Angel, Extreme help needed.

[Xelloss]

I have an Australian shepherd/unknown mix, female. She's is about 5 years old but she has a problem.

She's too smart, and too strong.
Despite walks, she feels the need to get loose from the house, by whatever means necessary. We tried putting her in a locked room, but she tore apart the bottom of the door. If there was an open window, she would get through that window. All of our windows are screened sliding doors, but if there was a screen she would do;
A. Pop the screen from the window-frame (no damage)
or B. Tear a hole in the screen to make a way out.
Once, she successfully jumped out of a second floor window onto a small ledge a foot lower, then jumped to the ground without injury.
Now this was fine for the most part, but then she smartened up even more after we started locking the windows. She'll now
1. Do either A or B if the window is open
2. Unlock the window, push it open with her nose, and do either A or B

But now she's taken it to another level. Just recently (within the past two weeks) she has taken this to an extreme. She has broken, yes broke, one layer of our two panel sliding glass windows. She wasn't able to get out, but she has caught a paw on the glass once and caused a bit of bleeding (nothing serious). This only happens when we're not home, and there are some rooms we just can't lock. Just today she again blindly jumped through a screen on our second floor to the ground outside. (again, no injury)

We've tried two wire crates, but on both she's either torn open the door, or broken the welding of the grate, and made an opening. I walk her every day, only missing on special occasion, but she still feels the need to be that...i don't know what to call it. She wouldn't hurt an animal at all, not unless attacked, but i live in a tourist neighborhood, and there's lots of people around. So, is there any possible way i could get Angel under control. If not, i fear we may have to take her to a shelter :'(

[Wiztherewoz]

How often do you walk her, how long and how far? Does she get plenty of running in, to burn off her energy?

She needs two or three long walks a day, every single day. If she was getting enough physical and mental stimulation she would be tired and wouldn't destroy the place. She sounds like a handful, but just exercise exercise exercise. She's just one of those breeds that needs a lot of it.

Oh, and try Nilif training too, if not already doing that. It really does help some.

[Xelloss]

She gets walked once a day, right about 2:00 p.m.
I walk her about 1 1/2 miles - 2 miles, and she's normally outside for a good 20-30 minutes. She also has a 40 foot chain outside tied to a tree for her to go outside and run around.

But a couple more walks doesn't sound like it would be difficult.

[Irish_Lass]

Yeah, I agree with Heather. This sounds like a case of boredom and the desire to get free and just do something. Plenty of long walks. :) When you're away from the house do you leave things (kongs for example) to help her amuse herself? Good luck and keep us posted.

[Wiztherewoz]

She gets walked once a day, right about 2:00 p.m.
I walk her about 1 1/2 miles - 2 miles, and she's normally outside for a good 20-30 minutes. She also has a 40 foot chain outside tied to a tree for her to go outside and run around.

I really think you need to up the exercise. People underestimate the importance of it. Try her on a morning walk first thing before breakfast for at least 45minutes, then her normal walk, then an extra one for at least an hour on an evening. I'll bet you'll see an improvement in her.

[Xelloss]

she has several large bones, 2 tug toys, and she also plays with the occasional cat toy.

[Wiztherewoz]

And engage in some games with her, like fetch, while you're out too. Get her running as much as possible. Interact with her as much as you can. Try her some extra training, just for fun. Maybe some agility? Give her a job to do. She'll love you for it, and it'll calm her down.

[squashynose]

I think Heather's got it in one. People really under-estimate the amount of exercise and stimulation these working breeds need.

Do you cycle/rollerblade/skateboard? Sounds like she needs to do more than walk, she needs to ruuuuun!

[Xelloss]

Alrighty, that sounds like a good plan. I'll start the extra walks and the rest of the tips, and keep you all posted. Thanks for the help :D:D

[Wiztherewoz]

Alrighty, that sounds like a good plan. I'll start the extra walks and the rest of the tips, and keep you all posted. Thanks for the help :D:D

Nice one, Angel's a lucky gal to have you willing to put her needs first. Good exercise for you too, of course. Saves on gym fees. ;)

[Xelloss]

I think Heather's got it in one. People really under-estimate the amount of exercise and stimulation these working breeds need.

