[Dailydrool] Severe Crate Anxiety

[Dan Hickey]

Rebecca,

I'm impressed with your calmness throughout this, good job. I'm
wondering if there might be more than one cause to all this. Normally
healthy dogs don't have many "poop bombs" or puddles of diarrhea.
Whatever happens in the area of attitude, I think you need to solve the
"poop consistency" issue first. Once you have normal, firm stools and
calm tummy, the anxiety might just take care of itself. 

I don't know if you've ever experienced abdominal cramps while on an
airplane with the "fasten seatbelts" sign on for hours, but it does not
help ones sense of calmness and inner peace very much.

After you eliminate physical or health problems as a cause then you
might just have to go thru the housebreaking crate routine again. While
you are home, condition Humphrey to stay in the crate, with you there to
liberate him frequently for potty breaks. This should reduce his
accident fear considerably.