Expert: Angela Donald - 9/21/2010

Question
Hi Angela,

I have a 4 month old boxer dog (Bauer) who my boyfriend & I just adore. He is picking up his obedience training really well, we're taking him to agility class next month and he is completely housebroken WHEN we are at home.

Unfortunately for Bauer, we both work full-time so he has to be on his own for up to 6 hours each week day. After we have had a weekend together, the first couple of days in the week is awful. He wees and poos all over his room (we cleared out the dining room and keep him gated in there) which I don't mind at all (guilt for leaving him!) but it's the fact that he then walks in his mess all over the room, gets it all over the walls, the door and himself sometimes. During the latter days of the week, he normally calms down and only wees which I know is just because he cannot hold it. I think he does very well not to poop either! But then we reach a weekend again and he gets used to having us around all day and the cycle starts again.

What can I do to help his anxiety? Unfortunately neither one of us can make it home to break up the day but bar that, I am willing to do anything! I've looked into daycare in the area but I've only found a 6 month+ place so far.

For your information, I take him on a 20 minute walk in the morning and my boyfriend takes him for a run around the park in the evening for half an hour.

Thanks so much!
Steph

Answer
Hi Steph,

Love the name of your boxer puppy ! You are right he can't hold it at that age for that long of time only about 4 hours depending on how much food you leave out and how much he drinks. He should have three meals a day up until one year of age and fresh water at all times. There are several things to try to help the potty issue and anxiety, a pet sitter who comes into your home to walk him and feed him while you are at work, A "Potty Patch " a new device that looks like a patch of grass he can go on in the house ( pretty neat,google it) or crate train him with a sitter/neighbor/friend/relative coming in to let him out as 6 hours is too long to be crated at this age,three hours is pretty much the limit. You can add interactive toys for him to relieve stress/anxiety filled with peanut butter or cheese, I prefer the "Kong" made toys. I wouldn't use the dog biscuits because he will get those out too fast and the fun will be over too quick. Change up what you put in there each day so he'll not get use to the same one. One thing you may not know is the thirty minutes of running/jogging isn't recommended for boxers under one year of age as this can put too much stress on his developing bones and cause hip dysplasia. He does need at least one hour of daily exercise though, a game like fetch and walking/exploring would be better suited. One other tip to relieve his anxiety when you leave is to make a habit of not making a big deal out of leaving, if you don't he want either. Hope you find these tips valuable and thank you for your question.

Angela Donald
Canine Behavior Consultant
Hi-Tower Boxers
http://www.hitowerboxers.com