Solution for dog anxiety?

[Jack Watts]

I have a year and a half old german shepherd and pit mix and she has severe separation anxiety that we need to get under control.

For example I left her in my room for 10 minutes while I took a shower and she managed to shred half of my memory foam topper.

She has a crate for when we go out shopping and she managed to shred the plastic trays so we replaced it with plywood which she also shredded. Today when I went to the store she broke out of the crate and totally bent the door on it.

She's socialized and everything, she's walked regularly and played with and when I'm home she gets to free roam the house so I don't know why she is doing this.

two things come to mind:
1) are you sure it's separation anxiety? some dogs just like to destroy stuff (I have one!). Giving her appropriate stuff to chew is key. And while she's small (30 lb pit mix), she can destroy things in minutes it would have taken my 50 lb pit bull terrier an hour to break. I've landed on elkhorns and antlers--and sometimes put some peanut butter on there to get her started. So, I'm give her something to do in the kennel.

2) to the bolded part, if it is separation anxiety, I'd start restricting her access to you (and the entire house) when you're home. This is key, so she doesn't associate "kennel" with you being gone. Not all the time, mind you. Just toss her in there for an hour or two once a day, just because--and whatever you do, don't open the door if she's whining. Wait till she stops. It's best if the kennel is in an adjacent room, so she knows you're around.

My bet is that #2 will take take of the problem, in time.

 

[Hall]

Not separation anxiety, but our lab-mix is afraid of the wood floors in our living room. She can come down the stairs where there's a rug at the front door and stop. She'll crouch into a jumping position, think about it, then jump (and send the small rug backwards) to the area rug in the living room and make her way to the other corner. She'll stop there, do the crouch, start to go and then stop, start to go and then stop, sometimes changes her mind and run back upstairs or she'll bolt into the kitchen across that 2' section of wood floor. When she hits the floor, she'll almost run in place from the panic she goes into....

Worst part is, nothing changed. We didn't add the wood flooring. We got her as a puppy and the floor has always been like this. For years, she walked through there completely normal. If you're in the kitchen and call her, she'll run in like nothing is wrong. It's either all in her head or she's easily distracted and "forgets" about the floor. Wish we knew what was going on with her !

 

[clinebarger]

This. They must be exercised every day vigorously.
Working dogs get a little nutty if the get bored and don't get exercised.

They need a job. A dog back pack with water bottles, to take on walks.

Frisbee work, or tennis balls.

And they need more exercise than people think.....I have 2 female Pit Bull Terriers that require a ton of exercise. One likes playing ball (Tennis Balls) & the other likes Tug o War.
Have a ball thrower handle so I don't have to handle a nasty slobbery ball & a Rope Toy on a Cable stretched between 2 trees. My favorite is when they get a Squirrel trapped in my Live Oak or Pecan tree.....They'll wear themselves out! It is a mess when they do catch a Squirrel, Rabbit, or Possum!

I don't see how people do it without a large yard, But....Walking 2 Pit Bulls will get you some unapproving looks. Working dogs are NOT House/Companion dogs & treating them as such rarely produces positive results.
My wife & kids have a Shih Tzu, That.....As much as I dislike the lazy POS.....Is a perfect house dog, He's 12 years old now & nearly blind, If we move stuff around in the house he'll run into it

 

[supton]

Ours is just as nutso after 13 years. Wants to be attached to my wife at all times--only time she is not is if she is in the yard, preferably in a position where we could wander off into the woods. We found that CBD et al helped some, but gave up during the pandemic as it's just easier to babysit the dog.

Right now she's pouting in the corner as my wife took the daughter to school.

 

[2dogs]

Walks may not be enough for an active puppy. I'd try getting the dog out and playing with other dogs, maybe a dog park or large yard.

 

[Kql]

I have a year and a half old german shepherd and pit mix and she has severe separation anxiety that we need to get under control.

For example I left her in my room for 10 minutes while I took a shower and she managed to shred half of my memory foam topper.

She has a crate for when we go out shopping and she managed to shred the plastic trays so we replaced it with plywood which she also shredded. Today when I went to the store she broke out of the crate and totally bent the door on it.

She's socialized and everything, she's walked regularly and played with and when I'm home she gets to free roam the house so I don't know why she is doing

 

[Kql]

I have a year and a half old german shepherd and pit mix and she has severe separation anxiety that we need to get under control.

For example I left her in my room for 10 minutes while I took a shower and she managed to shred half of my memory foam topper.

She has a crate for when we go out shopping and she managed to shred the plastic trays so we replaced it with plywood which she also shredded. Today when I went to the store she broke out of the crate and totally bent the door on it.

She's socialized and everything, she's walked regularly and played with and when I'm home she gets to free roam the house so I don't know why she is doing this.

"She's socialized and everything"
Okay....
Probably two of the most neurotic breeds rolled into one, brilliant...

 

[wag123]

Have you tried using a Thundershirt? It doesn't work for every dog, but it worked for my dog. They are highly rated by users. One hint about it's use that I discovered... get it very tight (they are stretchy), putting it on loosely doesn't get the job done. After using it for a time, dogs tend to lose their anxiety and don't need it anymore.

 

[WylieCoyote]

My sister used to attempt crating her Shiba Inu mix (she looks like she has bully breed in the bloodline - STRONG jawline) when she'd go on errands, and I lost count of how many crate mattresses she went through before she finally just got rid of the crate. It was clear she resented being crated, but couldn't be trusted to run the house, because she likes to chew bed comforters as well. Despite the verbal beating she took for doing it, she has no impulse control when my sister leaves the house. Wearing her out at the dog park has helped somewhat over the years, and she now has free run of the house, with only an occasional comforter chewing taking place. She's been called a "cattle dog" by her vet, and those types of dogs do need to be worn out, so when they go home, they've blown out all their excess energy and all they want to do is rest.

I think it's easy to mistake separation anxiety with just being spoiled and wanting what they want. My miniature Whippet has scratched on his crate door until his paws are bloody, just because he wanted to ride in the truck, versus being left at home. When left out of the crate, he was fine to curl up on the couch and wait for us to come home. He finally grew out of it. He's just strong-willed and a little rotten. This may just be a wait-it-out situation for you too.

 

[Aredeeem]

I managed to outlive all my dogs. I get the attraction part but never again. Simba was my last. I still keep him around.

 

[Jack Watts]

"She's socialized and everything"
Okay....
Probably two of the most neurotic breeds rolled into one, brilliant...

funny, that certainly hasn't been my experience with pit bull terriers. Hands down the only "incredibly easy" dog I've ever had. Even as a puppy he was easy, up until at 14 when he went over the rainbow bridge. I definitely got spoiled--and reminded by my new dog that some dogs do require some work!

I am also really fortunate that new dog loves her crate--because at age 2 she can't handle having a run of the place. I'll reiterate what I said earlier: but them in the crate when you're home and within site. If you only do it when you leave, you're conditioning them to not like it.