Do you cycle/rollerblade/skateboard? Sounds like she needs to do more than walk, she needs to ruuuuun!

lol, yes i skateboard. And i do it about every other walk during the summer, though in the winter it's a little more difficult (Rhode island and it's sleet/snow/rain/etc.)

[Xelloss]

alright, well it's been awhile now, and the walking calms her down for a small amount of the time. But she has gotten to one more window, and we started crate training her. It's a large cage, and we didn't put her in for extended times. I got in the cage with her to try to get her comfortable with it, and continued with training like that, then put her in by herself, for small periods of time to longer periods of time. Now keep in mind this a Rottweiler crate, heavy duty. She sits in there with some toys, water, and some dog treats, but to no avail. She's now destroying the cage. She bends the bars (Very strong bars too, need pliers to put back into shape) and now she's breaking the weldings of the care, and bending bars back. We've tried putting bite deterrent on the crate door and walls, but that didn't work. So we then applied a light layer of hot sauce (still water in the cage, no worries) but it wouldn't stop her from tearing at it. She's so bent on getting out of this crate that she's starting to hurt her teeth. She doesn't play with her tug toy because, i believe, the strain from pulling on the bars of the crate, and that's definitely not good.

So, any ideas on what we could do to keep angel in the crate when we leave without her destroying it or hurting her teeth?

Taking her for a walk right now, so i'll be reading replies in an hour about
Thanks
Brenden

[special]

Have you considered medication? In your first post you mentioned taking her to a shelter.

Somehow I don't think you really meant that, and surely it would be the death of her, given how she feels about being confined. She'd go berserk.

Have you discussed this with your vet? Medication, while not a miracle cure, and certainly not right for every case, may be the answer here.

Amitriptyline is what I am thinking of, though your vet may have other suggestions.

[katiem]

Perhaps if she does have severe separation anxiety you could look into taking her to a doggie daycare while you are at work? Or having a dog walker come in and spend some time with her during the day?

[Wiztherewoz]

I'm so sorry you're still having problems, I really hoped you'd come back with some good news when I saw your thread back up.

If she's not happy in the crate, I don't think it's a good idea to keep crating her. A crate (not that I know anything about crate training) is supposed to be a place where the dog feels safe and comfortable, and will rest calmly. If she's this distressed, it's not good.

How long is she left alone??
How long have you been walking her? Have you been running with her?
What job do you have? Is there ANY chance that your boss would let her go with you? (long shot, I know.)
Do you have any rooms in your house with a small window that you could barricade somehow?

I think that Special's calming meds idea may not be a bad one, if she is still being like this despite plenty of exercise. Squashynose once mentioned a dog puzzle game, to keep them occupied while you're out, have you ever thought of getting her anything like that? Or a Kong? Or a treatball?

Do you leave the radio on for her while you're out, so that she can't hear what's going on outside?

Angel clearly has severe separation anxiety. Have you tried a DAP diffuser?

Do you walk her vigorously just BEFORE you leave her? I would suggest you take her for some vigorous exercise, throw a ball for her as far as you can throw it again and again and again and again, until she's huffing and puffing. Take her back home, give her her dinner, leave her with a kong/puzzle box/treat ball, a radio on and the window blocked, walk out confidently without talking to her or looking at her, and see how she is when you do it that way.

Poor Angel! Poor you too, but that's one stressy-headed dog you got there.

[Xelloss]

I'm so sorry you're still having problems, I really hoped you'd come back with some good news when I saw your thread back up.

If she's not happy in the crate, I don't think it's a good idea to keep crating her. A crate (not that I know anything about crate training) is supposed to be a place where the dog feels safe and comfortable, and will rest calmly. If she's this distressed, it's not good.

How long is she left alone??
How long have you been walking her? Have you been running with her?
What job do you have? Is there ANY chance that your boss would let her go with you? (long shot, I know.)
Do you have any rooms in your house with a small window that you could barricade somehow?

I think that Special's calming meds idea may not be a bad one, if she is still being like this despite plenty of exercise. Squashynose once mentioned a dog puzzle game, to keep them occupied while you're out, have you ever thought of getting her anything like that? Or a Kong? Or a treatball?

Do you leave the radio on for her while you're out, so that she can't hear what's going on outside?

Angel clearly has severe separation anxiety. Have you tried a DAP diffuser?

