Long time lurker, first time poster.

My husband and I (no kids) have had our 4 year old Husky, Tucker, for about a year. He’s a rescue that was picked up off the streets, and is very very low energy for a Husky. Up until last week, we lived in a third floor apartment. We had no way of containing him, as he freaked out and broke out of his crate no matter what we did, and so he had the run of the apartment aside from the bedroom and bathroom. He is housebroken, but occasionally went on the floor anyway, and only when we were gone. He’d go for a long walk with me in the morning, pee and poop, and then come back in and immediately go on the floor when we left for work. He’d also, typical Husky, get into anything he could.

Now we’re in a house, and the house has a “dog room”. It’s approximately 10ft by 8ft with laundry machines, a toilet and a vanity, along with linoleum floors. We want to contain him in there, but he freaks out when he's in there. He’s been good a couple of days, but despite a filled Kong, a basket of his other toys, rawhides and his food, he most of the time will flip over his water and food bowls, chew on the window, pee, and lay in it. This morning, my husband put him in there and then put his shoes on, so Tucker thought he’d left, and he said Tucker freaked out, flipped everything over, and started screaming like he was dying. He walked in, and Tucker was shaking uncontrollably and still crying.

We’re committed to this dog and consider ourselves fairly knowledgeable Husky owners, and we want to help him. I know he needs our help acclimatizing to the confinement, what is the best way to go about that? Treat it like a separation anxiety case? How do I make the room more of a “den” and less of a “jail”? I don’t want to give up and let him have the run of the house, because I know he’ll go on the carpet again, and I don’t want him to learn that being terrible in the dog room will get him what he wants, which is to get out.

As far as other details, he goes running with me each day while wearing his backpack with weights in it, has a big, fenced backyard that he loves, and is healthy. My husband and I both work 8-5, but Tucker gets a long walk or run in the morning, an hour in the backyard at lunch, and a long walk or run in the evening. He is our only dog right now, though we are going to start fostering Huskies for an area rescue next month. Any ideas you all have will help. Thanks!

A couple of things... I know you said that he freaks out, but have you tried desensitizing his SA, because I would absolutely describe this as a Separation Anxiety case. I've posted it before, but basically, start treating him like you are going to leave, but come back right away. Take a weekend day and put him in the room and walk away. Then come back and praise him, spend a few minutes with him, and do it again... each time staying away for longer and longer. It may take a few times if his SA is that bad. I would really try this first.

However, if that doesn't work, perhaps adding a bit of a natural calming med to try and take the edge off. Sometimes dogs with severe SA can't even get it trained out of them. Their brain is so stressed out from the idea of you leaving, that it's hard to break through the barrier to train them. You can pick up some natural calming aids at your local petstore. Rescue Remedy is a popular and recommended one.

If ALL ELSE fails, I do know that HeatherLee's Koda had a VERY severe SA case. He's since fine, but she had to get a prescription for colmnicalm (sp?) from her vet to help train him. I believe he no longer needs it, and that would be the goal of any calming aid: to help ease his anxiety enough to train him, NOT as a permanent solution.

Hope this helps! Welcome to the forum (officially )

It does help. He was generally so good in the apartment after he got used to it that I was hesitant to label it as separation anxiety, but we'll start treating it like that. I know new house + new routine + confinement is hard especially on a dog that doesn't deal well with change.

We haven't tried the SA desensitization, but after this morning we are planning on starting it this weekend since we have nothing going on. That's a good tip also about the natural calming meds, we might try that as well.

The prescription is definitely a last resort, but it's comforting to hear that it was able to help resolve the same problem with another Husky. Thanks!

Separation Anxiety isn't always something the husky is "born with." It can be acquired. I'm hoping HeatherLee will chime in because your dog sounds a lot like her Koda (maybe not as severe yet) but the situation was the same.

He lived in a house with a large backyard that had 6ft high cement walls (ie- practically escape proof). When no one was home, he was allowed free access to the backyard. He always did fine. Then she moved him to an apartment. The smaller confinement + the move and new routine cause SEVERE SA in her boy. It was a long process, and I'm sorry to say, not an easy one. However, she worked through it with him and he's generally one of the most well-behaved huskies I know of

Moral of the story, SA can develop, it's not just an inherent disorder. That doesn't mean that you've done anything wrong though. Moving is unavoidable and some dogs adjust better than others.

ETA: Oh, and good luck with the desensitization training. Please keep us posted on it and let us know how it goes

He busted out the glass in the window this morning, along with destroying everything in the room including the basket his toys are in. I'm not sure what to do with him, keep trying in the dog room or let him in the house. Very frustrating day.

It sounds like a severe case of SA to me too. I'm with Tori on going back to basics on dealing with his SA. I'd also try to use some calming aids before resorting to prescription medication as she also suggested. Something like a DAP (dog appeasing phermone) plug in and/or spray might help or Rescue Remedy in addition to desensitization to you leaving.

Does he have the same reaction if he's loose in the whole house or just in the room? Just asking to be sure we're covering all our bases here.

Tori, I think Heather used the prescription aid Clomicalm for her Koda.

Update: On Friday afternoon, we had to give him free reign of the house due to fears that he would continue to assail the window in the dog room and hurt himself, and he was perfect. No accidents and nothing was touched or destroyed in the slightest. We have continued to leave him out in the house for short trips all weekend, and he's continued to do fine. In addition to doing the desensitization training and buying a pheromone collar (thanks for that suggestion, I didn't know those existed until I came here!) I've started leaving him special rawhides that he only gets when we're leaving and are taken away when we return. After an hour trip last night, he was still in the same spot on the living room floor as he was when we left him, happy gnawing away at a rawhide. He also has a large picture window in the living room that is low enough that he can lay down and watch the high level of foot traffic going by the house, and that keeps him busy as well. While we're still concerned he'll go on the floor at some point, he's happier than he's been in weeks so we'll continue this way until something changes.

Thanks so much for the suggestions, you guys are awesome!

Glad to hear things are getting better!

Final update on this one. It's been nearly two weeks, and (I'm knocking on wood so hard my knuckles hurt!) Tucker has been perfect having the run of the house. Thanks for all your help!

Glad to hear he's still doing great while having free run of the house!

YAY! Congrats! Glad we could help

Just remember to keep anything you truly value out of his reach or even a reach you think is out of the way, we learned the hard way and lost some photo albums....
ours have the run of the lower level of our home with everything picked up and trash and papers out of the way and they are fine, but let me tell you if we forget to remove just one thing that is not normally left out they find it! i do feel better knowing we don't have to crate them but we still keep the crates out as they eat and lay in there when they feel like it.

good job!

I'm so glad things seem to be going well with being free-range. :-)

If his anxiety issues come up again, I'd recommend hiring a Cert. Applied Animal Behaviorist - their job is to help youidentify and desensitize his triggers so he's a happier dog all around, not just when you guys are gone.