Periodically I dog sit my youngest sister's pooch. She works long hours and can't always bring him with her to her job. He is a generally convivial, sweet soul, though he has an unfortunate case of social anxiety. I believe he was essentially abandoned by his first owner, rendering him completely unable to deal with being left alone for any period of time, even for an hour.
An hour is exactly how long I spend at the gym. I know better than to leave him out and roaming in my absence, so I place him in a doggie carrying crate so that he won't tear things up or confuse the carpet with a toilet. Today I returned, let him out (he was totally flipping out), and took a shower. In the ten minutes it took me to shower and change into clean clothes he destroyed the blinds in the den. They are now completely shredded and cannot be be fixed. They will need to be replaced. This is what I do not like about the dog. He is often more trouble than he is worth. If I didn't feel sorry for him and he wasn't so friendly, I wouldn't be quite so understanding.
I am going to strongly suggest affordable obedience training. This has gone on long enough. If this were an isolated incident, it would be one thing. He has also destroyed a entire wooden door panel at my parent's house. My father, a control freak in the best of times, totally pitched a fit. This has gone far enough.
An hour is exactly how long I spend at the gym. I know better than to leave him out and roaming in my absence, so I place him in a doggie carrying crate so that he won't tear things up or confuse the carpet with a toilet. Today I returned, let him out (he was totally flipping out), and took a shower. In the ten minutes it took me to shower and change into clean clothes he destroyed the blinds in the den. They are now completely shredded and cannot be be fixed. They will need to be replaced. This is what I do not like about the dog. He is often more trouble than he is worth. If I didn't feel sorry for him and he wasn't so friendly, I wouldn't be quite so understanding.
I am going to strongly suggest affordable obedience training. This has gone on long enough. If this were an isolated incident, it would be one thing. He has also destroyed a entire wooden door panel at my parent's house. My father, a control freak in the best of times, totally pitched a fit. This has gone far enough.
If it were my dog, I'd raise it much differently than she does. He's strictly an indoor dog. My sister occasionally takes him out and about with her but he spends much of his time with her, clinging to her heels. I agree with the exercise bit, too, but my sister hates exercise and spends most of her time inside. I wish I could say that it's not my problem, but it ends up being my problem when I'm the one watching him.