Do you walk her vigorously just BEFORE you leave her? I would suggest you take her for some vigorous exercise, throw a ball for her as far as you can throw it again and again and again and again, until she's huffing and puffing. Take her back home, give her her dinner, leave her with a kong/puzzle box/treat ball, a radio on and the window blocked, walk out confidently without talking to her or looking at her, and see how she is when you do it that way.

Poor Angel! Poor you too, but that's one stressy-headed dog you got there.

Well she's left in on Mondays and Wednesdays for 4 hours.
She's been walked for an hour, twice a day, both on skateboard.
I'm currently still in school, so i'm gone from 6:30 until 2. Tuesdays my parents are home, but we leave from 3:30 until 7. Wednesdays we have people home except from 6-7. Thursday there's someone home, and friday i'm gone from 5-6.

For walks it's about 80% running, and 20% walking/jogging because it's uphill. She never really stops
Right now here crate is in our dining room, up again a wall. When we put her in, she starts breathing heavily. We try to put treats in, but she doesn't eat them. She's just been so used to being outside of a cage that i guess it causes a lot of anxiety. We do have some medications from when she hurt her back, Tramadol and Carprofen. Unfortunately they calmed her down when she was hurt, but she can't handle them well, and when she recovered we put them away. I'd love to throw a ball for her, but she grew up on a farm of ours in Florida, very open. She didn't need a leash, and did very well at herding the nearby cattle and sheep :D. But now that we live in Narragansett, Rhode Island, she has to be leashed, and doesn't do well at all when unleashed outside.
Lastly, we've tried putting her in a room, it was a bathroom, not too small, but she chewed and scratched at the bottom of the door, had to replace it.


I can see it's separation anxiety, and i've tried a lot, i just don't know what will work.

[Wiztherewoz]

If she grew up on a farm, I can completely understand her hatred of being contained. I know a border collie who spends her days running around her farm like a lunatic, if someone tried to keep her confined alone for any length of time I'm pretty sure her reaction would be the same as Angel's.

Do you have an extendable lead for games of fetch?

I think you're trying very hard, don't give up! Keep trying different tactics, you'll win her over. How long has she lived with you in the city?

[FredsMom]

Brenden,

I have border collies, so I undertand. You're right. They are ahandful.

People were correct in suggesting mroe walks... the only shortcomming (not that its a short comming, its just a very active, herding breed!) is that they need both mental and physical stimulation. That means she needs her regular walks, AND she needs a few hours of active PLAY time... that means anything from socializing during free run OR you training her in something you can both do!

Our outlett with our purebred and soon her daughter, will be frisbee. Everyday, for 2-3 hours, we take her to a park and throw the frisbee with her and teach her tricks. Sometimes its an hour and a half, sometimes its longer than three hours. The main thing is, we're getting out there, WORKING HER, and that in turn wears her out.

Are there any dog parks near you? Or open grassy fields that you can have your dog off leash without fear of her running away or getting hurt?

I wold suggest you trade in your after school walk for playtime at a park. Do the morning walk, after school play with her...whether its fetch, disc (frisbee), agility. Somethine you can do that will be fun for both of you. Basically she needs to work her MIND. And yes, aussies and border collies will get what they want, where they want it, when they want it.... meaning if she wants out of something, she's smart enough to figure it out. And thats why i VERY VERY highly suggest a playtime activity that uses both body and mind for her.

IF there are no parks, my other suggestion would be take her for the walks and then after the afterschool walk, do obedience with her. Wear her out a bit with the walk and then work her mind... teach her tricks. She'll probably be very willing to learn once you get the right technique down.

So, to follow up: Lots of exercise, including FREE RUNNING/PLAYING time and/or multiple, long, walks with obedience training to follow. If you work her right, you'll notice much less damage.


And I should mention - because of how much we work with her... and with our other two (aussie mix and mcnab/bc mix), we are able to survive (temporarily!) in a 500 sq foot studio apartment with NO damage from the dogs (errr, except the five week old whos in a pen when unsupervised). Im sure if we can live in a tiny flat with three crazy beasts, you can train the wild streak out of her... or at the least tone it down. Just takes a lot of hard work and dedication
Hope this helps!

