Need Help! Boxer Separation Anxiety Jumping Fences

Where to board Ava when on vacation?

  • Kennel she has been going to that knows her best

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • New kennel that allows her to be apart of the home but has a fence

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    1

AvaMayze

Boxer Pal
Hello! I have a year and a half old boxer, Ava. We have had her since she was 4 months old. She is the typical boxer, hates to be alone, needs to be touching us or within eye sight of us at all times. Since we got her when we go away she has been kenneled. When going away for our first long trip for our honeymoon and she was at the kennel for a week she got mites and some hair loss. The vet believed it could have been due to the stress/anxiety of being at the kennel. Kennel reported no odd behavior other than not eating as much and accidents randomly in her "run". Time passes, approximately 6 months to November 2014, a friend watched Ava when we were out of town for Thanksgiving thinking this may be the answer for some of the separation anxiety and being with people in her home. Ava was off with one of the other dogs and ran off together and Ava not knowing where she was got lost and did not come home. We immediately came home from NYC and Ava was missing for over 30 hours. We spent forever looking for her and she eventually came back on her own. We started to think we had lost her after such a long time. So besides the fact that I am a nervous wreck and my anxiety is through the roof anytime we have to leave her now it is very stressful for us to continue to take her to the kennel. Jan 2015 we take her to the kennel again for our extended weekend trip and she has began having more accidents in the kennel and also jumping the fence of her run and the main fence that she meets the doggie kennel employee at the front door of the kennel. Considering this is a pretty busy place on a busy road we were panicked. The kennel found a way to lock Ava in and not allow her to the outside portion where she could jump which I believe frustrated Ava even more and caused her to have even more accidents and more behavioral issues in the kennel. February 2015 we go out of town for a trip and leave her at the kennel and all things happen again, fence jumping, accidents and behavioral issues. We spend most of our trip stressed or calling to check on her. The kennel employee tried to spend extra time with Ava and let her out more than the others, including letting her play with other dogs and things like that. Mind you, Ava is the happiest dog in the world at home in her own element and has zero behavioral issues, zero accidents and is outside without a leash at our house with no fence all the time and listens great.

We are trying to figure out options for this summer. Continue with the kennel because we know thats safest? Family members aren't really a possibility for us. We also found a new kennel/boarding facility that is cage/kennel free. They allow the dogs to play in their home (less than 10 dogs) and their yard and then allow them to sleep on couches, etc through their home. One issue here is the fence in their backyard is about 6ft and I know that Ava could easily clear it if she wanted to which also stressed out this boarding owner. Ava has never jumped the fence at her doggie daycare. I believe its a possibility that she won't jump this fence because if she's happy and playing with other dogs maybe it will be like the daycare and she won't have any desire to get out? Any one have any thoughts or experience with this? Would doing the in home boarding be better even with the fence? I need piece of mind and to be able to relax on my upcoming vacation for my brothers wedding.

Please help!!!!!!!
 

bxrbgood

Boxer Insane
How did your baby do? I would not do choice 1 anymore, too stressful for the dog. Option 2 would be worth a try, if you do test 1 nighter and she does well.
Yes separation can be stressful for an otherwise normal dog, and consequentially the owners as well. :(
 

msnitsirk

Boxer Booster
Can you and Ava spend some time together at the new kennel with the new kennel owner before the trip? Take her there one day and stay there and watch her play. If that goes well take her there another day and leave for a few hours and see how she does.
 
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