- Dog who used to destroy house is happy to stay home alone (with food)
Does my previous service dog, Max, look happy in this photo? You bet he does! He’s happy because he is about to stay home alone.
This wasn’t always the case. Max used to destroy our house when he was home alone. He’d go into such a panic that he’s ruined floors, walls, doors, door handles, etc.
Max was a service dog and he was with people ALL the time. When we adopted him, he totally freaked out when we left him home alone. We were totally unprepared but if your pet has this separation anxiety problem, there is hope.
Today, Max is smiling and tail-wagging when he sees that I’m about to leave him home. One of the biggest contributors to the transition is food. Yes, food plays a major part in management of this dog’s separation anxiety.
Our dog Max rarely is fed when we are home with him. If he is fed, Max is getting his food out of a toy that makes him work. The bulk of Max’s food, and especially yummy food, is delivered to him as we are walking out the door. He’s been conditioned to expect that food time comes when he’s home alone. And it works!
So what’s that in the photo you ask? Well, Max has gotten so good at manipulating his food that we’ve upped the challenge. Earlier, as Max’s separation anxiety improved, I started freezing food in Kongs for him. Now, I also freeze the Kong so Max has a block of ice to work with too. This was especially handy in the summer as I knew he’d enjoy the ice.
Time to run, Max will soon be nudging me to the door so he can stay home alone!