Sudden anxiety in the middle of the night, terrified of crate (ridgeback, boxer) - Dogs - - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

Garfunkle524 · 08-15-2012, 06:29 PM

Just an update, my dog is STILL having anxiety issues! Every other night or so she'll wake us up in her desperate attempts to escape her crate. She loves her crate and never hesitates to go in when told to do so. Every once in a while during the day I'll hear something that sounds like a firework but pretty faint and she'll get nervous but won't freak out. When it's at night, particularly around 2-4 am, she'll freak out and wake us up in a serious fit of anxiety.

My only guess is that whatever sound we hear in the distance during the day (only once every few days) is also happening at night but it's not loud enough to wake us up. Even if we're already up we usually can't hear it. Only a guess at this point since her freak-outs seem to be random.

Any tips? This has been a real struggle. Can I desensitize her somehow? One day when we were at the store for 15 minutes she freaked out and there was blood all over her torn up towel. The crate was pretty messed up too but I've reinforced it so she doesn't get out and hurt herself. She's happy and healthy otherwise, but this problem is really scaring me. We both work and can't stay home with her. Really worried here...

subject2change · 08-15-2012, 06:52 PM

Maybe you could try one of those noise cancelling machines, if you're sure it's a sound that's scaring her.

no kudzu · 08-15-2012, 08:41 PM

would it help if the crate was right by your bed and you could talk to her and reach in and calm her when this happens---kind of like a fussy baby?

Garfunkle524 · 08-20-2012, 07:44 PM

So another week is behind us and she's now waking up every single night at 3:30am and is inconsolable until at least 4 or 4:30. She's happy and healthy otherwise and has no problems with going in her crate. This is really starting to wear me thin.

I can't hear any sounds that would be freaking her out. Our neighborhood is pretty quiet. At this point I'm wondering if she's doing this every night just for the attention she gets as a result. I don't fawn over her or console her really and I'm definitely not rewarding this behavior with anything other than my presence. The problem is if I try to ignore her she hurts herself trying to escape and bangs around so loudly that the floor shakes.

Sam I Am · 08-20-2012, 07:53 PM

I can't imagine what has gotten into your girl, but does she HAVE to be in the crate at night? I noticed you said she does fine during the day. Could you give her a few nights of respite from the crate and watch or listen to her behavior and see what's going on? I know several previous posters have suggested this - have you tried it?

The only other thing I can think of - and it has happened around my house - we are on a crawl space and we had some possums move in under the house. My Cocker would go absolutely nuts in the corner of the hallway and almost take the sheetrock down. If the possums weren't moving she would sit and stare at the corner for hours. Maybe if you're on a crawl space you have a critter?

I think I'd try letting her out. If she's always been compliant with the crate then clearly something is wrong....what it is you may never know, but if she's trustworthy at night there's no point in fighting the issue. I think she's very distressed, we just don't know the reason why.

Garfunkle524 · 08-20-2012, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam I Am

Could you give her a few nights of respite from the crate and watch or listen to her behavior and see what's going on? I know several previous posters have suggested this - have you tried it?

I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds like a good next step. I was initially resistant to it because I didn't want it to exacerbate the early morning anxiety but at this point I don't think I have much to lose. Hopefully it will confirm whether it's the crate causing the anxiety or something external.

cleosmom · 08-21-2012, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garfunkle524

I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds like a good next step. I was initially resistant to it because I didn't want it to exacerbate the early morning anxiety but at this point I don't think I have much to lose. Hopefully it will confirm whether it's the crate causing the anxiety or something external.

Dogs can also feel the static in the air from storms, even if we're unaware there's even one coming. When Cleo was still with us, she would barely go outside if she could sense a storm, normal rain/snow clouds were acceptable by her standards.

Most often, dogs react by a fight or flight theory and if she can't fight it, she's trying to flee it. Currently she's trying to flee the crate as she's feeling threatened. Is there anything new you might be taking for granted? Does she wear a collar and tags possibly getting caught in the bars of the crate? A new neighbor who is an early riser? Does the crate fit her well enough to give her plenty of room to stretch, stand etc?

Since it occurs almost the same time nightly, it could be she's in full blown REM and clunking around a metal crate the sound could be scary!

I'm with Sam I Am, leave the crate OPEN so she can use it as a den rather than a pen.

Keep us posted.

Garfunkle524 · 08-22-2012, 10:00 AM

So the the last three nights she's freaked out at 3:40am on the dot for about 20-30 minutes. The last two nights she's been out of her crate and even with me present she still freaks out. I swear I can't hear or see anything. Maybe she's hearing someone's alarm that I can't, but apartment living is nothing new to her. I've had her for over two years and this is the quietest apartment I've lived in. I lived here for almost 3 months before she came down with this anxiety problem, so I'm not sure it has anything to do with being in a new place.

We haven't had any storms in the area recently.

We are in a ground floor apartment with no crawlspace or anything underneath. Just solid foundation. At all other times she's happy and behaves normally. What gives?

Sam I Am · 08-22-2012, 11:48 AM

Wow - when I saw you had posted I was surely hoping for good news.

Okay - best guess is that an early morning worker in the same building has an early 3:40 alarm - OR they are setting off their car alarm. But I'd bet alarm clock with a weird sound that only your dog can hear.

I know this isn't the greatest solution in the world, but I've had situations with my dogs where something kept them awake for nights on end, then when the "whatever" ended they still were waking up and restless. Dogs that live outside a couple of yards over barking for nights on end is one example (I thought I'd never get through that one) - fireworks is another. We always get about a week of fireworks before a holiday and it interrupts everything, then for a week afterwards my dogs continue to expect booms, crashes and flashing lights even when there aren't any. A few nights of Benadryl to get them back into their sleep pattern worked...you could also contact your vet and see if he's willing to dispense a few nights of doggy Valium. I think once they get out of their pattern or get spooked it is harder to get them to return to their norm.

Something is or has scared your dog badly that she's having such a serious reaction - but perhaps restoring her sleep cycle would be of some benefit?

Edit: Could it be trash trucks she is hearing in the distance that is scaring her? We have those too - are you anywhere close to a commercial area where they would run on roughly the same schedule every night emptying dumpsters?

Garfunkle524 · 08-22-2012, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam I Am

Something is or has scared your dog badly that she's having such a serious reaction - but perhaps restoring her sleep cycle would be of some benefit?

Edit: Could it be trash trucks she is hearing in the distance that is scaring her? We have those too - are you anywhere close to a commercial area where they would run on roughly the same schedule every night emptying dumpsters?

I think the onset of the anxiety was several days of fireworks followed by a week of very rare thunderstorms. I have used calming tablets in an effort to restore her sleep cycle, but I'd usually give them at 11pm and they're not terribly effective. Maybe a 2am Benadryl is the way to go? Good suggestion! I'm hoping that getting her to sleep through the night for about a week will cause her to snap out of it and get back to her normal night time behavior.

I believe the trash trucks usually visit our neighborhood Monday during the late morning.