Is this anxiety?

jen812

This past Sunday, I moved the dogs crates to the basement. The basement is fully finished, heated, etc. Their old room upstairs will soon be a human nursery.

Yesterday, pepper chewed up her bed. Today, She broke out of her crate somehow (which is also bungee corded shut). DH got home from work first today & found Pepper sitting on the couch, chewing on a bungee cord.

She's fine. Is she having anxiety about moving her bed? Something else? Ideas/thoughts please. 

straymo

Change in crate location can be stressful so I'd put my money on that.  Is this a room she's ever even hung out in?

I'd go back to crate training 101.  I'd feed her food in their while you are down there doing other things.  I'd have the crate fairy visit the room and her crate. etc.  Others probably have some better suggestions.

jen812

Oh yeah, we spend a lot of time in the basement. It's set up as a casual family room. We watch tv down there, I let them rough house more down there than they are allowed in the rest of the house. They have lots of toys to play with & they also use the door down there as their usual door to go outside.
In their old room, they only went in there to go in their crates. Could the basement be too exciting a room to have to stay in their crates?
I'll try your suggestions though.

jen812

Update- I just went to let them out at lunch. Pepper threw up bile twice after we went outside. She was on a leash, so I know she didn't eat anything she shouldn't have.

straymo

I'd lean towards the change causing the stress, but I'd keep watch for a day or so and see if she improves especially if she throws up while you are home and she's not stressed (unless she was just uncrated and wound up.)

jen812

Thanks. I found it strange that she threw up. She was just laying next to me while I was sitting at the table, eating lunch. Maybe I'll try a longer walk tonight too.