My dog has some issues...

Question
I have a 3 year old pitt/lab mix, Lucy. She has always had some "issues" like being afraid of anything that beeps (smoke alarm, microwave, cell phone). She'll jump in your lap and shiver until I take her outside and break her focus on the noise. Recently she's taken up a new behavior...constantly nibbling material (bed spread, dog bed, socks). She does not cause any damage, but will nibble for hours. What's the deal?

Answer
Bring this dog to the veterinarian and have a full blood chemistry done, as well as a simple neurological evaluation.  It's quite possible your dog is suffering from anxiety only, but you want to be sure.  The veterinarian can offer medication to calm this dog while you do behavior modification and positive reinforcement training to equip her with a greater ability to problem solve and think through her environment.  Once you have results from the vet, repost.