Dog pitching a fit

Question
I have a heniz-57 dog that is part Datsun and minature Collie. My dog is six years old and lives inside. We have recently moved into a new huse about two months ago. She never used to do these kind of things.Every time I leave the house she pitches a fit and starts barking;she wants to go with me. When I return she has torn up something. Sometimes the door, the carpet, or other things laying around. She knows wha she is doing is wrong b/c she lays down when I ask her what happened. I make her watch me while I pick up the mess. Please helpn me, I have no idea what to do to stop her!

Answer
Ashley, it sounds as though your dog is experiencing separation anxiety, which could have been triggered by all the stress of moving. What I would recommend is buying her a crate, and whenever you have to leave the house, put her in the crate so she cannot tear anything up while you are gone. Normally, I recommend buying a crate that is *just* large enough to allow the dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down in comfortably, but in this case, you could go up one size and be fine, since she is not having housebreaking issues. Depending on whether she is closer in size to a Dachshund (not Datsun - Datsuns are a type of car!) or a Shetland Sheepdog (not miniature collie - there is no such breed), will determine what size crate to get. I like the plastic type with the metal doors, because they are easier to move around the house or take on overnight trips, and because I've found that many dogs feel more secure in them as opposed to the all wire ones. They're also much easier to clean because you can just take them apart and hose or wipe them out. You can get them at Wal-mart or K-mart type stores, or pet stores, though they tend to be cheaper at Wal-mart and K-mart. A size medium in the "Classic Kennel" style is probably just the right size for your mutt! ;^) Here's a link that shows you what it looks like:

http://www.petmate.com/Catalog.plx?ID=1711&SizeID=5

Your dog's behavior upon your return home does not indicate that she knows she did anything wrong; rather, she knows that you are upset and she is showing submission to you. She has no idea that you are upset because of what she did 5 hours, or even 5 minutes ago before you walked through the door. All she knows is that the leader of her pack (you) is not happy, and as a result, she shows submission (or guilty-looking behaviors) in an attempt to keep you, the alpha, from disciplining her. If you were to make a mess before you left the house, she would behave the exact same way when you came home, even though it was YOU that made the mess and not her.

To begin, when you bring the crate home, set it in the living room or wherever you spend most of your time. Leave the door open on it, and put a few treats inside if you want. Praise your dog for sniffing the crate or otherwise showing interest in it. Praise her for going inside on her own, where she will find the treats. Do not shut her in it yet, though. The first day, just leave the door to the crate open and let her go in and out as she pleases. That night, move it into your bedroom (or wherever she normally sleeps) and put her bed inside the crate. Again, just leave the door open. Praise her for going in, and put a few treats through the holes in the side for her.

The next morning, go through your normal routine just like any other day. Move the crate out of the bedroom and back into the living room. Take her outside to potty, and then put her in the crate at LEAST 5 minutes before you will have to actually leave. If you can put her in there earlier, that is better. Do not make a big to-do about it; just put her in there with a kong or nylabone to keep her occupied, and give her a few treats and verbal praise, and shut the door. Then IGNORE HER COMPLETELY until you leave. Do not look at her, talk to her, or anything. Just finish getting ready and then leave. Don't tell her goodbye or anything. JUST LEAVE. She may cry and whine and bark for a little while, but that should subside after a little while, and each day, it should be better and better, as she figures out that carrying on like that doesn't get her any attention, doesn't stop you from leaving, and doesn't get her out of the crate. When you come home, keep it very low key. Go and let her out of the crate and outside to potty without saying a word to her. You should ignore her until she has calmed down, and then you can CALMLY pet her. The key here is to make coming and going as uneventful as possible, so she isn't as likely to become so wound up about it.

Good luck and please let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!

Kristen