[Kkye]

i just want to add that giving her treats in her crate while she is showing signs of anxiety will promote the feeling in her that "here, it's okay, be upset, here's a treat" but at the same time, dogs who are stressed will not eat, so i'm not sure what to suggest there.

i just wanted to comment on that particular thing.

[special]

We do have some medications from when she hurt her back, Tramadol and Carprofen. Unfortunately they calmed her down when she was hurt, but she can't handle them well, and when she recovered we put them away.

I can see it's separation anxiety, and i've tried a lot, i just don't know what will work.

Those are not the kind of medications I meant. Those are pain medications.

She may need something that treats anxiety. Have you discussed this with your vet? She has been through a big change from country dog to city dog. Even a temporary course of medication may help.

I can't remember if this has been mentioned, but is she spayed?

[FredsMom]

This is just my personal opinion, But I would try working her out more before going to medication.

Im no vet, but I would err ont he side of "not to medicate" since every option hasn't been played out BEFORE medicating.

Have you ever watched Its Me or the Dog? She helps with major problems by focusing on the UNDERLYING issue. In this case, I don't tihnk its necessarily seperation anxiety. I thin its Boredom!!!!!

When you leave the house, what do you do? Do you acknoweldge Angel? Jingle your keys? Etc.

Basically, try and exit the house quietly. Don't give the dog attention. Don't say goodbye, nothing. I would also suggest buying MULTIPLE kongs and put treats in them (frozen peanut butter perhaps) and leave a few raw meaty bones around (like a nice hunk of bone with marrow in it).

And EXERCISE the dog. I mean I know you mentioned you take him for two walks that are about an hour each, but this is a VERY high energy dog, and even more crazy considering what you've explained. Again, the dog needs Mental as well as Physical stimulation. This isn't a breed that is content laying around and waiting for you to come home. He WANTS to work. Seriously. And by that I don't mean a couple walks throughout the day that are only about a mile to two miles. For us that may seem like a lot, but for him? Thats barely a warm up. He needs major physical activity, which would consist of a few hours of high activity. Tire him out and give him plenty to play with when you are not home and place the toys all around the home. He'll work at finding them. And if he's gotten adequet exercise, he shouldnt be very distructive.

But please, try training methods before drugging your dog. I just don't see the need, especially with everything you've described, I think its more boredom and restlessness than anything else.

[_Lisa_]

So, any ideas on what we could do to keep angel in the crate when we leave without her destroying it or hurting her teeth?


My boxer mix (Anna) used to have separation anxiety. She lost one of her canine teeth due to chewing her way out of her crates (first was the wire crate, then an airline crate with air holes in the bottom-she ate through the air holes!)

We tried the anti-anxiety meds...biggest waste of money EVER! Not to say they don't work for someone, just not my dog.

So first step-we got a crate that you can replace the door & not the entire crate. $28 for a new door is a much better deal than buying a new crate all the time. Its this one:

http://www.petmate.com/Products/Vari-Kennel-and-Vari-Kennel-Fashion__21700.aspx

And are you sure the pup is truly crate trained in the first place? Try this site-its what worked for my dogs!

www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html


As for ridding the anxiety-what worked best for us after a year of replacing crates, medication, anti-anxiety AND obedience training...we got a second dog. It was what everyone recommended up front but I thought that would be crazy-who knows what kind of problem that second dog might have right? How much money will it cost? And so we decided to foster-and we kept the second foster dog forever! And Anna is a completely different dog-total 180 degrees! You may want to consider it. Best decision we made for our anxiety-riddled dog, and its been great for us too, so we actually enjoy owning our dogs & not wondering what we got ourselves into.

[FredsMom]

I think this person is a child, so I don't know if it is up to them re: getting another dog. But I agree, it could help. AND it could hurt.

My dog was pretty well behaved until he started hanging around my parents dogs. I had trained hm out of jumpping and rushing people when they walked in the door and he wasn't a barker. Spent a yea or two with my parents dogs and I had to start all over.

SO if you do get another dog, look for one that is trained and quiet and well behaved. Dogs pick up on habits, both good AND bad, so you want to be very careful with that.

[_Lisa_]

Oh! And don't leave a radio on when you're not at home-eventually your dog will just associate you turning on the radio with you leaving. So unless you have the radio on whenever you're already home its not a good choice to turn it on & signal to your dog that you're leaving. Personally, we leave the TV on while we're gone because its always on when we're home already.

