I hope this is the correct forum to place this question.

I have an approximately 6 year old Australian Shepherd/Lab mix female that I adopted from a no kill shelter in the US in January 2006. She had been at the shelter for about a year (if that matters).

She is a wonderful pet. However, she has recently begun having what I can only think of as something like separation anxiety. It started kind of suddenly and is unusual for her.

First, some background. Skip below to the problem.

She is a very submissive and a bit anxious dog. She doesn't like storms or beeping (like smoke alarms, or my cell phone's low battery beeps). When these things occur she seeks me out, follows me very closely with her tail tucked and shakes. When this happens I ignore her or try to do something fun. On occasion during night time thunderstorms I have let her sleep on my bed (I hate being woken up, so I unfortunately take the easy way out in order to get back to sleep). Other than that she's fine.

A few weeks ago we had a terrible, sudden thunderstorm involving high winds and hail. A week or so later my carbon monoxide detector battery went low and started beeping while I was at work. My dog-walker friend arrived at my house to a very nervous dog, and he didn't know how to take the battery out so he put the alarm in the garage (a detached garage) so she couldn't hear it. She would have been in the house with the alarm for a maximum of 2.5 hours. I mention this because these are the only possible precipitating event I can think of.

I have a male foster dog (neutered) Ive had for well over a year who has, within the past 2-3 months, begun attacking my other dogs (only when I am not present, such as when I am asleep at night. Never drawn blood, just being a dominant @$$. He's great with them when I'm around). For this reason I began rotating him and the other dogs as to who gets to be out at night and while I am at work. Before this, she was accustomed to her crate (I've had various fosters since I've had her etc) but was rarely in overnight.

Problem:

Recently, about 6 weeks ago, I noticed that my female dog had been sleeping in my bed while I was at work when she was out. I began putting a baby gate in the hallway.

She has been following me around the house more than usual, and occasionally being more communicative, as though she wants something.

Next, she started protesting her crate. Now this is very very unusual as this is a dog who spends a lot of voluntary time in there. She loves her crate. But every about 1 in 4 or 5 times I put her in, she will dig, whine, cry, scratch almost as soon as I put her in there. One night she kept me up until 2 AM as I though there was something wrong with her. Didn't have to pee, wasnt thirsty, wasn't hungry, just didn't want to stay in there away from me.

The next few times in there she was just fine.

Today I put her in and went to leave for work, she started whining a bit. Then, I got a call at work from my dog walker friend, stating she had torn up the sheet I use for a crate cover and messed up her bed. When I got home after work I discovered that she had pulled most of the sheet inside the crate, shredded it into many tiny pieces (and there was blood on the sheet - no broken teeth though, must have cut her gums), torn up her crate pad and ripped the zipper off it, and bunched up her bed. I use it as an end table so there were things on the top, all knocked off (from pulling the sheet). She didn't appear to swallow anything or have injured herself, fortunately. She was alone for about 3.5 hours.

It looked like she basically panicked, just like a separation anxious dog would do. I crated her after I got home for about 15 minutes and then for about 30 mintues when someone came over, both times I was out of the room, she was fine. ??

She had a thorough vet checkup about a year ago including blood and T4 panel and everything was OK.

I have no idea where to even begin with this as it is not a consistent problem and I don't know what is causing it. The only reason she even has to be crated at all is to keep her safe when the other dog is out and I'm not supervising. She has never cared in the past that I sleep in my own room away from her and when I leave the house. (She doesn't even see me to the door when I leave).

There are 3 other dogs in the house, all males, two sleep in the living room with her (all have crates, and there are dog beds for the dogs who are out at the time), and one in a crate in my room.

Any ideas? Suggestions? Where to start? Sorry for the novel, but I wanted to include as much potentially helpful information as possible, I am very worried about her!

FWIW, she was crated overnight last night and slept like a baby with NO issues, whining or anything. I don't get it??? I'm hoping another 3rd party set of eyes might catch something I've missed.

I wish I had some experience or knowledge that would help you.

The only things I could think of - exercise?

And, I was wondering about a physical problem (Neb cried and cried Saturday and Sunday night in his crate, and it's because he had an upset tummy, which didn't become clear til Sunday). Sounds like that's not the case given the frequency and she has been checked out.

Interesting. Exercise. I'd have to say that overall, on average, her amount of exercise has not changed BUT my dog-walker has an injury so the dogs have been exercised in the yard.

I have to honestly say I do not know if the days she had her freak outs are related to days she might have not had enough exercise. Although yesterday she got less and was fine overnight, day before she got some good play time in (and then had her MAJOR freak out while I was at work the following morning).

She has always been a dog that has tolerated lack of exercise very well.

If only she could speak English!

Her vet visit was last year. I'm wondering if I should have her re-checked for everything.

How close to her crate can the newly dog-aggro foster get? Is he loose and she is crated?

Can she see/hear him?

Her crate is in the living room but surrounded on 3 sides (by walls & furniture). The male has unsupervised access to the living room when he's out. So, yes, she can see and hear him as they are in the same room.

There have been no more aggressive incidents between the dogs that I am aware of, since I began rotating them. The female hasn't shown any fear of this dog when they are together. All the dogs seem to get along well.

In addition, the night she kept me up until 2 AM he had been sleeping peacefully on his dog bed, ignoring her and minding his own business, since at least 11 PM. Yesterday morning I didn't see him pay her any mind before I left.

I can give more details on the aggressive incidents if anyone thinks it's important. They happened in Feb or March (sorry, I have a terrible sense of time).

Do you think he could be bullying her somehow while she is in her crate?

 Quote: angela burrell

Do you think he could be bullying her somehow while she is in her crate?

I don't know. Can he?

I am trying to think of every possibility (like others, I thought first of "recent decrease in exercise").

 Quote: Angela Burrell

Interesting. Exercise. I'd have to say that overall, on average, her amount of exercise has not changed BUT my dog-walker has an injury so the dogs have been exercised in the yard.

How is she exercised now? Do you walk her? Potty in the yard doesn't count at all, and I can't think how the injured walker can maintain walking if they remain in the yard. What do they do, do you know? Ball, fetch ... ?

Maybe he stares her down. Neither of my dogs likes to be stared at by anyone or anything. Less than a penny's worth of idea.

Play ball (we have Long Chuckit and Short Chuckit along with Ultra and Fantastic balls). My girl is really easy to exercise because she loves to play ball and will always bring her ball directly back to you and bop it off your knee.

Also, lots of play time with the other dogs (involving running at top speed, keep away and wrestling - all supervised) for about an hour until they are laying around with their tongues out. My yard is like the dog park during the day, lol. It is funny because my dogs are very active when my friend is out with them, it is as though they know he is exercise man, there to make sure they are running around. (Even when he is just sitting in a chair). Now if only they would do that for me.

I will admit though, there are days they don't get enough exercise. I really wish I could do more. However, my dogs rarely seem restless or hyper and usually lay around calmly when they are in the house. I hope this is a sign of enough exercise.

We also have been doing very brief, upbeat training sessions in the evenings.