Dear Kaley, Does eating the house plants mean boredom?

Dear Kaley,

Brody Boxer just ate 2 of his Mum’s plants! They are philodendron. She called the Animal Poison Center. Told her what to do. She washed his mouth out with water. She was told he will probably have diarrhea & vomit to get rid of the plant in his body.
My question is: Could Brody be bored? He has never eaten plants in the house before. He has been spending alot of time @ the Dog Day Care Center, but now Mum is home more often. So she has been leaving him alone for a few hours. He has been left alone before, but has never eaten plants before. He has been trusted to be alone for awhile before. @ the Day Care he gets to play with other dogs & his caregivers. Could he be bored alone @ home? Does he need to be left in a kennel while Mum is gone?

Brody boredom?

am i bored???

Dear Brody Boredom,

I know about this pup from other emails to my mum and i know he has just gone through another move to a new house. Quite frankly, i believe it is the separation anxiety and the unsettledness of new home blues. It is not easy for even the adults when they move to a new town, or a kid moves to a new school and until everything gets to be ‘normal’ again, it can get weird….and in dogs, that means, they start to mark the house, bark excessively, chew up things, get to the garbage and ….like i say, weird things.

No, i do not think he should now go to the day care instead of being allowed to stay at home.

Here are some helpful ideas to lessen the stress and safe guard the house…

a pup could catch up on reading!!!

• give him an activity toy he can play with by himself, like a kong toy that food is hidden inside…or an empty milk bottle with small kibble inside

gee, i could use some hands to hold this…this might take some time!

• do not let him have full run of the house
• put away all things that can harm the dog or are of very special value ….that pup should not get or break etc
• have his special toys, blankets, etc near, so he can pick and choose what he wants to play with or be near to alleviate boredom and stress
• a radio on would not be a bad idea
• have a good long walk or a game of ball fetch before long separation periods

• when leaving, do not make a big deal about it, right at the door way….no long time hugs and kisses….this will stress the pup out more and hate it when you leave
• when returning, at least when training, do not make a big deal when you return….do not ignore the pup, but settle in first and then sit and play with pup…..this sets you as more a pack leader……

One thing one must remember is, just because when you came home from work, you find your favorite pair of shoes destroyed or the garbage can toppled over and the screen door with a hole in it ….it is not because your pup is mad at your or trying to make you mad for leaving him!!!! It is only because dogs are pack animals and being left alone is not instinct for a dog to be comfortable with. Address the problem with understanding and your pup will be fine.

I know i love being with my humans but i also know when it is okay to be alone.

Kaley corgi kisses !!! — being an alone pup does not mean bored and destructive…humans have to go to work so they can buy nice things for us!!!

separation blues, what to do

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