HELP! DW Is Going To Kill Our Dog!

[manchurianbrownbear]

I think I need a pet psychologist!

Our dog, a cocker spaniel, sheep dog mix, who is nearly nine years old has started having "anxiety attacks" about once a month. Today she did a lot of damage in our laundry room and almost earned herself a lethal injection.

Her bed, food and water are all in the laundry room, a comfortable room with a window, good ventilation, etc... and that's the room we keep her in at night and when we leave the house. We don't like her loose in the house because she is always up on the furniture.

10 - 15 times in the last year she has occasionally "freaked out" when we've put her in her room. She's done some damage in the past, but today it was a more extensive, including scratching at the door until her paws were a bloody mess, which after she paces and paws at everything, made the room look like a crime scene.

We're perplexed because she is shut in her room at least two or three times a day and only has this problem once or twice a month. She is very rarely in her room more than an hour or two except overnight when it's seven or eight hours.

Any ideas?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[Curly Q]

You need to take her to the vet to see if anything is "seriously" wrong. Some dogs go on meds for seperation anxiety. Sorry for your pup, don't come down on her too hard

 

[damo]

Could there be some noise like a thunderstorm or workers outside that could be freaking her out? We have two cockers and they are very sensitive to strange noises and if they can't see what is going on they get quite upset. Can your dog see out the window in the room?

 

[FOJMO]

Amitriptylin worked wonders on our cat. She is given to anxiousness and pulled her fur out by the clumps!

Ask you vet about it.

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

Thanks for the quick responses!

We have wracked our brains and haven't been able to come up with any reason, such as noises, for her to "freak". We don't run the washer or dryer when she's shut in, just in case that might set her off.

 

[damo]

Poor little thing. Could you maybe cover the furniture that she would get up on if you left her uncontained. We cover our couch which is under our front window. When we go out the dogs sleep there and if there is any noise they just look out the window. Dogs can develop phobias as they get older and maybe she needs more space.

I think I would try changing her surroundings before I resorted to drug therapy.

 

[Dodie]

This may not be what you want to here, but I had a terrier mix who exhibited these symptoms during the beginning stages of dementia/senility. 9 may be a little young for that, but please have her seen by a vet asap.

 

[disykat]

Do you close the door? The laundry room is our dog's place too - we use a babygate and leave the door open. According to the books I read, dogs don't like to be shut in and do better if they can see out, even though they're still contained.