[FredsMom]

Soooo true lisa!!!!

My dogs dont have seperation anxiety b ut we leave the TV on and when they see the TV go on when we put our shoes on, they jump up on the bed cause they know they're staying behind.

IF we turn the TV off they want to know where they are going.

They pick up on the smallest things too. They always know when Im actually leaving or when Im just running outside for a second. My guess is beacuse they see me grab a bag when I am leaving, and if Im just running out for a secnd I leave it.

[kaitlin]

as heather mentioned, ive head diffusers do wonders for animals with anxiety, im not too familiar with them..but maybe you could look into that more before medicating.

[Kkye]

Soooo true lisa!!!!

My dogs dont have seperation anxiety b ut we leave the TV on and when they see the TV go on when we put our shoes on, they jump up on the bed cause they know they're staying behind.

IF we turn the TV off they want to know where they are going.

They pick up on the smallest things too. They always know when Im actually leaving or when Im just running outside for a second. My guess is beacuse they see me grab a bag when I am leaving, and if Im just running out for a secnd I leave it.

it's all about body language we don't even know we're expressing!!

[Wiztherewoz]

The reason I said to leave the radio on is in case noises outside are winding her up when you're not there. Like other dogs barking, people talking in the street, cars going by, or whatever.

If you turn the radio on low for an hour or so while you're there with her, then turn it up to the volume you'll be leaving it at (which has to be loud enough to drown out noises outside.) (but obviously don't have it blasting though) for a half hour or so before you leave, the dog won't associate it with you leaving her, it'll just be a familiar sound.

This is what I did for my dog when he used to be a crazy head when left behind, and still do out of habit. I once tried leaving him with classical music to see if that soothed the savage beast, but that seemed to make him worse. (he's more of a radio1 kinda guy. ;))

TV works just as good though.

I agree that with separation anxiety it's all about your body language and the energy you're giving off when you leave and enter the house (and tiring them out so they take advantage of their alone time to have a rest.) But Angel isn't left for very long periods at a time, so I'm not sure if it's that, or boredom, or fear of being confined alone, or her feeling like she's top dog and being stressed out that her pack has left her without permission, even.

Xelloss, when you go back into the house to let her out of wherever she's contained, do you ignore her for a while until she calms down, or do you let her jump all over you and act like she hasn't seen you for a month? It's important to go in and out nonchalantly, and ignore her for a few minutes on either side.

And although two hours running is very good, and probably enough for the majority of dogs, I agree with fredsmom that it's still not enough for Angel. More more more! :) Try to see if there's anywhere around you where you could enrol her in some agility or flyball classes.

Keep on keeping on. :)

[FredsMom]

Heather is absolutely right.

When we used to come home, Fred, and then keeper a bit, would jump all over us. We personally didn't care when it happened to US, ubt we did care when it happened to guests.

We had to start ignoring them when we came in and left. Within a matter of 2 weeks they stopped jumping up on us. Sure they're usually at the door when we get home waiting for us to come in (they hear the key and our footsteps) but they just sniff around our feet and wait for us to unwind before asking for real attention.

and i can tell you from experience, from having a aussie mix who used to DESTROY everything in my apartment - once he started getting adequet exercise and play time, he stoped destroying everything. in fact, he probably just rests and lays aroun dall day...either on the couch or ont he bed.

we leave animal planet on for them heather. its also helped cause they are so used to hearing animals sounds now that they don't go batsh** crazy when they hear cats mewing or dogs barking outside. Fred may play what we call "who dat who dat" where he jumps ionto the window sill to watch whats going on outside, but rarely ever barks or gets too crazy because of it.

[Wiztherewoz]

I think that Special's calming meds idea may not be a bad one, if she is still being like this despite plenty of exercise. Squashynose once mentioned a dog puzzle game, to keep them occupied while you're out, have you ever thought of getting her anything like that? Or a Kong? Or a treatball?

I'd just like to emphasise, that by "calming meds" I meant herbal remedies for anxiety, such as scullcap and valerian tablets (I know I always recommend that, but it's because there are no side effects, it's perfectly safe, and it really helps to calm my crazy dog's nerves.) or rescue remedies, which are a natural flower remedy. (I used to use them all the time for myself, as I can be a worrier too!!)

