Dear Miss Behavin’: We adopted a new dog on Friday and had a great weekend going for walks and getting to know each other. All was well until we came home from work Monday to a destroyed house! Dusty got into the trash, chewed up some throw pillows, pooped on the floor, and more. How do you train a dog to behave when you aren’t around?
First of all, congratulations on your new dog! What you described is pretty normal behavior for a dog, so don’t worry. Any dog left home for a full work day can become bored, and may take it upon himself to find something fun to do, like chew up a throw pillow or investigate the trash. This is particularly true for a newly adopted dog who is still figuring out the dos and don’ts of his new home.
Your best bet for now is to manage the situation and set Dusty up to succeed while you’re gone. Take him for a nice long walk before work so that he starts the day in a relaxed state, and has less energy to get into trouble while you’re gone. You’ll also want to do some dog-proofing. Like baby-proofing, put child locks on your cabinets and garbage cans, and put up baby gates so that Dusty doesn’t have full run of the house. Leave him with a comfy bed, and a few puzzle toys stuffed with treats or frozen peanut butter. Alternatively, scatter treats or kibble around the room for him to find while you’re gone. If you provide him with fun and stimulating activities when you leave, he will be less inclined to seek out entertainment on his own.