Sounds silly dosen't it diagnosing a dog with a named fear but it's true and Maya has it.

I never thought about her having it till I went camping this year and she point out blank destroyed my tent to escape.

Now some of you know i'm awaiting paperwork to say I can move to the usa and being the good owner i'm bringing Maya with me, well I should say Trying.

Crate training is proving to be a huge issue, I gave up on it till recently and got a actual training crate thinking if she can see it may be better.

It's been 2 months now since we started crate training again and were doing well but have hit a brick wall. About the middle of november I started shutting her in at night but a expected she started waking me up an hour two hours in to the night. It's been close to a month now and she's still waking me up at the same times and i'm forced to let her out or she'll get worse and then I won't get any sleep.

The crate is in my room, it can't be anywhere else because of it's size and so consequently we've hit a brick wall.

I feed her in her crate, give her treats etc without much of an issue, sometimes in the night she'll sleep in her crate with the door open, the only issue is when you close the door.

Once closed she'll start panting, licking her lips, yawning and then after a little while she'll start small crying then get louder, once the crying starts she'll then start pushing the door with her nose which eventually turns into pushing and biting then scratching.

I've started a voluntary job at a local petshop and i'm thinking of leaving her in the crate when I leave (no one will be home), now this is not every day but only tuesday and friday but sometimes i'm also going on some course things for an hour that job centere puts me on.

I'm wondering if there's anything I can do/am I doing it right etc?

I'm just a little broke down and in need of support

I've tried natural remedies and a thunder shirt but neither have made any difference with her being in a crate.

Thanks x

__________________

R.I.P Barney, I had 4 wonderful years with you, Thank you-29/04/06-25/11/09
The dog who saved my life
Proud owner of Maya, the Rescued Alaskan Malamute

http://www.dog-breeds-plus.com
Mine and My husband's Dog breed website

Have you tried closing the gate in small increments. Say 10 seconds closed and then opening again. Then increasing the time form 10 to 15 to 20 etc.

Yes, I have including throwing threats in every time I close the door so she would accociate closing the door with a good thing.

__________________

R.I.P Barney, I had 4 wonderful years with you, Thank you-29/04/06-25/11/09
The dog who saved my life
Proud owner of Maya, the Rescued Alaskan Malamute

http://www.dog-breeds-plus.com
Mine and My husband's Dog breed website

So when she is eating in there and playing with kongs the door is shut and she doesn't freak out? Or she freaks out the minute the door is shut no matter what is in there?

She won't touch a kong so we don't bother with those but if I close the door when she's eating she'll look up and then continue un-bothered. After she's finished her food she'll lay down clean her feet and once that's done she'll shuffle around and start to become uncomfortable and then start getting upset.

If she's "distracted" she's fine, like a few times i've laid in bed read a book and got up and she's asleep but other times mostly if I am too tired to read and just put her in then she'll start within minutes.

I thought maybe if she was worn out she'd be better (thinking she'll sleep) but didn't make any difference either.

__________________

R.I.P Barney, I had 4 wonderful years with you, Thank you-29/04/06-25/11/09
The dog who saved my life
Proud owner of Maya, the Rescued Alaskan Malamute

http://www.dog-breeds-plus.com
Mine and My husband's Dog breed website

If you leave the door open, when your in the same room, whether you are reading or sleeping what is her reaction? Does she just settle down and sleep all night? And if after an hour of reading, if you just closed the door, (but didn't lock it) what is her reaction.
Sorry for all the questions, but I do like to task my "behavioural friends" with complex issues.

Not really any additional advice other than giving it alot of time and building it up in incriments

Any chance thats its due to her past? She was a rescue right? Maybe the anxiety is linked to her time in kennels..

If I leave the door open after a while she'll just climb out and lay by my door (previously destroyed after she decided she no longer want to be shut it but hasn't done that in the time i've been closing her in my room, which is every night for 2 months). If she tries to go out and i'll say No or Crate she'll go back in a lay down in it then wait till i'm asleep and come out again. She's not bothered as much with the door open and I can clean my room which can be 3-4 hours and she'll stay in un-bothered.

It's fine, I want as much insight as possible so if I can fill any questions in that may lea me to getting some clue it'd help.

Thanks and Yes, she was but the rescue told me she was perfectly fine in kennels so i'm not sure.

__________________

R.I.P Barney, I had 4 wonderful years with you, Thank you-29/04/06-25/11/09
The dog who saved my life
Proud owner of Maya, the Rescued Alaskan Malamute

http://www.dog-breeds-plus.com
Mine and My husband's Dog breed website

So, if you leave her in the house alone. And she is not closed in the crate, she does what exactly?

Check the house for any food usually this means bins and shredding them as well as opening the oven (again only if there's food left in there) but if she finds nothing then she'll sleep sometimes in the frount room or by the front door.

__________________

R.I.P Barney, I had 4 wonderful years with you, Thank you-29/04/06-25/11/09
The dog who saved my life
Proud owner of Maya, the Rescued Alaskan Malamute

http://www.dog-breeds-plus.com
Mine and My husband's Dog breed website