Why won't my 9-year-old Cavalier settle at night, scratching walls?

I'm wondering if Bootsee could have some separation anxiety when you go to sleep. I recommend crating her at night. The crate will provide her a small space where she can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train her to get used to a crate. Start putting her in it when you are home and sitting nearby so she doesn't think you are abandoning her, and slowly increase the time she is in it. She can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that she has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to her in the crate. That will keep her occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that with a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with her skin. I hope this helps!

This behavior in Buster could actually be due to separation anxiety. I would recommend crating him when you are gone. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can also fill a Kong toy with peanut butter and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety.

Hi there. Rogue is adorable!! Thanks for the photos! I would suggest you try putting him in the crate with a REALLY good treat for small periods of time each day. Start with only 5 minutes and then each day increase by a minute or two. When I say a REALLY good treat I mean one like a Kong with stuff inside so that #1, it is a good experience for him to be inside the crate from the moment he gets in and #2, it will occupy him for some period of time (instead of a small bite of a treat he eats in one second). https://www.kongcompany.com/101/kong-101/ Hope this helps. Best wishes.

This is definitely a difficult situation, because you have a dog (with the mindset of a puppy) that has a normal amount of energy for his age and seems to view the crate as a negative place to be. The crate should be a place that the pup likes to go to, so there is a great deal of training that will be required to get him to associate the crate with good thoughts (like treats). Also, the crate should not be overused. If a dog is spending more than 8 hours a day in a crate, then there's a good chance that they will eventually go stir-crazy. The other thing that needs to be addressed is Ollie's energy. The best way to release this pent-up energy is regular exercise. In his case, it may be best to have exercise where he is running - like when playing fetch at a dog park. I recommend starting two hours of this (AM and PM) to start with. He may need more. Working seven days a week and raising young kids must make free-time for training and exercise very difficult. If you are able to hire help (i.e. a dog walker, or trainer), then this may be your best option. If it is not possible for the dog to get adequate exercise and training, then the only other option I can think of is a consult with a veterinarian, or a veterinary behaviorist. Sometimes medication is needed for certain circumstances in order to facilitate training. I hope that helpful for you. Good luck and I hope all goes well with Ollie.

It sounds like Booker is experiencing some separation anxiety when you leave the house. I recommend crating him when you are gone. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. Finally, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that will a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with his skin. If these methods do not help him, then I recommend having him seen by a vet to discuss the use of anti-anxiety medications. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

It would help to know how old Caramel is - from your description of the issues he's having, I'm going to guess that he's an adolescent around 6-12 months of age. To prevent him from tearing the house up, he needs to be confined to a dog proofed area when you aren't able to watch him. If the destruction is mainly happening when you're not home, this is probably due to separation anxiety - in that case leaving him something to keep him busy, such as a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter, can help tremendously. A DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure may also be helpful. For biting during play, make sure that you are always using a toy when you play with him - no wrestling or games of chase. Make sure also that he has a variety of different toys to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior - long floppy rope or fleece toys for tugging, plush toys for biting and carrying, and smaller toys or balls for chasing or fetching. If he bites you during play, redirect to one of his toys and use that to play with him instead.

Hi there. I would recommend giving Brady a special treat whenever you put him in his crate, such as a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter. This will help to keep him busy so he doesn't bark, and will also teach him to associate good things with being in his crate. You should only leave him in the crate for short periods right now, and let him out before he finishes his treat so that he doesn't have a chance to get anxious or upset. As he gets more comfortable with the crate, you can gradually increase the amount of time he spends there. You could certainly try a Thundershirt if you want to - it seems to be helpful for some anxious dogs. Other things that might be helpful would include an Adaptil pheromone collar, or a natural calming supplement such as Zylkene or Composure.