I have dealt with dogs with separation anxiety, but none as severe as Springens. Since my brother has moved out with him, it's gotten a great deal worse. He has to stay in his kennel while my brother is at work for 6 to 8 hours, as he is very destructive when left alone. When we put him in his kennel, he starts to almost have some sort of a panic attack. He starts panting very loud and fast, whining, and drooling. Sometimes we'll leave for only ten minutes, and he has his four inch thick bed soaked through with drool.
The other day Springen got the bottom latch on his kennel door open, pushed until he bent the door enough to get through, and proceeded to rip all the blinds down on the window and tear them to shreds.
My brother makes sure he gets a long walk and fetch before he leaves and feeds him. We try to avoid making a big deal about leaving and coming home. We tried to associate his kennel with GOOD things, treats and lots of praise. Unfortunately, I do not know what the owners did before we got him, but we do know they did neglect him... so maybe that has something to do with it.
I'm at a loss and don't know what to do to cure this. I've tried many things I've read on the internet and it doesn't seem to be working. Even if he's confined and not destroying anything, I simply hate to think he has to suffer through the day with such worry and anxiety. He's not an anxious or fearful dog otherwise. Any suggestions??
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