Separation Anxiety, please help!
 

Hi all,

My Yorkie, Clover, is 6 years old. We are from Texas, and spent the last few years living with Mom while I finished college. There was another dog at the house that she seems to have hated, they fought frequently. She is definitely a people dog. She was kennel trained and could spend several hours on a bed in the laundry room when we weren't home. She is a terrific little girl, and I just love her.

Here's where the problems begin: We just moved to California a month or so ago, for my new job. I live in a guy's house, renting a room from him, and when we first got back, she started growling/snapping at my roommate. Terrific. This is completely out of the ordinary. I've basically had to re-socialize her. It took a few weeks, but she is finally acting normal again.

The major problem though, is her new kennel. I bought a medium size cage/kennel, and put her favorite toy and a blanket in it. Let's start with the blanket. EVERY time I put her in there with it, she pees on it. EVERY TIME. If I give her a treat to go in there, she throws it out after I leave. I can bring her to work with me a few times a week, but not every day. The most I ever leave her is 4 hours, which is ALWAYS followed by a walk.

The worst part is... Monday I left her at home for the day, came home and walked her at lunch, and came home again. I left her at home one more time that night for 1.5 hours while I went to the gym, and when I came back, I found a tooth on the floor. Clover had knocked out a tooth biting the cage.

I don't know what to do now. She's been such a sweet dog, but I feel sick leaving her at home now, and I don't want her to knock out any more teeth.

Please help. :(

http://i45.tinypic.com/rc78qu.png

I don't have a good answer for you but I'm bumping this up and maybe someone with more experience can help you.

Aww poor girl. Change is so hard for everyone. No matter what age everytime you change their normal routine, especially as dramatic as a move, it causes them a great deal of stress. It's one of the easiest times for a dog to become sick. Maybe she is not feeling well, urinary tract, ulcer, or something. Maybe finding a vet is in order. I think it's easy for people to overlook this with their pets when they make such a big change. The apartment is new surroundings, new smells, new sounds. Maybe something is scaring her while you are gone a noise. Maybe you could play a radio or leave on a tv. I hope once you get back into a routine she will adjust to it, but I'm thinking it is going to take some time and patience after any form of illness is ruled out. Your girl is 6 years old, this is her way of telling you something if it is new behavior unusual to her normal personality.