# Help -- Anxiety attacks?!...Anxious V mommy!



## FirstTimeVizsOwners (Dec 29, 2014)

Hello everyone! Whiskey is doing very well overall and will be eight months old in five days! I know that there have been several posts about separation anxiety and I read quite a few, but feel best posting our situation and having your thoughts and kind guidance. Whiskey crate trained well as a pup and had a regular schedule of exercise before and after our work ours, was crated during the day, and a friend of ours would come let him out in the afternoon to go potty. He was calm and comfortable with this, no signs of anxiety. Our house building began in September and our builder (also good friend) fell in love with Whiskey and allowed him to be outside with him almost every day for the last two months. Last week, our builder asked if we could crate him during the day because of the type of work he was doing and wouldn't be able to watch him and Whiskey completely melted down. He worked one of the latches on his crate loose, escaping, ran around the house, barking incessantly. peed in his crate (he hasn't done this since a little pup). His anxious behavior happened three days last week. I moved his crate to the back room this weekend with hopes that if he was unable to see the builder, it wouldn't rile him up so much. Today when left, I came home to him barking, panting, shaking, didn't eat his treat, and although I was come and ignored the behavior, he acted like I had left him for days, jumping on me and pawing at me - again not his typical behavior. I'm hopeful that this anxiety is secondary to the change in routine of him being allowed to be out all day for the last two months and that we can get him back into his old routine. I feel guilty for disrupting his routine that he responded so well to, but it was certainly done with no intent. Please offer your experiences and suggestions. I'm really hoping we haven't started something that can't be reversed. Should the crate go back it's original spot? He even whines at night now and he's always slept in his crate! Thank you, thank you in advanced. I'm a very worried V mommy!


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## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Hi FTVO,

I'm going to say something here which is going to be contentious, I know from past experience!

The breed, in my experience don't take kindly to being crated for the best part of the day.... There you go, I've said it!!

Secondly, he is still a pup(8mths), he's probably had total freedom and endless fun for the past two months and discovered what his four legs were designed for. 

Once the builder retires for the day and you return home, I can bet the pup is just ready to 'crash'! What a result, a builder and dog day care all for the price of one.

All I can say is I hope your building work ends soon and you get your house back and hopefully your pup will get to the stage where you can trust him and leave him un-crated in a part of your home where he can stretch and relax at his leisure and you can resume some sort of normality!!!!!!

Hobbsy


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

If what Hobby said is contentious, count me in, too.

Never, ever let an outsider influence your routine. Your bad for letting the contractor disrupt Whiskey's routine for what was obviously his need. Now, your poor guy is confused. Lesson learned?

How much longer will the contractor be working on your house and is there some alternative situation Whiskey can be in for the days left? That might be your better option here.


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## FirstTimeVizsOwners (Dec 29, 2014)

Yes, that is what we have been doing for the last 3 days. Our new house is being built right next to our current house so we are able to easily implement our original routine. If I was afraid of contentious responses, I wouldn't have asked. I'm asking for help. We certainly didn't disrupt a routine with intentions to cause anxiety. Yes, lesson learned. Thank you for your thoughts.


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

With some time and patience I think you won't have a problem getting Whiskey back into his old routine. Even though he can't see the builder, I bet he still knows that the builder is there, and that's what is probably driving him a bit batty. Any chance you would trust him outside of the crate? We started letting our girl have free run of our downstairs when she was about Whiskey's age. She never was destructive even as a young pup, so we trusted her.

Another option would be to send Whiskey to doggy day care. As Hobbsy mentioned and I am sure you know, these dogs don't do well being crated and left alone the majority of the day.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I would try getting up earlier than normal, and take Whiskey for a run before work. Have you, or someone to let him out to stretch his legs at least once during the middle of the day. Then a good run in the evening.


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## FirstTimeVizsOwners (Dec 29, 2014)

lilyloo said:


> With some time and patience I think you won't have a problem getting Whiskey back into his old routine. Even though he can't see the builder, I bet he still knows that the builder is there, and that's what is probably driving him a bit batty. Any chance you would trust him outside of the crate? We started letting our girl have free run of our downstairs when she was about Whiskey's age. She never was destructive even as a young pup, so we trusted her.
> 
> Another option would be to send Whiskey to doggy day care. As Hobbsy mentioned and I am sure you know, these dogs don't do well being crated and left alone the majority of the day.


Thanks, lilyloo! I'm not sure he is quite ready to be left attended just yet, but hoping soon. He doesn't tend to be destructive either, but quite mischievous.  Today was a better day! Went back to early morning walk and run, let out by neighbor for a bit in afternoon like before we began building, no contact with builder until later in afternoon when I got home. We live in a rural area, so daycare isn't an option, but we are all set with an invisible fence of nearly 5 acres fenced in for when he is old enough and obviously when the weather elements are okay. We live in a 100+ acre farm which is wonderful for long runs.


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## FirstTimeVizsOwners (Dec 29, 2014)

TexasRed said:


> I would try getting up earlier than normal, and take Whiskey for a run before work. Have you, or someone to let him out to stretch his legs at least once during the middle of the day. Then a good run in the evening.


Thanks TR! I was hoping you would respond. I always find your advice to be constructive and helpful! We are back to our routine of a good walk/run in morning and at night! We are just in the thick of deer hunting season in NY, so we haven't been able to run through our 100+ acre farm for whiskey's safety and respect of other hunters. Today we walked down town (yes, we had to drive to town to do this haha) and tonight as well. His usual neighbor came to let him out for a pee and stretch this afternoon and I limited his time of seeing the builder after I got home from work. He reported that he didn't make a peep all morning but did howl after his break this afternoon. He was barking when I arrived home. He stopped as soon as I walked in. He as crazy and panting after let out to which I ignored. He seemed to calm down much more quickly. He has been snoozing in his crate for nearly and hour now and I'm headed to bed too to get up for our own early morning to run. Thank you again!!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Thank you for your vote of confidence in me, but I am by no means a dog whisper.
A lot of trial and error over the years, to sometimes now get it right.
When all else has failed me, I call on people that have spent close to a lifetime with the breed.
They have been gracious enough to help me along the way.


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