I had borrowed some baby gates from friends to try to keep Tanner on the tile to clean up any accidents. Because the doorways in this house are extra wide and because the kitchen is wide open to the living room, I had to prop the baby gates.
An hour later, this is what my husband came home to:
This is no bueno. He didn't eat anything, just tore it up. Apparently all the baby gates were pushed over, and he peed on trash-clearly, he was pissed. So poor hubby had to clean it up and not go straight to sleep after working the graveyard shift. The dog also went upstairs to the loft couch and pulled the cushions off and tossed them onto the floor. This was an after through to the story with the picture. DH thought I might have been cleaning the couch. Nope...
In retrospect, what I should have done was put up some baby gates while we (I) was home to get him used to it.
I put those gates on hold for a few days, but still out in a prominent place. I opened the guest bedroom door downstairs, that has a baby gate now; he doesn't seem interested in that room. We have a baby gate and our laundry basket blocking the loft... another story. I am going to try a few more again so he can get used to them. A big thank you to everyone who donated the use of the baby gates! I really appreciate it, and I'm sorry for keeping them so long. I thought a week, it is now probably a month later... ugh, this dog.
After a series of other outbursts and eliminating in the house I have decided he might have Separation Anxiety. And it will take some serious work to stop it. It's not like barking, which apparently is easier to combat. I have tried music/tv on, I tried walking him before leaving-which just threw off his poop schedule.
Speaking of the schedule, he doesn't eat unless one of us is around. So it's off anyway, weeks after this outburst. With his health issues, another story, his eating schedule was off anyway. We also slowly changed up his food for a better quality one and tried to add pumpkin to his dish to help hold his poo together a bit more. All vet approved. He has been on antibiotics, so that could have added to it. He was in a ton of pain, poor thing, so who knows which was possible separation anxiety and which was him feeling down or not being able to hold it in after an hour long walk... >:{
But, as the picture proves, he has a temper. I posted this to facebook and Des reminded me that he does panic. I ordered a bunch of Cesar Milan books from the library.
