My golden retriever puppy is ruining my home.

Question:
My year-old Golden Retriever puppy's behavior at home is getting progressively worse and difficult to cope with.

Poppy refuses to use her dog flap, so, if I am out, my golden retriever puppy urinates on the carpet, which is now smelly and stained. She has destroyed my sofas by chewing them, even when I've been at home, and recently she started biting at the wallpaper.

How can I teach her to use the dog flap and stop her chewing before my new sofa arrives? If these problems persist, I may have to consider a new home for her, which would break my heart.

Kelly Linbourne, West Sussex.

Answer:
There are a number of alternatives to consider before you need to think about rehoming, but all
of them will take time and commitment - there is never an easy fix for behavioral problems.

It would help to have some idea of how much time Poppy spends alone in your absence and how much she spends in physically and mentally stimulating activities in an average day.

The fact that she is destructive in your presence suggests that she may be looking for something to do and implies that she may not have access to a wide variety of toys, which would enable her to chew without getting into trouble.

The combination of destruction and toileting when you are out also raises questions about her level of anxiety or frustration when alone. More information about her daily routine and relationship with you would be useful.

Secondly, I would like to know more about her toileting behavior when you are at home and whether the door is always open when you are there.

I suspect that the problem of toileting in the house may be related to an underlying lack of effective house-training. If so, the priority is to house-train her rather than to teach her to use the dog flap!

Poppy is still young enough for you to be able to alter her behavior easily, provided she is given the right environment.

The first step is to make sure you understand why these things are happening in order to successfully alter them. It is not possible to investigate this properly without a face-to-face meeting. Speak to your vet and ask about a referral to a suitably qualified person in your area. I am sure that an investment in a behavioral consultation will be well rewarded.

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