anxiety issues

Question
My dog is from a shelter, but I have had her for two years. She is abut 6 years old. She has been spayed and is a retriever/shepherd mix.

Only recently (last two weeks) she has started freaking out when we go to work. Her routine:
-30 minute walk in the morning before work
-leave her in closed laundry room from 8:30-12:00.
-we come home and take her for a walk
-she enjoys the yard or sleeping in the house next to me for the rest of the day.

In the past few months, we have caught her "going crazy" in the closed laundry room, where she has slept every night since we got her. If we go into the room she darts out in a panic, but calms down quickly and falls asleep near one of us. Within a half hour or so we can return her to the closed laundry room and she stays there without any resistance.

Just in the past few weeks this behavior has escalated. When we are gone and she is closed in the laundry room, she will freak out, but no one is home to stop her. She has destroyed curtains, and ripped the molding around the door to shreds. She will rip apart anything that is loose on the counter.

We put a crate in the room and put her bed inside. She will go in the crate, which we do not lock. However, this does not calm her down and stop the destructive behavior. Today, she peed on the floor as well. This is happening more and more frequently. We never yell at her or hit her.

What can we do to stop this? I can't have a dog ruining my home.

Answer
Hi Monica.  My best guess is that something happened to frighten her in the laundry room while you were gone and now she's developed a phobia about being in the room, confined with the door closed.

Here are some ideas for you:

Instead of closing the door, put up a gate to keep her in the room.

Move the crate somewhere else in the house and close the door when you leave.

Get an exercise pen to use for confinement.

Play soothing music while you're gone.  Check out www.throughadogsear.com

Get a Thundershirt - www.thundershirt.com.  Use this while you're home for a couple of days, a few hours at a time before putting it on her when you leave.

Try an OTC supplement called ProQuiet to help relieve anxiety.  You can google to find the best prices.

Be sure she's getting some exercise before you leave her for the day - a game of catch, a long, brisk walk can help burn off some excess energy.

Make your leaving routine low-key.  Start to ignore her a half hour before you leave.  Don't say goodbye, just put her in the confinement area and go.  When you come back, keep it quiet as well.  Ignore her until she's calm.  

Basically, your dog is having panic attacks when left alone.  If none of things seem to help, it's time to speak with a veterinary behaviorist who can give you advice on prescription medications and a detailed behavior modification plan.

Please let me know if you have questions or comments.  I'm happy to clarify if you need more details.  Good luck!