I have a staffie who is just over a year old and i have recently moved her from her puppy crate into a big comfy bed, although the cage hasn't been closed for ages, just that her bed was in there.
She has slept in the hallway, near the front door since i had her and i was hoping to move her into the lounge so installed a stair gate and got her a new bed which she is more than happy to go in but when i left for work (im only part time so only out of the house for a few hours) she would cry and bark and it was suggested to me by the people who run my training class that she may feel more secure if she is in the hallway which is where she is used to. I have now put the 'vetbed' from her puppy crate in the corner (where the crate used to be) and she has access to the lounge and kitchen so can sleep in her bed if she prefers. She doesn't cry and is always sat looking out for me when i get back and seems much happier.
We had a successful week where she would sit on her vetbed in the hallway, i would give her a treat and head off to work and she would be sat waiting for me by the door on my return, where we would have cuddles and lots of praise for being good.
The last two days haven't been as good. This morning i nipped out for an hour and came home to find that she had dragged her bag of food out of the kitchen trolley where its stored and ripped it up in the lounge, dog food everywhere and when i came home from the school run this afternoon she had pulled my dvd shelves over and had chewed through three cases!
She has a toy box with her fave toys in and i also left her a rawhide bone and a marrowbone roll to eat whilst i was out but she saves the marrowbone roll until i get home. I knew she had done something today as she didnt greet me in her usual way and gave me that 'whoops, mum isnt going to like what ive done' look instead. She is toilet trained and we dont have a problem with that whilst im out.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how i can make our time apart more interesting for her? As i said, im only out of the house for relatively short periods of time, never longer than a few hours and i also leave the radio on radio 4 for her for the company of hearing voices.
Thanks
Rach and Molly

Dogs tend to get used to routine many see routine as security and what they are used to so they are comfortable with it. As a lot of the problem seems to have arisen when the crate was removed and put away, and the location of her bed was changed as well. Im wondering if her crate as she had had all this time is viewed as a place of comfort and safety, many dogs get attached in that way and view it as such like a sort of Den.

To be honest I would try putting it back again with the bed in it and see just as an experiment if she settles down again, if she does then there is your answer. She feels insecure without it.

Does she have access to you all the time you are in? if she does then that is not always a good thing, it makes some dogs overdependant so when they do have to be alone when you got out they freak and cant cope. If she does have access to you all the time you are there, I would make sure that she has periods of wind down time on her own while you are in. Make it part of the routine and, start even with a few minutes and build the time up.

Dogs usually settle better if they are exercised first, a walk and or a run gets rid of excess energy and makes them more likely to settle and relax. If she is not taken out prior to being left or hasnt had any exercise when you leave it might be an idea to think about that and look at her exercise levels in general.

I would continue to leave the radio on a talking station is usually better. Leaving a jumper or old t-shirt you have worn with your smell on it in their bed can reassure and comfort them so thats something simple you can also try.

DAP Now called Adaptil, they are dog appeasing pheromones to calm and sooth dogs, they work like a plug in airfreshener that you can get refils for. They help a lot of pups and dogs that wont settle. You can get them from vets and pets at home but usually cheaper on line Online Vet | Get Cheap Pet Medicine and Treatments Online From Vet-Medic - Vet-Medic is one plae where I get mine.

Leaving with things that they have to work and use there brain for also can help Kongs are good, you can fill them with all manner of things from there wet food to goodies or a mixture of the two. See link there are harder ones like Genius too that make the puzzle harder. See section how to Kong for filling ideas
Dog & Cat Toys & Dog Treats - Pet Toys, Dog Chew Toys | KONG Company Treat balls and toys that you fill with kibble and set to distribute a piece here and there as they play are good too
here is one type see link Buster Cube - Dog-Toy.co.uk There are lots on the market of interactive toys.

Always when you leave her, just take her to the place, give the toy and then leave no goodbyes nothing, just leave. When you come back never give attention straight away either. Take your coat off put the kettle on whatever, then call her to you and give attention.

Hopefully there are somethings her e that you havent done before and you can try. Most are tried and tested things that have been known to help/work.

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Thanks for that advice. I did consider a kong toy so maybe thats the next step. The crate was only on loan so has gone back to its owner so thats a no go really. I always walk her before i go and she actually has my dressing gown to sleep on as she loves this (spoilt mutt lol)
I will pop into the pet store later and get a kong and see if that does the trick.

Thanks

Any chance you can borrow it again the crate i mean? If it does the trick and you dont mind having a crate, then it might be worth investing in one maybe one thats slightly bigger even

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I think Sled Dog is right - without the crate she almost doesn't know what to do with herself or where to settle in your absence.

My boy loves his still (14 months old now) and we were originally only going to make it a temporary thing until he could be trusted not to chew. But having seen him as the months go on happy as Larry in there; taking himself off there at various points in the day/evening we have decided to leave him with it....for the very same reason - without it I think he'd be lost and he treats it as his den.

The most we'll do is leave the door open on it (for the times we're not around and restrict some access to certain rooms) and as it's in a place that isn't in the way, there's no real need to get rid. He does have a bed in the lounge too (for use when we're about) so between the two he's a very lucky boy A vet bed and pillow type cushion in the crate and a memory foam mattress bed in the lounge!

I've just left her for just over an hour whilst i visited my mum in hospital and came home to find no destruction and a happy puppy with a waggy tail so have just had some nice praise and play with her. I have bought a kong and some filling stuff so going to try that tomorrow. If all else fails and she still shows this destructiveness then i think i will look into replacing the crate and keeping it in the hallway for during the day. It was a big crate actually and she could easily lay flat out in it so i wouldn't be feeling like im restricting her but it was a bit of a nuisance in a smallish house (but not as much of a nuisance as clearing up chewed up dvd cases of course!)
Thanks for all your advice,
rach

Just see how she goes, but at least now you have some different ideas and various options to try, it she does do it again, some of which willl hopefuly work and settle her again.

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Please don't think this is a completely insane suggestion, but if the crate was a nuisance in your house due to space, do you have another space you can use? I have cleared out my cupboard under the stairs and put a baby gate across it - doesn't get in the way and is a nice secure den, plus bigger than a crate and nicely dark and cosy.

Like this:

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Ha ha , that's brill!

You just have to explain carefully when you say your dog sleeps in the cupboard!

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