My pitbull puppy is agitated & destructive when left alone. Help!
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Hello. I have a 4 moths pitbull who is very agitated if I let him home alone. He bites my carpets, he learned how to open my closet and he takes my clothes from there. What should I do about it? Should I let him just in one room and my terass, or should I let him in his cage or do you have a better ideea? Thank you for your response!
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on December 9th, 2016
I would keep him in his crate when you aren't there to supervise him. If he gets into your closet and decides to eat one of your items of clothing, and it gets stuck in his GI tract, he'll need surgery. Ideally, if someone can come during the time you're gone to take him out to potty and play a bit, it'll go a long way toward making separation easier for him. Getting him a Kong toy you can put some peanut butter in for him to lick and chew on will also help him pass the time and be less anxious. While you are home, make sure he gets loads of time with you. Play with him, go for walks, runs, take him with you wherever you can take him, get him out to play with other dogs, anything and everything you can to make sure he is tired both physically and mentally. A tired dog is a happy dog. Obedience training is another great way for the two of you to bond, and for him to learn how to behave correctly under different circumstances. PetsMart has puppy kindergarten classes that he is at a great age to start.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on October 18th, 2017
The safest option is to keep him kenneled if you are not there to watch him. this prevents him from tearing up your things and protects him from eating something that can harm him. If this does not help, you can look into day care for him to burn off some energy and not be bored. You can look at getting stronger toys such as Kongs that allow you to place treats inside to keep them occupied and interested in the toys or water buffalo horns and elk antlers that are sold at pet stores. these are more durable than most bones and are enjoyable for dogs. If all of these fail, you can talk to your vet about medicine to help with anxiety to keep him calmer and more relaxed when alone
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My pitbull keeps eating everything possible, nothing can ever be left in reach, nor in the trash. He is in a Shop all day and will eat pieces on the ground.What can we do to get him to stop?
The safest option is to keep him kenneled if you are not there to watch him. this prevents him from tearing up your things and protects him from eating something that can harm him. If this does not help, you can look into day care for him to burn off some energy and not be bored. You can look at getting stronger toys such as Kongs that allow you to place treats inside to keep them occupied and interested in the toys or water buffalo horns and elk antlers that are sold at pet stores. these are more durable than most bones and are enjoyable for dogs. If all of these fail, you can talk to your vet about medicine to help with anxiety to keep him calmer and more relaxed when alone
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a pit bull and he's tearing up everything getting rid of him is my last resort
I'm sorry that you're having this problem! It would help to know more about exactly what's going on with Beast - meaning how old he is, whether the destructive behavior is happening when you're home or away, and how long the behavior has been going on. Feel free to post another question with more details, or request a one-on-one consultation with one of us to discuss things - we would happy to try and help. In general, if Beast is a puppy, I would recommend making sure that he has plenty of his own things to chew on (bully sticks, large rawhide chews, cow or pig ears, puzzle toys, etc.) and supervising him closely at all times. When you're not home or if you are busy and can't supervise him, he should be confined to a crate or a puppy-proofed room where he can't tear anything up. If Beast is older and this is happening when you're not home, it's likely that he has some separation anxiety issues - this is the most common cause of destructive behavior when the dog is home alone. In
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My pitbull is a year and 3months old, he gets really crazy and anxious when i leave him alone at home if i need to go out. He bites everything and tries to open any window to get out of the house. I need help on what can i do to leave him peacefully
Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. It sounds like Loki has a fitting name! Unfortunately, he has separation anxiety and this can be difficult to correct many times. I would recommend providing him with plenty of toys including the kong toy that allows you to insert peanut butter or small treats so that he has to really work to get the treat. Adaptil priducta, which can be found online, can also help. If you are unable to correct this behavior, I would try NaturVet quiet moments calm chews with Melatonin which can be found online or at your local pet store. If there is still no improvement after trying these, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate treatment can be recommended such as anti anxiety medicatioms. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
We just got a 5 month old jack Russell yesterday, he is really sweet and is already house trained. My husband decided to leave him in the living room with all the other doors shut off while we were at work and he tore up everything and pooped everywh
It's very common for puppies this age to tear things up and have accidents in the house when no one is there to watch them. I would recommend getting a nice comfy crate for Koda to stay in when he's home alone - it should be large enough for him to stand up and turn around in, but not much bigger than that. This will keep him from getting into mischief while you're gone, and most puppies will "hold it" rather than use the bathroom in their crate if they are able to. You can leave him with a special treat or puzzle toy, such as a bully stick or a Kong stuffed with peanut butter, to help make the crate a fun place for him and keep him occupied while you're gone. He will need a potty break in the middle of the day at this age, so I would suggest coming home at lunch or having a neighbor let him out, if possible.
