The message
from "madgardener" contains these words:


Lord when is this smart dog going to learn she is
loved, that we're coming back and that it's wrong to rip our things up when
we have to go to work??

It's called separation anxiety, not uncommon especially in rescue dogs
which have experienced being left by a previous owner who never came
back. One of our rescue dogs fixed on me very strongly from the moment
he arrived and never let me out of his sight. When I returned to work
Tim started doing what Sugar does, every day during the hour alone
between me leaving and my house help arriving.

I solved it by spending a few minutes repeatedly leaving exactly as if I
was going to work, out the house to the street, then straight back
inside as if arriving home from work. The dog is only alone for two
minutes. Leave and arrive casually with just a friendly word or light
pat; don't make a great big exciting fuss of the dog at either
time.Repeat it several times each session and do it on several
successive days. The dog quickly learns to associate your departures
with you always coming back, and with a pleasant calm relaxed
atmosphere. After a couple of sessions Tim took my exits and arrivals
for granted as a normal part of life, and the problem behaviour stopped.

Janet.