Please Help!! Greyhound Destroying Bedding in Crate.

[Alan.W]

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Hi All,

I'm really in dire straits right now and desperate for some help and advice, my Greyhound is persistently destroying her bedding in her crate when it's time to go to bed, her whining and heavy panting is also starting to become difficult to live with. Here's some background info for some context -

I got her over a year and a half ago and for most of that time she has been alright during the night, it's just started to get really bad and unbearable in the last month or so. I think it might have something to do with the fact I got made redundant about 3 months ago, and in that time I've been spending most of my time at home, with the dog pretty much by my side most of the time. During the day if I guide her to go into her crate she's totally fine, she'll head in there herself and get a little treat or two for going into her crate.

I'm not naive, I realise this behaviour at night must have something to do with the fact I've been at home with her for the past few months and she is stressing out because she's now separated from me during the night. To give you an idea of the set up, her crate is in the spare room right across the hall from my bedroom, I keep both doors open during the night so she gets a clear view of my bedroom, I also keep a night light on in her bedroom. At first when she started the whining I read online that if you spray some water on their faces (not something I totally agreed with but I really needed to try anything) it can deter them from whining. . . needless to say, this didn't help.

If anyone has had similar issues with their greyhound / dog I'd be extremely grateful for any advice or guidance.

Thanks a lot,
Alan

 

[JudyN]

She might be showing early signs of canine cognitive dysfunction, i.e. dog dementia. It would probably be worth speaking to your vet. My dog is going down the same route and has just started on Vitofyllin, prescribed by my vet. Other suggestions I've come across are Aktivait, CBD oil, YuCalm, Zylkene, Nutracalm and melatonin.... I found that leaving a sidelight on for my dog overnight made a huge difference. As the nights get colder, dog pyjamas or an underbed heater may help.

But of course, it could 'just' be behavioural. She is clearly stressed, so spraying water at her or any other aversives are going to do a lot more harm than good. Have you considered letting her sleep in your room, either in her crate, on a dog bed, or even on your bed? It might seem that this is just going to increase her neediness, but the opposite would be the case - being stressed overnight isn't going to help her feel confident in the day, and not having to worry about separation at night will help her regain her independence during the day.

If she also is anxious when you leave the house in the day, there's info on separation anxiety here: Separation anxiety