Just a little background - Duncan came into my foster care back in March with bad separation anxiety. He is 14 years old and came from a few previous owners who kept handing him off because of his inability to be contained in a crate. He would bark and panic and cause the neighbors to complain.
I work from home, so Duncan stays with me in my office all day. If I have to leave for an hour or two in the evening, I shut the door to my office and let him sleep on the couch in there. For a while, he did great, but for some reason, he regressed in the last month and has become very anxious again. Now when I leave, he paces and cries as well as urinates all over the office until I come home. It's even gotten so bad that the floors need replaced in my office.
My other two dogs are crate trained and they love it. I can tell they feel very secure in their crates and go in there without me even telling them to. I always know they are safe in their crates, and I think everyone benefits. So I have been working with Duncan to see if he can overcome his 14 years of crate anxiety.
I just started putting a crate with his favorite blankets in my office and leaving the crate door open. I put the crate next to my desk... and wouldn't you know, he's been in there the last 2 hours snoring away. He went in himself and isn't showing any signs of anxiety. (I hope the picture I attached is viewable). I think this is a huge triumph for Duncan and I am SO proud of him!! Yay Dunc!
Alyssa and Duncan
St Marys, PA
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