Try the DAP diffuser too, but as a few of us have already tried to stress the importance of, I'm sure that more exercise is the main key to a happier Angel. Remember, she is a breed that does not do well as a household pet unless they get lots and lots of physical and mental exercise.

Keep us posted.

[Macawpower58]

I have to say I agree with Special that this dog may benifit from some sort of Meds, at least temporarily. I'm no vet, so the type is beyond my knowledge.

I know everyone is advising exercise to cure you problem, but I honestly don't think lack of exercise is what's causing her actions. Exercise is important, and can only help, but I doubt it's the cure everyone is leading you to believe.

I think you're dog has extreme separation anxiety and possibly some phobias. As she is right now she is going to seriously hurt herself sooner or later. The possibility that medication may help to calm her, at least while you find a working method to minimize her distress, could just be a lifesaver.

There are experts on problems such as your dog has, I'm sorry I'm not one of them though. I do know it is a very difficult problem to get a handle on. Please get some professional advice. The members here are all very well meaning, but none of them (I don't think so at least) have the training needed for a dog with such an intense problem.

Behavior modification is what is done, but I'm not really up on how it's accomplished.

[Wiztherewoz]

I know everyone is advising exercise to cure you problem, but I honestly don't think lack of exercise is what's causing her actions. Exercise is important, and can only help, but I doubt it's the cure everyone is leading you to believe.

No, exercising her will not be a magical cure, but it will be a big help training her to be left alone if she has less energy. To get these athletic dogs to lose energy, they need tonnes of exercise. So, the extra exercise is not just important, it's imperitive, in my opinion. Not just physical exercise either, but something to keep her brain active too.

Especially when you factor in the fact that Angel was raised on a farm and is now living in a town house.

I can't speak for everyone else, but I did not mean to insinuate that doing nothing but giving her more exercise would fix the problem. Of course she will need training (nilif is always a good place to start), and desensitising to being left alone.

But hiring a professional to be there with you to show you how to handle the situation might be the best idea, if your parents have some money to spare.

[_Lisa_]

I know everyone is advising exercise to cure you problem, but I honestly don't think lack of exercise is what's causing her actions. Exercise is important, and can only help, but I doubt it's the cure everyone is leading you to believe.

Not everyone suggested exercise. ;) Having been in the separation anxiety boat for a lot longer than I had hoped, I can definitely tell you that exercise doesn't address any of the symptoms of anxiety but instead just wears your dog down (hopefully enough so that your dog won't be destructive while you're away.)

And if you do decide to go the medication route, you HAVE to remember that meds are just a TOOL for addressing anxiety...NOT the answer or cure. You'll still have plenty of work to do to address all of the root causes for your dog's anxiety & every dog is different (and its not like we can just ask "Hey buddy, what's ailing you today?")

Luckily mine was resolved with getting a second dog, but we tried everything else under the sun as far as anti-anxiety training goes. And someone mentioned this earlier-and I can't stress it enough-the personality, demeanor, tone of voice, and actions of the people around the dog ALL impact how your dog behaves when she's been left alone and when someone returns home. If the people in her life are yelling or running around or acting anxious in any way-your dog is going to pick up on it & do the same.

So whether you start meds or not, you've got to put in the time & consistency to really narrow down your dog's source of anxiety & work damn hard to resolve it. Medication MAY help you do that, and it may not. Either way you're doing the work-there is NO cure. Its an ongoing process for you & anyone else that interacts with the dog.

[Macawpower58]

Thanks Lisa, your post makes a lot of sense. I'm going to give it a shot, I do know the basics, but not the intricate stuff you're going to need. I tried a google search, and found lots of vague answers from exercise to medication, to behavior modification. The behavior modification is what you need to learn to achieve lasting results. Hopefully someone may be able to find a detailed list of what you need to do, I could not with a quick search. The exercise, as Lisa states tires the dog out, thus masking the problem to a degree. It is a very important part of what's needed to be done though, but just a small part.

