We’ve brought these wonderful animals into out busy lives, and it’s up to us to do what we can to keep them happy and healthy. But no one likes to come home from a hard day at work to find the house destroyed. Aside from putting millions of dogs on the doggy form of Prozac, hiring a doggy shrink, searching for the perfect herb to keep our canine companions under control, or sending our dogs to doggy day care every day, there are some things we can do to help alleviate the problems caused by boredom.

Many dog problems are due to a lack of training, but it's not true in this case. There are two motivating factors at work. First, being home alone is stressful to a dog, since dogs are very social and crave companionship. All the training in the world isn't going to eliminate the loneliness and boredom, which lead to problems. Second, dogs are remarkably intelligent creatures and soon learn that obedience doesn't apply when you're not present. How many of us have caught our dogs exiting a taboo sofa the minute we walk in the door?

Home alone problems are frustrating because it's impossible to teach or discipline our dogs when we're not there. But if your dog's primary "job" is to keep an eye on things while you're gone, it would be defeating his purpose to keep him locked in a garage, basement or kennel. The following suggestions may help you and your dog live happier together in the same household:

Restrict Space
Most experts recommend that you keep your puppy in a puppy-proofed room or puppy pen when you're at work until he is reliably housetrained. Then, you can begin to increase his run of the house one room at a time until your dog is trustworthy enough to have the entire run of the house while you’re gone. If you don’t have any door gates, I suggest you buy some. They are the best invention since hamburgers! They can come in handy for a variety of situations.

Restricting your dog's space in the home while you're gone accomplishes several things. It removes your dog from a lot of potential temptations in the house. It limits your dog's activity, which not only reduces his need to eliminate, but also encourages him to do what you want him to do during the day--sleep.

If you have decided to limit your dog's space to a particular room, make him as comfortable as possible. Make sure he has his own bed or something soft to lay on. Make sure he has toys available so that if he gets energetic, he will have an appropriate activity instead of ripping the linoleum up from the floor. Make sure he has access to fresh water.

Keep a Regular Feeding and Exercise Schedule
We want to teach Fido to sleep during the day simply because sleeping dogs don’t get into trouble! If Fido can’t count on getting some regular exercise time when you get home from work, he might just decide to expend his energy in more destructive ways when you are gone. Depending on the breed of dog you own, this may take 35-45 minutes of exercise time every day.

A regular feeding schedule is just as important, because feeding directly affects bowel movements and activity. Being left home alone all day can be stressful enough, but to be left home alone AND hungry is asking for disaster. Your dog should be well-fed and have ample time to relieve himself before you leave the house. It is not a good idea to leave food in your dog's dish when you leave the house, as this will encourage irregular eating and elimination habits. If your dog has not eaten all of his food within a reasonable period of time, such as 20-30 minutes, remove the dish.

As long as their needs are met on a regular schedule and they are made to feel as comfortable as possible, most dogs will learn to tolerate being left home alone.

Remove Temptations
Most dogs seem to have at least one vice. If your dog likes to chew on shoes, keep your shoes in the closet. If your dog pillages any food left on the kitchen counters, keep all food items stored in cabinets. It may seem like a huge inconvenience to check your home for temptations every time you leave, but let’s face it, is it such a bad thing to keep your home a little tidier?

Try Deterrents
Bitter Apple, boundary sprays and other products work relatively well to keep Fido from gnawing on your favorite coffee table or urinating on your favorite chair leg, but they are not successful all the time. Other deterrents, like using mouse traps to keep your dog off the furniture or counters, are not recommended. Not only is there a potential to cause injury to your dog, but they might cause quite a surprise for the human who locates one that fell between the cushions!

Provide Diversions
Make sure your dog has plenty of toys, especially chewable ones, to keep him occupied. Never give your dog old socks or shoes to play with, because he won't know the difference between old shoes and new ones.

Leaving a radio on low volume may provide enough diversion so your dog won't feel so lonely.

Although it's not practical for all dog owners, a companion animal, like another dog, can help alleviate the stress of being left alone all day. Sometimes, two dogs can be better than one! Not only do they keep each other company during the day, but they provide exercise for each other, which means you may not have to devote as much time to "doggy activities" after an exhausting day at work.

Make Concessions
Sometimes it is impossible to break a dog of a particular home-alone habit. A common problem that comes to mind is being unable to keep Fido off the furniture. How can you discipline a dog when you’re not there?

Forget the shocking mats and other devices. Dogs are smart enough to know when these devices have been removed. Sometimes a nice blanket or throw put on the couch to protect it from doggy hair looks much better and isn’t quite as embarrassing when unexpected company shows up.

When your dog can’t be changed, see if the environment can be changed acceptably. If the plant stands keep getting knocked over when the dog gets excited, move the plants to a less hazardous area. It’s amazing how many home alone problems can be corrected simply by rearranging a few furnishings. If your dog delights in unrolling the toilet paper, keep the bathroom door shut. If he likes the garbage, keep it covered or move it to an inaccessible place.

Be Creative, Be Patient
Some home alone problems may seem difficult to solve, but looking at the situation creatively may help you come up with an answer. Remember that dogs are not evil creatures who destroy our homes to "get even" with us. They are sensitive animals who often try to vent their anxiety about being left alone in destructive ways.

The dog's nature is to please us, not hurt us. So when they destroy things in our homes we have to realize they do it to make themselves feel better, not to make us feel bad. They also have strong instincts and can't help but give in to their weaknesses when given the chance. Being left alone is not a natural environment for a dog, and it's up to you to help your dog cope with it. There's nothing more rewarding than coming home from a long day at work to a happy, wagging tail, and a clean, undamaged house!