I know that some people think that a dog cannot "get mad" at their owner, but I don't know what else to think! I adopted my lab mix in June 2006 and he has been beyond perfect in all areas except one!

He was house-trained the day that I got him, is calm/gentle, never barks, doesn't chew, behaves, is very "trainable," and is the most loving dog anyone could ever want.

The only problem is that when I come home from work (he has full reign of the house while I'm gone and it has never been a problem) and on the rare occasion where I have to go somewhere (e.g. hockey game, dinner, etc.) that evening, I come home and he's taken something off the counter or table and chewed it. Maybe it is a miniature football helmet or a pair of cheap sunglasses, but the fact is that the "item" has been sitting there at least all day, if not longer, and he's not bothered it! It's only when I come home, walk/feed him and then leave shortly thereafter that he behaves this way!

When I get home, he KNOWS that he's in trouble because he doesn't meet me at the door and I find him on the third floor of the house (he's rarely up there unless I'm up there) with his tail wagging and this "uh oh!" look on his face! Eventually, I find what he's chewed and I take it to him and tell him "BAD!" and then he goes and gets in his bed until I tell him that he can get out.

My issue is this. He never been crated (I don't even own one) consistently and the only time he's ever in one is when he goes to the groomer. I don't want to go to the expense of a crate when I wouldn't use it often enough to warrant the expense. But I have to get out after work or at night on occasion and cannot go home EVERY night even though I usually do because I love spending time with him! If I'm going to a friend's house for dinner, I usually take him with me (he's THAT good that he's welcome in other people's homes). If I have to make a quick trip to the dry cleaner or supermarket, I take him with me (if it is too hot outside, I leave him at home and don't risk him being in the car even for 10 minutes). What can I do to prevent him from this type of behaviour?

He's NEVER chewed anything while I'm at work or when I'm at home! It is ONLY when I come home, walk/feed him and then leave shortly thereafter. By the way, he REMEMBERS the objects that he's chewed. I still have one-half of the sunglasses that he destroyed in August '06 and when he sees them, he goes immediately to his bed without me even saying anything (he saw them in a drawer... I don't keep them to taunt him), so I know that the object/event is still etched in his mind!

Any advice?

I am not sure it is anger, it could be more stress or confusion. Years ago, we had friends with the same problem. If at least one of them made it home on time, they still had a house. If they were both late, their Lab trashed the house.

I don't like leaving any dog loose in the house, or leaving it all day. Worse yet if it extends into the evening. I am not going to say you should leave a dog 12 hours in a crate or the alternative on a tie down. It would be best if you could find a neighbor or a professional dog walker to give him a break everyday and evenings when he needed it. Another alternative would be doggy day care.

For short periods of errand running, consider a crate or a tie down, just a simple short length of chain with a snap. Be very careful with the tie down to make sure he can't reach anything to chew up. Due to several miscalculations we once left our daughter's Shepherd on a tie down in our kitchen all evening. He managed to pull the table cloth off and shred it along with some papers that were on the table.

This is a far more serious problem than a chewed pair of glasses. Next time, he could choose an electric cord.

If you do decide to consider a crate, post back for help with it.

I am posting this to the original thread to keep everything together. It also complies with the administration's wishes for what I think are good reasons.

''I posted a couple of weeks ago about my lab mix that I think gets mad at me because I come home from work and then occasionally have to leave to run an errand and when I return, he has, on occasion, chewed something up.

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/do...tml#post256820

Anyway, there haven't been any other "incidents" since I last posted until yesterday. I left for work like I usually do and when my roommate came downstairs (maybe 90 minutes later), Riley had gotten a Tupperware container off the countertop and destroyed it. Granted, it had chocolate chip cookies in it but it was tightly sealed and not sitting on the edge of the counter.

Chris cleaned everything up and didn't mention it to me (via e-mail) but when I got home, there were "remnents" of plastic on the floor so I knew something was amiss and discovered the chewed up container in the rubbish bin. Riley IMMEDIATELY knew he was in trouble and went directly to his bed.

A friend of mine (who has had his two labs for 8 years) insists that Riley is "bored" but I don't see how he could be when he's really not an overly active dog at all. When I'm there at night and on weekends, if we are in the house, then he's sleeping in his bed. On weekends, we go out for long walks and/or trips to the dog parks so that he can get a lot of exercise. When it is time to go home, he gladly jumps into the car w/out hesitation.

Also, if it is "boredom," then why does he only do this when I've come home and left him again? I don't necessarily agree with the "boredom theory" and tend to think it may be anxiety, confusion or stress like you mentioned. Do you think "boredom" could be the root of all of this behavior?

I don't really have a good place to tie him down and have decided to opt for the crating. He's 70lbs. His body/torso is about 24" and he stands about 26". When he sleeps, he's in a compact ball. My preference would be a soft-sided crate for portability/storage reasons, but with the mesh walls, I don't want him to destroy that (he's not a chronic chewer).''

I cringe at the thought of a Lab in a soft sided crate. Each dog is different, and Riley might be fine. I like the plastic crates. The large 36'' one should be about right for him. They are easy to assemble and disassemble. I have seen ones with knobs you just twist. Once taken apart, the halves nest and you can fill it with other stuff. When we travel, I put our suitcase in the crate along with the dog's bag, cameras, and other loose gear. I then throw the whole works into the trunk. Makes it easier when we travel with others. I have a board with casters that fits under it. I just push it down the hall of the hotel. Saves finding a cart.

I see the problem as less boredom than a failure to accept your leadership, and thinking he is entitled to your company in the evenings and weekends. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete

You realize chocolate isn't good for dogs? It does take a big dose all at once to cause problems, but smaller amounts can build up over time. Some raisin filled oatmeal cookies could have been worse. Don't leave him any grapes either. Tupperware shreds can cause choking or intestinal blockages.

It would be nice if your roommate let you know too. You need to be fully informed if one of these incidents leads to a problem.

Cringe at the thought of a soft sided crate? Why is that? Is it because the typical lab is too hyper to stay in one? Riley is a calm a dog as you'd ever find. He only gets worked up when I get home from work each day and he still won't jump up on me but is content to just stand there and let me pet him

Believe me, I know that chocolate isn't good for a dog and Riley RARELY (less than five times since I've had him and only then it was a bite of "human food) get any sort of human food. I would NEVER "leave him" any human food at anytime! The fact that he ate the food was completely unintentional.

It is not so much many Labs being hyper, some just calmly destroy anything they have a chance to. My Nita was calm enough that she should be hitting the streets as a dog guide at 17 months. I had to Kongs away from her because she was destroying them. I have heard of dogs that chewed their way out of metal crates, in one instance a Beagle.

I realize you didn't plan for him to eat the chocolate chip cookies, but wanted to emphasize the problems that can come from his misadventures.

Just to update you on this, Labman...

I took my dog to the vet after crating him didn't work (that cost about $80 to discover he didn't like it). Vet said he was bored and to give him marrow bones (cooked with the marrow removed) as well as finding a time-release food dispenser.

The bones worked miracles on the first day (they were big enough not to be dangerous when unsupervised) and I found the GREATEST thing for dispensing food when I'm not at home and wanted to share it with you.

KongTime - Doggie Day Care in a Box will give you the background on the product but I bought mine from Pet Solutions (approximately $60) via the Kong Time website. Advise people to shop around as you can get them for as little as $54 (plus S/H) or as much as $120 (on Amazon.com). My dog loves it and the only problem is having to round up the 4 Kongs when I get home! Some things are worth the sacrifice!

Thanks for your help!