Crate training and urination

Question
QUESTION: Lee-
Three weeks ago we adopted an 18 month old Saluki mix from Animal Rescue in Kuwait. She had been transported to the US by air, then spent the next two weeks in quarantine before we could bring her home. Sahar is not yet neutered (this will occur in the next week as part of the adoption contract). She is very intelligent, affectionate, and playful. Like many Salukis, she has qualities that are almost cat-like in her play.
Initially she was very anxious about everything, which we felt was normal. Over the last few weeks we've been able to teach her to sleep on the floor (rather then the bed), walk very well on a leash, and begin to follow basic commands (sit, stay, heal). The one area that we have trouble with is using her crate when we are away. I've had two other dogs (malamute and German shepherd) that took easily to the crate, and actually seemed to enjoy being in there. Sahar, on the other hand, has torn up three beds and chewed up toys that I assumed were impossible to destroy. Yesterday she was covered in urine, a first for her.
I realize that she must be incredibly anxious when we are not around. I'd live to be able to let her out of the crate during the days we are not there, but fear she would destroy the house. It also feels problematic to have her urinating in the crate (which I heard dogs never did). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks---

Kirk Woodring

ANSWER: Hi, Kirk,

Thanks for the question.

Does she mind being in the crate when you're home? How much hard vigorous playful exercise does she get every day? And I mean the kind where she can run as fast and as hard as she can after a ball or a Frisbee? (Better yet, try an Aerobie; they fly a lot faster and a lot further.) Do you ever play tug-of-war with her? What is your daily schedule like with her, both in terms of how much time you spend on walks, play, and amount of time she has to be left alone?

I look forward to hearing back from you.

LCK

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Lee-
She does not like being in the crate, although she has begun to go in and grab a toy to play without coaxing (she brings it right back out). I try to run with her at least 3 miles in the morning or evening. We have not yet been able to take her off leash, per our pre-neutering agreement with the Humane Society. I'm also cautious about having her run free, as Salukis are sight hunters and run extremely fast. Once she is spayed, however, I can take her to some open areas to play. I did buy a rope toy to play tug of war with her, but she lets go of it when I pull. I wrestle with her, which she seems to love, but she stops spontaneosly on her own and wants affection.
She is left alone during the work day. We try to get home during lunch, but that isn't always possible. Generally six to eight hours when we can't get home.

Hope this helps...

Kirk

Answer
Hi, Kirk,

The spontaneous dropping of the toy followed by affection-seeking behavior is an indicator that when she has a strong urge to bite, she becomes fearful. The "overfriendly" behavior is kind of a default setting for dogs who are anxious about being punished over their oral impulses. This probably happened when she was a puppy, and was punished for mouthing or nipping, which all puppies are genetically engineered to do. When she exhibits overfriendly behavior you have to ignore her. Only give her affection when you initiate it, not when she does.

It would be nice if you could have someone look in on her during the day, a dogwalker, or even a friend or neighbor. It's also important that when you come home you don't reward her anxious, over friendly behavior. For the time being I would put the crate in your bedroom and have her sleep in it overnight, which might be problematic, but she seems to be in bad shape and needs to become more strongly acclimated to the crate as a place of peace and quiet and safety, not as a punishment. For the time being you should feed her all her meals in the crate, and put her water dish inside as well.

As for playing tug-of-war, it's probably going to be something that can eventually overcome her fear of punishment as well as help her separation anxiety. What you'll need to do is start with a game of chase, where you get Sahar to chase you around the yard, teasing her with a bandana or an old sock. (If you don't have an enclosed yard, either take her to a secure area, or have her on a long leash.) Once you can get her to chase you (and you have to make her work to catch you: zig-zag, change directions, fake left and go right, throw in a stutter step, etc.) her urge to bite the toy will increase. So when she catches up with you, she may try to jump up on you, which is good. That indicates a strong feeling of social attraction. But we want her to not only feel that attraction, but to release it through biting the toy. Praise her a lot (in fact you should never scold her for anything, but try praising her for misbehaviors instead of scolding her). And don't push her past the point where she starts to feel uncomfortable about biting the toy. The minute she flips over from chasing and biting into "love me, love me!" start running away again.

These are just some of the initial stages of fixing this problem. Work on them for a couple of weeks and then get back to me to let me know how it's going, and I'll give you some more exercises.

LCK