temper tantrums

[d_ciao]

we just recently started leaving my dog alone at home for longer periods of time because everyone has to work. we get someone to drop in once or twice a day to walk her and whatnot. but every day, we go home to find that she has smeared her poop all over the place (including herself), and ripped her puppy pad to shreds - even though we have a puppy pad frame holder. it's been 2 days now, and this can't keep going on forever... we always have to bathe her when we come home, and i know too much bathing isn't good for a dog. did anyone else ever have this problem? and what can i do? thanks in advance!

[KittyGurl]

You need to get a crate to keep your dog in every night and everytime you go out somewhere. You could also get a trainer to help you out. Good luck and keep us updated.

[Canis-Lupess]

She has seperation anxiety. The pooping this is an involuntary symptom of it caused by the stress and not something she is able to do anything about. The stredding of the puppy pad is also a way of venting out the anxiety, not a way of getting at you. An introverted dog would self mutilate in this situation but most dogs destroy other things. Maybe providing her with something especially for chewing and ripping up for the time being so that she isn't destroying something you don't want her to destroy and try to keep as many other things she could chew that you don't want her to out of her reach.

You need to get her used to spending time alone starting from a few seconds literally then graduate to minutes, then longer. At first, even if she spends just a few seconds alone without creating, go back in and give her lots of fusses which reinforces the quiet calm behaviour. At first, it is just a case of going into another room and back and then graduate to going outside to the garden gate then back and then maybe a walk around the block. Don't lengthen the time she's left until she is comfortable with the amount she's been left with currently.
Addressing the seperation anxiety will stop both the pooping and the destructive behaviour.

Do not punish her if you get in and see she has done this again. Easier said than done but this will only make the anxiety worse because she starts to learn that whenever you leave, you will return angry and punish her and she doesn't know what she's being punished for anyway. This makes her not want you to leave in the first place and she panics when you do. Also, when you leave the house, don't fuss her and try to comfort her before you leave because this will only strengthen the already over-attached relationship directly before you leave and then her stress will be even worse once you shut that door. Warm greetings and cool partings is what you need to remember.