical health problem affecting your dog. A check up with a vet might be a good idea if your dog hasn't had one for a while.

And so sorry to hear about your cat. When our 17 year old and 18 year old cats left us within a year of each other, it was very hard on all of us.

 

[ceecee]

Sounds like the dog is missing the cat, seperation anxiety!

 

[vsimeone]

The bad behavior might also be related to a physical health problem affecting your dog. A check up with a vet might be a good idea if your dog hasn't had one for a while.

And so sorry to hear about your cat. When our 17 year old and 18 year old cats left us within a year of each other, it was very hard on all of us.

Thanks for all the ideas. I have wondered if it is a physical issue. He was diagnosed about a month ago with a partially torn ACL. It happened over Christmas when the kids were both here and we had about 50 people at the house for a Christmas party. He has been on pain killers and anti-inflammatory meds for about a month but they didn't seem to be having any side effects.

I have two business trips in the next three weeks and have resolved to take him for a second opinion if his leg is not any better after these two trips are done.

We had to leave again this afternoon for several hours so I gave him half an "ace" that he takes when it thunderstorms before we left. There was no further destruction when we got home a short while ago. Thanks again for all the ideas.

 

[marie1203]

I would suggest take him to the vet ASAP. If there is nothing wrong and he still keeps the behavior. I would call an animal behaviorist. I had to do that for one of our dogs he keep tearing up the blinds. The problem was fixed the first visit. I hope he gets better.

 

[hugabearjo]

Could it be that he is taking over the cats job? does he smell mice behind the washer and dryer?

 

[princesslily]

Separation anxiety!!! We had two Bichon Frise for about 11 years and when the one passed 2 weeks ago the other went crazy with destructive behavior! The vet said get another and we did! He is 100 times better!

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

Thanks for all the ideas. I have wondered if it is a physical issue. He was diagnosed about a month ago with a partially torn ACL. It happened over Christmas when the kids were both here and we had about 50 people at the house for a Christmas party. He has been on pain killers and anti-inflammatory meds for about a month but they didn't seem to be having any side effects.

I have two business trips in the next three weeks and have resolved to take him for a second opinion if his leg is not any better after these two trips are done.

We had to leave again this afternoon for several hours so I gave him half an "ace" that he takes when it thunderstorms before we left. There was no further destruction when we got home a short while ago. Thanks again for all the ideas.

This could be a separation anxiety issue.

I am also curious about the ACL tear. Are you waiting for it to heal? It won't. The ACL will not repair itself. My Golden just experienced an ACL tear 3 weeks ago. She was on the anti-inflammatories and pain meds because we had a trip planned the next week. They got her through while we were gone. The only way to fix the ACL is surgery, there are 2 kids. One where they place a plate in the bone and one where they go in a rewire a "fake" ACL, which my dog had last Tuesday. She's been home since Wednesday and we're going day by day but it is a huge surgery to recover from. Have to keep her very quiet and only go out on a leash etc for 8 weeks. She won't be able to resume normal activities for 6 months at which time the scar tissue that formed around the "fake" ACL will have cemented it in place.

One of the signs to watch for pain was restlessness and I am wondering if your dog is maybe doing this due to pain? The ACL tear can be very painful and maybe the meds are not cutting it? I'd give your vet a call.

 

[JaymeC]

I also agree with the vet or separation anxiety probably being the cause. I'm sorry about your cat Our kitten and pup are inseparable after just the two short months they've had together, I'd expect either of them to act up if the other was gone, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

Also, if you try the bitter apple spray the one thing I learned the hard way (after trying to put it around a wound on our dog after surgery) is be very very careful not to get it on your hands, unless you want to use it as a diet tool I tried everything under the sun for two days to wash it off, and finally it wore off naturally but until then everything I touched with my hands tasted like the spray.

 

[kimsuenew]

Could it be that he is taking over the cats job? does he smell mice behind the washer and dryer?

My exact thought was a mouse as well!

Our very mellow, calm, loving Golden Retriever went crazy when somehow we got a squirrel in our home... he ran up the stairs to the attic (had never went upstairs before), he chased, he leaped, he went into parts of the house and onto furniture that are off limits... it was a night and day difference and then some! With your dog doing the same thing exactly twice, my thought is that he hears or smells a mouse in that area.