If he continues to have accidents even in the crate, or if he seems excessively upset even with treats and toys to keep him busy, these are signs that he may have a separatio
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi I Ann fostoring a dog she is a year old and a pit mix. I am gone most the day at work and leave her in a big kennel. Well when I try to leave her out she eats everything shoes ect and pottys in the home. And I'm wanting to know what I can do to ma
Treat or food puzzles can help add a little stimulation - you could feed half of her morning meal in a puzzle that she gets in the crate. Some dogs like music - there are songs that dogs respond to in particular that you could play for her. You could also consider hiring someone to take her for a walk mid day if you’re gone for a long time.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Bourbon has been house trained for month using a bell and so we started being able to leave him home. We puppy proof the house but he still tearsthings up really bad and occasionally poops and less in the house. He is sometimes perfectly fine being l
Raising a puppy can definitely be frustrating at times! Dogs don't understand "bad" behavior the way that we do - they just do what makes sense to them at the time. He may know that you're angry when you come home, so he runs and hides in his bed - but he doesn't understand that his behavior earlier in the day was the problem. So I would recommend not scolding him anymore when you come home - it won't help the problem, and just creates additional stress and anxiety which can actually make things worse.
If he's still having some issues with destructive chewing and housetraining accidents when he's home alone, then he's not ready to be left loose in the house just yet. Many dogs need to be crated or confined to a puppy-proofed room when you're gone until they're 1.5 - 2 years old, or even longer - this is perfectly normal. So my recommendation would be to simply not give him this much freedom yet.
Another possibility to consider, if he's only having accidents and destroying things
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
My pit is about 5 - 5.5 mths old. I’m having such a hard time potty training him to use the wee wee pad indoors until I can come home and walk him. I’m using a spray that’s supposed to attract him but no luck. Also when tapped on his bottom for atten
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! A couple ideas: try something like FreshPatch which essentially sends you a patch of real grass in a cardboard container. Or, try crate training since most pups will not pee in their “house”. Here is a good link for crate training. http://www.aahneenah.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/crate-training-your-puppy.pdf As far as the aggression, you’ll need to get that under control as soon as possible. Any form of aggression toward humans should be met with a firm “no” and stopping all play/walking. Practice just walking by and touching his back end frequently so that it’s normal and no big deal. Neutering often helps with aggression so keep that in mind. Finally, some dog require more intensive care so talk with your vet about anti anxiety medication or professional training.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
At the most he is left 2x a week for 7 hours at a time. I play with him in the mornings and I try to walk him before, if not after work. I put toys and bones out there for him too. But still when I come home he has dug up the yard or he finds some
I certainly understand and sympathize with your situation. I have one younger dog that has a lot of energy that will become destructive if he does not get enough stimulation. I have a few suggestions for you that have helped me. One thing that people think of first is treats that keep them busy for a longer period of time. This does seem to help. You can use long lasting treats like a Kong filled with peanut butter, yogurt, treats, etc and frozen so it takes longer for him to eat. My dog also really like Bully Sticks which I also freeze to make them last a little longer. Keep him mentally and physically busy during meal times. I love using a feeding balls like a Buster Cube or Tricky Treat ball to feed meals in. It keeps him busy for at least 5-10 minutes at each meal and requires him to work. And speaking of working. I have found that my dog is the most tired after we have done a good round of training. Even if you have done a basic obedience class, I would consider trying an a
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 3 year old pitbull is chewing all our blankets in the house. What can I do to get her to stop? I have already tried substituting it with a toy and trying to get her to play with her rope. I NEED YOUR HELP!!!
This is a difficult behavior to stop. The more she does it, the more she's practicing the behavior, and harder it is to break the cycle. First, increase her physical, mental, and emotional/social activity. For example, take her on a couple 30-45 minute walks a day (physical), do 2-3 10 minute training sessions with her (mental. It doesn't really matter what you're training, it's the brain workup that's important), and spend 5-10 minutes a day sitting and brushing her (social/emotional). Next, I would recommend removing all the blankets that are problems for her. Consider using a basket muzzle to prevent chewing if you can't remove the blankets. She can be in a crate when not directly supervised to prevent destruction. Give her other toys to play with with the blankets totally out of the picture. You may be able to bring them back later, but you may not. Some dogs that chew/destroy are anxious. If she seems like a nervous or skittish dog, I recommend talking to your veterinarian ab
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
My dog is 8 month old he's doing good with his potty training but when left alone he chews chairs and wees and poos on floor even though 3 puppy pads are left out is this normal at this age and how can I stop it
Rio may have separation anxiety when you leave the house. I recommend crating him when you are gone. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that with a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with his skin. If these methods do not help him, then I recommend having him seen by a vet to discuss the use of anti-anxiety medications.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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