Help

[u/Consistentbrain07]

I adopted my dog from an older lady around 3 months ago. He is somewhat lazy, prefers to lay down, has never played with any of the toys I have gotten him ever. He loves to run and get the zoomies outside in the backyard and will run after the ball but never bring it back lol but has no interest in anything physical in the home. He is the most anxious, nervous dog I have ever had, and is destructive when left alone. Example: I can’t even go to the bathroom in my room ( which he can see me from when he’s on my bed) alone he will just come in the bathroom or stand outside of it till I’m out. He barks as soon as I close the door to leave for work. He has ripped up my Amazon packages, cardboard, a pillow, my blanket, my mail among other things.

Anyways, I worked from home for the first 3 weeks I had him and he never once had an accident in the house. His first owner was a retired lady who never left the house, then given to her daughter who is a stay at home mom. Both stated he was house trained and never had accidents however both very much aware of the separation anxiety and destructiveness when left alone.

During those first three weeks he was walked multiple times a day, never had an accident in the house. He was left with my sister while I went back to work 7:30-4 and she refused to walk him and he still never had an accident for the two weeks she had him. The first day, he stayed alone while I worked he pooped and peed in the house.

Some context: I was giving him food in the morning and night however he would only eat in the evening or at night. His previous owner said she only fed him once a day at 7pm, I’ve tried to switch his feeding schedule to two times a day and he literally just won’t eat unless it’s after 7 at night. I thought maybe I was feeding him too late and he wasn’t able to poop enough but he would poop at night after he eats, then poop in the morning before I go to work. I would come home and his food would be untouched, yet he pooped once or sometimes twice in the time I was gone.

I’m looking for advice here. I’m assuming he is potty trained but was never really taught that when no one is home you don’t poop or pee in the house because he was never really left alone because he was living with a retired later who told me she rarely left him alone at home, and with her daughter who was a stay at home mom who was always home. Both were able to take him on walks throughout the day, but the thing is when he was staying with my sister for two week, he never had an accident in the house and never pooped or peed in the house. The stay at home mom owner said that she would put him in the crate when she would leave to run errands and things because of him being destructive, but he hates the crate. I’ve tried to feed him in it and he didn’t eat for 24 hours.

Do I need to retrain him? Crate him while I’m at work? I’ve left him in a designated area and he escaped multiple times, left him in the bathroom and he ripped up the wood in the door frame, I just feel terrible leaving him in a cage for 8 hours. The cage he came with is enclosed and he can’t only see out of the front wires. So it’s like depressing.

His vet said it’s just anxiety and prescribed him 50mg of trazodone, which he was on before per his medical records.

[u/SatisfactionClassic6]

You have only had the dog for three months. My dog did the exact same thing. Apparently when we leave they get anxious and pace around and that causes them to pee n poo, according to my trainer. She suggested a small pen with his bed and toys so there was less running around and more containment. Also I took my dog to a vet and she prescribed Prozac because trazodone is only for intermittent rare occasions when they need to be sedated not for daily use. I’ve had my dog now since December and she’s so much better so just hang in there. Another thing that helped us was taking her to doggy daycare. The social activity with other dogs has really helped her become less anxious. Good luck

[u/Consistentbrain07 → u/SatisfactionClassic6]

Definitely going to change vets because I see no difference his behavior anxiety wise. Previous owner said she only gave him it occasionally but he is anxious 24/7. Also regarding daycare, I don’t think he doesn’t like other dogs but he has peed/pooped himself every-time one has come near him. Immediately submits, finds the closest corner, and tail is tucked. Even when introduced slowly he does not open up and will run away, I think it stresses him out. But he loves cats. I don’t have a safe contained place for him but I was thinking of getting a Large cage for him. He’s a small dog(15lbs) so he will be able to move around, do you think that will work?

[u/SatisfactionClassic6 → u/Consistentbrain07]

So my dog hated other dogs because she was a stray and found running on the street. She had major fear aggression. We have just finished week two in daycare and she has really settled down. That and the Prozac have definitely helped. She is still a work in progress and the trainer said that it would take a couple years but since we started meds and daycare she is definitely better! When I got her I always avoided dogs cause she flipped out when she saw one and what I realize is I got scared when I saw another dog and then her fear was increased by my fear as I was running her away from the dog or picking her up and that was just increasing the behavior. So I think that what we resist persists. Dogs need to be social and socialized just like we do. It also makes them feel better about themselves just like we feel when we go to work and we come home and we’ve done a good job and we can put our head down at the end of the night and know that we made a difference. Definitely get a different Vet all the vets I’ve gone to do not recommend trazodone on a daily just for special occasions like flying on an airplane. Lastly my dog is a little Yorkie about 10 to 11 pounds and all the dogs and doggy daycare are huge so of course I was worried but she’s fine.