My dog drools a lot when crated. She hasn't always been this way but it has been getting worse. Do you think this is anxiety? What should I do?

Hi Cindy,

I have a question about canine anxiety. I have a 3 year old female malinois who is crated every time I leave the house for anything longer than five minutes. When I am home, she has the run of the acre+ backyard. The problem is that every time she is in her crate, she begins panting excessively and drooling all over herself. When I get home, she has covered her feet with drool. She doesn't do this when she is out running around or at night when she is in the house. She sleeps downstairs in the living room and we have not had any problems with her inside at night since she was a puppy. However, I crate her when I leave for work just in case...she can get mischievous and I don't want any munched furniture. She hasn't always been this "drooly," it really has just begun in the past 6 months or so. My schedule hasn't changed and there hasn't been any changes in the household. So, my question is: what is up with the crazy drooling? Is this a symptom of caning anxiety? Is she too old to be crated during the daytime? Am I the crazy one? Any wisdom would be appreciated. Thanks!

Holly