Is this separation anxiety? (sorry so long!)

[LilysMommy]

Hi all. I adopted a boxer from the animal shelter about 8 days ago. For the most part, she's absolutely perfect. She's sweet, good with dogs and cats, great in the car, doesn't pull on the leash, doesn't potty in the house, isn't a big chewer and loves all people.

When I first left her alone, I left her in the kitchen. I have a door that allows me to shut her in the kitchen off from the rest of the house. She has lots of toys and things to chew on, and a big cow's bone that I've been stuffing with peanut butter; she likes that.

The first day she was fine. The second day there were some workers in the yard (that I didn't know about ahead of time, they were scheduled by my landlady) and she went a little berserk.

This last weekend I spent the entire weekend with her. Except for a few times when I left her in the car for a little while, we were together. And she was fine in the car. When I walk away she just settles down.

However, yesterday was a complete disaster. Since the kitchen incident I've been leaving her in the bedroom. It's shut off in such a way that she can't see what's going on outside. And it's the darkest and coolest room in the house. She was fine until 1:00 p.m. when my friend went and took her for a walk. But sometime between then and 6:30 when I got home she chewed a hold in the bedroom door big enough to get out and then just about completely destroyed my house. She shredded curtains, tore hardware off the walls, got in the trash, pulled food off the kitchen counter (but didn't eat it, just chewed it and spread it around). The one thing she didn't do is pee or poop, for which I am grateful.

My question is, since she seems fine some times (she was alone yesterday for 5 hours and was just fine) and not find at other times, is she experiencing separation anxiety? Or do you think that something is just spooking her?

I have a kennel on order and it should arrive tomorrow, I'm going to work on crate training her and hopefully that will help to calm her down.

It does appear, because of the size of her nipples (although milk is gone) that she has had puppies sometime in the last 6 months and so maybe she's experiencing hormone issues both because of that and because she was spayed about a week ago...is that possible?

Anyway, I'm not ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Right now she's at my mom's house and she can be with her all day. But that isn't geographically convenient for everyday.

Any recommendations? Thank you!

 

[Roge]

I dont think its hormonal because something like that happen to me years ago when i was still living with my parents and it was a male Lab, my parents were away and I was going out to a dinner dance ,there had been a few break ins in my area so before left I moved the dogs bed into the hall way that ran the whole length of the house so if anyone tried to enter by front or back Dino would be there to greet them !!! When I arrived home the hall carpet had been completly lifted up and in a ball in the middle of the hall which I might add took some doing, so like your self I dont know if he was just boared or there was something or someone spooking him, By the way he had never done anything like that before and never did it again so I am leaning on him being spooked.

 

[prittiegirl]

It's hard to know if it's anxiety without asking about exercise... How much exercise is she getting before you leave her for the whole day? If she isn't getting much, then you could have a bored boxer on your hand...

That being said, if my girl was bored, she would probably eat everything in the room she was in, but not panic and eat her way out through the door, so you may be onto something... Bordom and anxiety?

I crate train myself, so if I'm leaving Kinnon for long periods of time during the day she is crated... At night she now sleeps out of the kennel and doesn't seem to move...

I'm thinking that someone else will have more insight... Sorry I couldn't be of more help!

 

[superneataz]

Anxiety

We just adopted too and ours has anxiety lucky for us the most he does is cry when we leave even though it breaks our hearts......

the first time we left him alone he did get bread off the counter but did not eat it and felt bad about it when we got home. We picked it up and said bad dog. now when we leave we give a Greenie and when we get home first thing we do is check the house then reward him if everything is fine.

We made sure to do short times being gone to help ease him that we will be back.
As for crate training it may be the best thing for you. It protects them and your home! For some dogs it makes them feel secure and that may be what she is used to. It also teaches them to lay down and relax while you are gone. I will admit I had a lab once that not even crate training worked she would freak out and bark and cry and if that ends up the case you might want to look into doggie daycare.
Exercise is real important as well.