Dog Health Questions: We have a 5 year-old pitbull/german shepard mix.... she has been a great dog BUT...?

...everytime we (my wife and kids) leave, to the store, etc., she FREAKS OUT! She claws at the door from inside the house. Shes ruined the moulding around several doors. If we put her outside she easily jumps the 6 foot concrete walls. We've thought about putting her on a leash outside when we leave but we live in Arizona and it gets ridiculously hot during the summertime.

We just came home an hour ago from the store and she apparently jumped through the office window, and we ended up finding her in the backyard. My guess is that she roamed loose around the neighborhood and finally came home when she felt like it.

We are now considering a large dog crate. Something we can put her in, inside the house, when we leave. It would never be for a long time. Just to run some errands. My concern is that I have heard that if you don't raise a dog being used to a kennel, it can be bad. She's 5 and has never been in a kennel. Could she get used to one? We can't afford to be forking out the money to replace screens and windows. My wife and kids don't want to get rid of her. Any suggestions? Dog training? Caeser HELP??

What Is The Best Approach To Dog Training?

Recommended Answer:
Your dog has classic separation anxiety.

You should get a crate AND you should talk to your vet about putting your dog on a medication that is specifically for separation anxiety. The drub is called Clomicalm.

You will use it in conjunction with behavior modification so that in time the dog will be off the medication.

A Safe Effective Plan To Treat SEPARATION ANXIETY
CLOMICALM® (clomipramine hydrochloride) Tablets were the first medication approved for the treatment of separation anxiety in dogs.CLOMICALM Tablets and behavior modification work by making it easier for your dog to learn new, positive behaviors. The CLOMICALM Plan is proven to be safe and effective in helping to relieve the suffering in and helping dogs with separation anxiety disorder return to a normal life.

Dog Training - Three Stages of Dog Training

• How about a large kennel that you can keep in the garage or larger room? Make sure it is not too hot though.
  
  like this- http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js…


• i would say its time for your dog to go to obedience school !!


• training
  crate


• It is absolutely NOT too late to crate train. The trick is to do it properly. There are many websites that have very good information on crate training. Not only will your house be safe, your dog will be, as well. With separation anxiety, you are going to have to be very patient. My dog also had separation anxiety, but with proper crate training, she finally realized that we were ALWAYS coming back for her and no longer needs the crate.