cries the entire time were gone

Question
hello we have a jrt/toy fox terrier mix male 7 years old not fixed and a 4 year old male basenji mix fixed.  we have a few problems...when we leave to go any where, the dogs have to stay inside and the jrt mix just cries and yips and scratches at the door the entire time we're gone.  he also wines, cries, and yips when we are in the car on the way to a hike, walk, or the beach.  he gets all excited that we are going to go out.  the two boys don't get along and at times fight over possessions that belong to my 15 month old nephew.  we have always felt as though the jrt mix is the alpha male with his silver haired muzzle, but we constantly ask the question why they still get into fights if the jrt is alpha.
can you help?
the dogs get a 20 minute walk first thing in the morning and then when we come home from work/school they get a 30 minute walk and 15-30 mins at the dog park where the basenji mix runs the entire time with the pack of dogs and the jrt mix gets into fights with any dog bigger than him and any dog that wants to smell his butt or tries to mount him.  on the weekends we might go on a 2-4 hour hike or a beach day with swimming and running in the sand.  the basenji mix loves the water and can't get enough of it and the jrt will not got near the water.  if we are all in the water, the jrt mix will stand close to the waters edge and cry and yip waiting for us to get out of the water and then when we do he tried to bite our ankles...nipping at us and jumping around.
thanks so much
oh yeah information about my experience as a dog owner and a terrier owner.  i have had dogs my entire life and we got the jrt mix about 5 years ago.  he lived with a family that did not want him anymore and so we took him.  the basenji mix we got when we were walking the jrt mix in a large open area and the basenji came running over and walked with us.  after walking a little bit a car stopped and said that they had seen a truck pull over and dump him.  so we took him to the human society and they looked for his owner, tested him for adaptability and decided that they were going to euthanize him if we did not adapt him because he nipped at the tester when she tried to touch his feet.  she kept on saying he was foot shy.  it is true he does not like his feet being touched or his nails being cut, but we have tried to touch his feet when we can remember to get him used to us touching his feet.  it has not really worked.  we have taken both of them to doggies behavior school and the basenji did great and the jrt was not so good.
ok i think that is good.  :)  please help us, we love our doggies and just want the jrt mix to shut up while we are gone so he does not drive the neighbors crazy!

Answer
Janelle -

Your jrt mix is showing what's called separation anxiety while you are away.  The first step I always encourage is the use of a crate. Many many dogs feel good in a crate and end up thinking of it as a "den" of their very own.  I will forewarn you that some dogs with separation anxiety will hurt themselves trying to get out of the crate when you leave, so the first test runs should be of short duration.  When I get a new foster, I always leave the house and stand outside and listen for about 5 minutes to see if the new dog is fussing - either because I left or because of the crate.

Now, let's talk about alpha. A true alpha dog is not always the one who seems more forward.  Sometimes that dog is trying do the doggie version of sticking out his chest and acting much more macho than he really is.  Your jrt is not all that alpha if he's fighting at the dog park over typical dog greeting behavior (butt sniffs, etc)

I see that you took both your dogs to obedience school.  Perhaps you should consider taking just the jrt again, bit for a different reason than looking for an obedient dog. While I always think they are a great idea no matter how obedient a dog is because of the difference it makes in the human/dog relationship, I also think it works wonders in building the confidence of a dog in an appropriate manner. They learn to handle themselves around a bunch of other dogs without getting into trouble.  

My jack does not like the ocean either, though he adores the beach for all the things there are to chase.  Connor, my jack, is a great dog, but needs to have things to do at least once a week.  He takes agility classes and does earthdog events.  He is much happier and more confident which means he's less defensive around other dogs.

If your jrt will not settle down in a crate while you are gone, you should also consider a kong toy.  But then freeze it once you have it stuffed.  Takes a lot longer for a dog to get it all out if it's frozen - I usually use cream cheese or peanut butter.

If he won't settle or gets self-destructive, the only option that I have every heard of working left is anti-anxiety medication.  I have not ever had to use it, but there are not really a lot of things that can be done about separation anxiety.

Let me know how you make out.

-Beth