Is my 8-month Husky scratching her dog crate due to anxiety?

Siberians can be quite "active" if left alone for long periods. Are you by any chance scolding Luna when you find the mess? If so, that can set up a situation where she thinks that she is going to be reprimanded every time you come home, which leads to anxiety while you are away, which leads to more mess-making! It is useless, and even counterproductive, to correct a dog for a behavior that occurred even five minutes ago. She just won't make the connection, even if you "show her," etc. Try leaving her a big Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter (make the night before and freeze) to occupy her. You may need to resort to a crate, because if she deoes something naughty and is not IMMEDIATELY corrected, she will not understand that it's wrong to do it. For additional help, you can click on the prompt to start a consult. (I had Siberians for 40 years, so I know how they can be.) Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Shesh has moderate to severe separation anxiety. This is sometimes made worse in a kennel, though for many dogs the kennel makes it better. I recommend talking to your veterinarian about anti-anxiety medication for him. I notice he is 25 lbs so I’m assuming he is not yet full grown. For a puppy, one of the most important things you can do for anxiety and decreasing destruction is exercise and training. A husky puppy needs about 1-2 HOURS of hard play or running per day. Spending 10-15 minutes per day on training (tricks, etc) also prevents boredom, tires them out, and decreases destructive behavior. Best wishes to you and Shesh.

I am sorry to hear that this is happening. It sounds like she is anxious enough to hurt herself. When dogs are this anxious I do think that medication has a place in making them feel better. I would highly encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian soon. There is a new supplement out called Solliqiun that has a lot of promise. You may consider using that first, before medication. Also, there Is a pheromone product called Adaptil that is a calming pheromone. It comes in collars and plug in diffusers. I would encourage you to purchase this as well. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Yes, dogs can have relapses in their anxiety. If you found a way to manage it before, I would recommend trying again for a few weeks. If any additional medical symptoms arise, I would recommend having Luna checked out by the vet.

Puppies learn to explore with their mouth. Luckily she is young and can be trained with patience and consistency. First, make sure you have lots of treats handy. Second, have lots of toys handy. When you are playing with Luna and she starts to bite you, make a high pitched squeal. When she stops biting, tell her good girl and give her a treat or toy. When she chews on the toy, tell her shes a good girl. She will get the hang of it. For the crate, you need to get her used to it slowly. When you are home, feed her in there without closing the door. Put treats and toys in there so she can come and go when she likes. Slowly build up to closing the door for short periods. Give treats when shes calm inside the crate. At night, put something in there that smells like you. Be tough, don't crack before she does. Basic training at PetCo is a great idea! Good luck and congrats on your new baby. Sending kisses!

It sounds as if your puppy is developing serparstion anxiety. The good news is that she is still young and you have time to correct her behaviors so she can live a long happy life! I would recommend first commiting to crate training your dog. This will help prevent her from destroying things and keep her safe so she doesn't get into anything that could harm him. Crate training can take a few weeks but once she is used to the crate she will begin to feel safe there. I would also recommend taking her on a fast paced walk before you have to crate her to help drain some of his nervous energy. You can also try giving her a chew toy like a kong in the crate to keep her distracted. If these tactics do not work I would recommend talking to your vet about starting her on an anti anxiety medication until she becomes more accustomed to her crate. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

This behavior is normal. she does not like being separated from her 'pack'. Luna is too young to have separation anxiety but if you indulge this type of behavior, you could cause her to develop separation anxiety as an adult. It is important to have dogs that are comfortable and adjusted to being away from you. Your best option is to work with a trainer and to read many books about dog training and behavior. There is a trainer named Victoria Stilwell who has written several books that will be beneficial. German Shepherds are a breed that can be prone to behavioral issues so you want to be certain that Luna is well exercised and trained. I recommend to stick with positive training techniques and to read a lot about the breed. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.