Why is my dog escaping the yard, digging, shaking, and anxious?

Is Charlie neutered? If he is enticed by an in heat female he may do whatever he can to get to her. Also consider if something could have scared him in the yard? Kids teasing him, construction close, loud noises, thunder? You may need to consider adding cameras to see what happens to cause him such drive to escape. Good luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

I doubt that you being gone is causing the problem. He is now sexually mature and he probably is looking out for and smelling females in heat. If he is not to be a breeding dog I suggest you have him neutered. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-great-reasons-to-spay-or-neuter-your-pet/ ) An Adaptil (pheromone) collar and/or diffuser or collar may help for now. ( https://www.adaptil.com/us ) ( https://www.allivet.com/search.aspx?SearchTerm=adaptil ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Ruling out an underlying health issue such as pain or illness is always a good first step when your pet experiences a sudden behavior change. As seven is the start of the senior years, it is possible there is some pain from laying in the bed, or arthritis causing problems. if Milou checks out health, trying to find if there is a pattern to the "attacks" may be helpful- does it happen the same time every night? Same spot? Same triggers? Is the neighbor arriving home in a noisy car at that time, etc? This may help you figure out what is triggering it so you can make some adjustments- IE moving the bed somewhere quieter, making sure your dog is fast asleep prior to that time, getting out excess energy before bed, feeding a treat to keep the stomach from becoming too empty and causing growling/discomfort, etc. If you can't seem to find any pattern at all, taking a video of the even to bring to your vet or a local trainer may be helpful in better identifying what is going on, and finding a solution.

That is concerning. It is possible there is something they are hearing outside, such as a neighbor or wild animal, or even a critter in the walls that could be bothering them. Looking for a pattern (time of day, certain TV or radio shows on, person coming home, etc) may help you figure out what the trigger is to stop the behavior from happening. Taking a video of the behavior and bringing it to a trainer or behaviorist may also be a good idea to see if they can pick out any details that may provide more information.

It sounds like he is having some anxiety. If there is anything that has recently changed or any loud noises like a storm or construction, this could explain why he is so anxious. I would just try to give him a little extra TLC to see if this helps. If this continues, I would have your vet take a look at him to ensure he isn't in pain somewhere. I have seen dogs do this with back/neck pain as well. If your vet thinks it is anxiety, they can prescribe him an anti-anxiety medicine to help. I hope this helps.

This does sound like unusual behavior for Jack. There was probably something in the yard that spooked him and now he is acting afraid of it. I would recommend taking him out in the yard (with a leash on if he won't go willingly) and explore the area together. He may lead you right to the source of the problem. My suspicion is that there was some type of animal in the yard and it is now gone but that Jack can still smell it. Since he is otherwise acting normal and still eating and drinking I would not be too concerned. Just keep a close eye on him over the next couple of days to make sure nothing else changes. If he starts acting lethargic or stops eating/drinking, then I would take him in to the vet. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Whining is an attention seeking behavior and can be a sign of anxiety, pain or potentially boredom. The shaking can also be a sign of pain or anxiety. If you think he might be in pain you should see a veterinarian to see if they can localize the pain to a specific area. If you think he may be anxious it could help to try to identify what might be triggering the anxiety - some dogs have storm or noise phobias, or he might be anxious about a change in routine or environment.