Anxious, Fearful, Crazy dog!

Question
Hi, the title is a bit over-the-top, but I definitely have a dog that cannot be summed up in one word.  I'm no newbie when it comes to dog-training, but I'm at my wit's end with this dog.  I have a 9 month Newfoundland named Flora.  I got her as an 8 week old pup.  From the get-go
you could see she had intense prey and food drive, loving to tug and to eat.  She learned tricks rapidly, mastering numerous positions in a matter of days.  One trick she couldnt master, however, was being alone.  We tried crate-training her the first few days, and it went horribly.
 She would cry incessently, not just for 20 mins, I mean incessently.  She would also soil the crate in the midst of all this crying.  Even if we were in the next room and she could hear us, if she was in the crate..the same thing ensued.



Soon I had no choice but to accomodate by getting rid of the crate, having her sleep next to my bed at night..to be honest I don't even know how we pulled through.  Did I mention as a pup she peed almost every 20 mins?  We thought she had a bladder infection, but she didnt.  

We started her in obedience classes at the age of 10 weeks, and to be honest I figured she'd be the happiest dog there.  Much to my surprise, she wouldn't even come out from under a chair - she was mortified. By the end of the program she was playing with most of the dogs though.  Fast forward to now.  She is 50 lbs (small i know), not afraid of MOSt dogs, and is pretty much housebroken.  She is managable, in fact, I've bonded with her more than any dog I've had.  I take her out 4+ times a day, 2 of which are long tiresome outings.  She fetches well, can perform some crisp obedience routines, and is even learning to track.  

But here are the probs: She barks at strangers, has to be with me wherever I am, will bark at some strange dogs, and is just overall hyperactive.  I take her to a college campus everyday to expose her to people, and she does fine as long as they dont look at her, if they do she goes
berserk.  If a dog is bigger than her she'll often bark at it.  But the worst part, and the main reasion I'm writing this long question, is her anxiety when left alone.

I just got another pup that I will be training for Schutzhund, and since Flora cannot be left alone, she is always in the mix.  The only alone time i have with the pup is when Flora is working on a frozen kong.  Moreover, when she's around she hogs all the puppy's attention, and
sometimes gets too rough when she wrestles with him.  It is important for Schutzhund that the pup learns to tug with me and remain confident, so Flora is causing some probs.  How can I acclimate her to alone time?  The trainers I know just say "make her love the crate", "dont show emotion when u come home", and those other basic remedies.  But this is a more complex case, I have a big crate in my room that I feed her her kongs in occasionally, and that she will sometimes sleep in at night.  But leave her there by herself...no way.

Sorry for this long message, but please, any suggestions would be great  

Answer
OK, very smart dog. I would hold off on the Schutzund training, since it is aggression training and I don't think you need that. I think you got some bad advice also.  

The Newsier is very social. That she is overly submissive is surprizing. The dog seems to be exhibiting overly affectionate behavior. It is expressing its desire to control its environment by trying to control you in a more passive manner rather than aggressive. The dog is invading your space and not respecting it. So lets turn the tables and invade the dogs space. When you come home just hug and love the dog and cuddle it until it wants to get away! When the dog walks to you, immediately walk to it and even make it back up by walking at it and telling it "back." This is a corrective action we use in sit/stay ... when the dog gets up don't lead the dog back to the start point, be the "aggressor" and make the dog back up, away from you to the start point. The combination of being a stronger pack leader and being overly affectionate should get the dog back to a more neutral point on the passive/aggression scale.

Socialization with other dogs and people and in particular a desensitization program where the avoidance body language of the dog can be observed and then corrected.

As for loving the crate, the crate should be its place of safety, its den where no one can bother it. The opposite of reward is no reward, not punishment. We don't want the dog to think the crate is punishment. It should be the place for toys, treats, bedding and as possible, food and water. Maybe a slobber rag to.  

The trick training is good. We use agility pieces for confidence building in submissive dogs and also to find hidden quirks in any dog. Our training room has lots of object, bicycles, furniture, a crate, many common items that a dog may have an aversion or weird reaction to as part of our analysis process that begins all obedience training.

You might want to read "The Dog That Loved Too Much" a paperback (Check Amazon.com) that is a clinical compilation of issues and solutions.

Besides, there is nothing like 3-5 dogs and several cats sharing the bed with you to keep you warm and feel loved! :-) Before my wife had extensive cardiac surgery we shared the bed with several cats, 3 Beagles, a Doberman, Rottweiler and German Short Hair Pointer. Now the dogs have to stay in another part of the house and 7 of the 10 cats usually body hug part or all night.

Regards,

Henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels LLC
www.dogkenel.org