I know that dog's with extreme anxieties need a very structured existence. They need to count on things being the same day to day. They need something to cling to when they're anxieties get the better of them. These dogs need black and white. I hate to harp on obedience, but with these types of dogs it's imperative. Having a strong leader that is the focus of their world, allows them to give up to a degree the fears they have. Programmed responses are a life line they cling too, fear aggression is often handled the same way. The dog is programmed through intense training to perform certain actions instead of their normal salivating, spinning, over hyper behavior.

Breaking the crate/fear cycle would be a good place to start. Clickers may have a benefit, allowing the dog to know exactly what you want, every small step by step. This thread is long, and I don't remember if the crate is always hated or just hated when you leave. If it's always a problem, then you'd take tiny steps to ease the dogs fear of it. Click/treat for even looking at it, Click/treat for taking a step towards it, Click/treat for lying calmly beside it. Etc.... Until the dog is happily entering/exiting it on command, with no signs of stress. You're talking days, weeks, perhaps months of intense conditioning.

I'm still searching, hoping to find something on the steps to take with the behavior modification. I know there are some members here with extreme search skills, maybe they can help find something.

[Macawpower58]

Here is something I found which gives a fairly detailed description of one way to start modifying the behavior.

Behavior Modification Exercises

* Whenever possible, prevent the bad behavior. This may mean using baby gates, a crate, or even utilizing a doggie daycare or pet-sitter. When it does happen, bring as little attention as possible to the undesirable behavior.

* Make sure your dog gets enough vigorous exercise and has some good stimulating toys when he is left. One of the best toys out there is the Kong® and I recommend that you have three or four of them. The trick is to stuff the Kong® with peanut butter, bananas, yogurt, cottage cheese, canned dog food, etc. and then you FREEZE it. You will give your dog a stuffed, frozen Kong® before you leave, and possibly leave one or two more around the house so he can find them and stay busy. The reason you freeze it is so it takes an hour or so to get all the stuff out. By the time he is done with all that licking, he'll be exhausted! Associating your departure with something wonderful like this is called counter-conditioning.

* Systematic Desensitization to being alone. You need to teach your dog that there is no reason to be destructive when he is left alone. Remember to leave a Kong® or two with your dog when you leave. If you are confining him in a room or a crate, you will need to get him used to the room or crate while you are home. For example, if he only goes to the basement when you leave, then it doesn't feel like part of the home. Spend time in his safe-place playing with him, feed him there; put him there for a few minutes several times each day when you won't actually leave the house. After a week or two, you can put him down there and just go outside and walk around the house and come back in. The next week start the car, but don't leave. Then drive around the block. We're gradually building up to him being left alone. You will also want to practice your 'getting ready to leave' routine many, many times each day when you don't actually leave. Grab your keys, put on your coat; turn on the radio… What ever you do to get ready to leave, except you won't be leaving. Then, after a week or two you'll go out the door, and come right back in. Then you'll walk around the house; then start the car… Move slowly to avoid regression.

* Do not allow yourself to have big emotional good-byes when you leave. Almost as important is to have a rather low-key greeting when you return as well. Just slip out the door and slip back in. Come all the way into the house, take off your coat, and THEN say hello to your dog. Try counting to 100, that way you'll have something else to focus on. He should also earn your attention at other times as well. If you notice he is following you around the house, re-direct him to do something else (like lie down, or go get a toy) for a bit. Basically, encourage him to be a bit more independent when you are home, so he won't feel so lost when you are gone.

* Consistency. Everyone needs to be on the same page. The DOG needs to learn that he is part of a human family and we need to teach him what the social rules are in the human world. Dogs adapt, that's what we bred them for. Humans on the other hand, do not make good "alpha wolves." We will never act like a dog as well as a dog can act like a human. That said, he is also NOT a human. When guessing what he may be feeling and/or thinking, remember that he does not possess some common human emotions (like anger or spite). Do not put human traits on him, that is a lot to live up to, and it really sets him up for a failure.

Once again, there are more components to a modification program which depend greatly on each particular dog. Seek the help of a behavior consultant to help develop a program for your unique situation. One final note, taken from The Dog Who Loved Too Much by Dr. Nicolas Dodman, BVMS, MRCVS (©1996 Bantam): "Owners can compound their dog's separation anxiety by empathizing too much. Firm but supportive leadership, providing clear direction, can go a long way toward reconciling this behavioral problem."