Misbehaving Pooch - Emotional Problems?

July 7, 2005 -- -- Ruby, a miniature schnauzer, frequently has a surprise for her owner when she comes home. Unfortunately, it's not a sight her owner is happy to see.

Ruby's owner holds down a day job and takes classes at night — and she often comes home to see her apartment trashed.

Ruby has broken into cabinets and dragged out bags of food and broken them open. She has dragged clothes out of the closet onto the floor, and used them as beds.

Ruby has even gotten into medication, forcing her owner to rush her to the animal hospital to get her stomach pumped.

Dr. Robin Kerner's poodle Magic also acts out when she's away. She rummages in Robin's purse, takes out one thing at a time and rips it to shreds.

But Ruby and Magic are not just mischievous. They have separation anxiety. Just like people, some dogs can actually have emotional problems and anxiety that lead to bad behavior.

The typical owner response is yelling or punishment. But experts say that rarely works because the cause of the pooch's problem remains. The good news is that there are treatment methods available.

Dog trainer Brian Kilcommons offers one solution: showing the dog who's the boss.

Because dogs are pack animals, asserting dominance over them can have a calming effect. It reduces anxiety and the bad behavior it causes.

"The goal of training is to be able to direct the dog's behavior. It also establishes the social relationship in such a way the dog can understand it," he said.

But Kilcommons' training depends as much on the owners as on the dogs. He works with the owners to instill in them the attitude that they are the leader of the pack.

Another Solution

Vanessa Bailey has another method of treating an emotionally dependent dog.

Her all-American mutt Sunny had a tough life before Vanessa rescued her. Sunny has scars on her snout where someone tied her nose and mouth together because she whined.

But Sunny whines and barks when Vanessa's away, annoying her neighbors. And that's taken a toll on Vanessa.