Chances are you’ve got one in your neighborhood – the backyard dog that seems to bark all day and night. There’s one down the street from me and another a couple of streets away. No matter when I walk by those houses the dogs are barking, one from a garage, the other from a backyard. Bad dogs? No. Bored dogs? Yes! . . and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.As a shelter worker I counseled many people who were considering adopting a dog. I always asked where the dog would be living most of the time. Most people said in the home, at which point I breathed a silent sigh of relief, and began discussing potty-training and house manners training.

Some people said they had garages or backyards that would make “great” homes for a dog, day and night. That answer prompted a different discussion – why backyard/garage living isn’t a good idea.

Dogs are tremendously social critters. That’s one reason they make such great pets and companions. Dogs don’t just like social interaction, they need it. Banishing them to an isolated existence in a backyard or garage is inhumane and bound to result in a cornucopia of unwanted behavior. Dogs living in isolation are lonely, sad, anxious, frustrated and bored out of their minds. When they are permitted to be around humans, the dogs so starved for companionship, their behavior’s out of control.

Dogs - an incredibly social species

Dogs who live in solitary don’t get training in house manners, or if they get it, don’t get a chance to practice those manners on a regular basis. As a result, if and when the dogs are allowed inside, they don’t do well and are again relegated to yard or garage.

It’s a vicious cycle. The dogs’ behavior justifies their banishment to the yard. The longer they live in the yard, the more desperate they are for attention and interaction. The more desperate they are, the worse they behave when around humans. The worse the dogs behave, the less the humans want them in the house.

Dogs in solitary confinement will very likely develop frustration and boredom-based problems such as digging; destructive chewing of outdoor furniture, decks, fences and siding; fence-fighting with people and animals passing by; and excessive barking and howling. Backyard dogs are also at risk for developing obsessive-compulsive behaviors like nonstop tail-chasing, shadow or light chasing, fly snapping, and self-mutilation. In addition, because they’re not around humans or other dogs, they’re often severely undersocialized to dogs, people and the sights and sounds of everyday human life. Undersocialization leads to fearful and aggressive behavior. All of this spells disaster for the dogs. They’re more likely to be surrendered to a shelter and to be euthanized.

Besides the ill effects on behavioral wellness, backyard dogs are at risk for health problems. Dogs may be too hot, too cold, wet with no place to dry out, dehydrated, dirty and matted, or attacked by wild animals. Small dogs have been attacked by raptors. Minor illnesses can become major before anyone notices.

What’s the solution?

• First and foremost, don’t get a dog if you don’t want or aren’t prepared for him to live inside with you.
• Dog need daily mental and physical exercise, and ongoing socialization and training. If you don’t have time for those things, get a low maintenance species of pet (like fish and some reptiles) instead of a dog.
• If you leave your dog outside while you’re at work, don’t tether or chain her up. Doing so severely restricts dogs’ movements and can cause neck injuries, strangulation, and anxiety or frustration-based behavior problems. The dog should have shelter from the elements, s warm dry place to sleep, safe chew toys, and lots of fresh water. The yard should be securely fenced – high enough that she can’t jump over the fence, and deep enough that she can’t dig under it. Opaque fencing reduces the chances of fence-fighting and barrier barking at other dogs and passersby. Bring her in when you come home and let her sleep inside at night. Make sure she gets daily walks and aerobic exercise.
• If you have a backyard/garage dog, you’re missing out on the many benefits of having a dog. Get to know your new best friend and roommate starting now! Move her inside and start a positive training program right away. It’s our responsibility to teach dogs how we want them to behave. Enroll in a basic obedience class or read one of the books suggested below. Be patient and set consistent limits. Don’t expect her to learn how to behave in a human home overnight.
• If you know someone with a backyard/garage dog, try to educate him/her about the dog’s sad predicament. Suggest a local positive training class or one of the books below. (All great reads, they’re loaded with useful information and clear instructions for training basic obedience and preventing and dealing with unwanted behavior.)

The Power of Positive Training, Pat B. Miller
How To Teach A New Dog Old Tricks, Dr. Ian Dunbar
Good Dog 101: Easy Lessons to Train Your Dog the Happy, Healthy Way, Christine Dahl

Chances are every dog owner knows first hand the havoc those canine teeth can wreak on your stuff. I’ve taught training classes where some owners have muttered sheepishly that the dog ate last week’s homework handout, while others have lamented the destruction of their favorite shoes, the legs of their heirloom coffee table or their kids’ favorite toys.

Chewing is a fact of life for pups, adolescents and many adult dogs, and serves useful purposes from Rover’s point of view. Besides being a way to investigate objects, chewing relieves the discomfort of teething, exercises jaws, keeps teeth in good shape, relieves boredom and is enjoyable. It just plain old feels good. Given that, it’s unrealistic to expect dogs to learn never to chew. Though some dogs don’t chew much, most mutts must have a legal outlet for chewing.

Chewing the right thing

But dogs don’t know that your stuff is off-limits when it comes to chewing. They don’t care about how much things cost or an object’s sentimental value. As expert trainer Jean Donaldson puts it in her book, The Culture Clash, “It’s all chew toys to them.” Shoes may as well be rawhide. Sofa pillows may as well be giant stuffed animals . . . So how do you teach Rover what’s OK to chew and what isn’t?

First, prevent Rover from chewing the wrong stuff. This is easier than it sounds, keeps Rover from developing bad chew habits (i.e., discovering that it’s fun to chew leather gloves), and keeps your angst to a minimum.

Limit Rover’s access to just one room or area of the home, especially when he’s not being supervised. Chew-proof the area by removing every potentially chew-worthy item. Spray Bitter Apple on things you can’t move like door frames, siding, or large pieces of furniture. Bitter Apple does wear off so you’ll have to do repeat applications while you’re chew training Rover.

Once you’ve chew-proofed the area, get Rover hooked on appropriate chew toys. Chew toys should be safe – Rover shouldn’t be able to destroy or eat them – and attractive to him. Kong makes a wonderful line of chew toys, many of which you can stuff with food or treats to make them even more tantalizing to Rover. Busy Buddy and Premier also make great chew toys that can be stuffed. Sterilized hollow bones and Nylabones are another option.

Put some chew toys in Rover’s area. He should have access to legal chew toys at all times. Now, when he gets the urge to chew, he’ll automatically chew the right thing because you’ve already removed the illegal chew objects!

Until Rover is chew-trained, he should only have access to his chew-proofed area when you’re away from home. When you are home, supervise him extremely closely. Why? So you can give him feedback when he decides what to chew. Whenever he gets one of his legal chew toys, praise him handsomely. If he’s about to chew the wrong thing, interrupt him before he puts his mouth on the object. Say, “Uh Uh,” then direct his attention to one of the legal chew toys. Praise him when he takes it.

Dogs are creatures of habit and chewing his chew toys will be inherently rewarding to Rover. Over time, Rover will be far more inclined to direct all chewing behavior at his stuff, not yours.

Last but not least exercise Rover every day. The more tired he is, the less energy he’ll have for chewing when he’s home.

If these steps sound like too much work, take a moment to think of all the things you don’t want Rover to chew. The vast majority of your possessions are off-limits to him. You probably own hundreds if not thousands of things he’s not allowed to chew. It would be far more time-consuming, expensive, and potentially dangerous to Rover (think choking hazards, intestinal obstructions, high vet bills) to intervene each time he chews the wrong thing, which he’s almost certain to do. You could also drive yourself batty in the process!

As with so many dog behavior issues, it’s safer and wiser to adopt an ounce-of-prevention strategy when it comes to chew-training.

An earlier version of this article first appeared at www.Incirclepets.com.