I think some dogs do try to be pack leader. I know the new thing is to think there are no pack leaders and everything should be made exciting for the dog but I personally disagree with this. Makes me wonder if that's why we have more animals attacking people and other dogs. A bit like so many people who only wanted to be friends with their children instead of being parents and not disciplining them in anyway, we now have more feral children running around.

I know not everyone will agree and don't expect it but to my mind there's nothing wrong with discipline, showing who's boss and as with children, some dogs need it.

I'm also not saying that being in charge is going to solve the seperation anxiety, I realise that this is probably a completely different issue and I certainly won't be withholding food and neither has Pinkgunner, merely get the dog to work for it eg sit and wait until she's told to get it, a few seconds later and not hours later or not at all.

As I said previously I am working on both lots of problems, Lanas seperation anxiety and also her lack of obedience and feel the obedience issue will be solved well using NILIF.

I agree totally, some dogs do challenge you and need alot more discipline than others. I've had Floyd since he was 8 weeks old and he has always been allowed to get away with too much (yes, I created the monster ) behaved like if you give him an inch, he'll try and take a mile - he still trys! Ruby however, is happy with an inch

I have two dogs, Floyd is hard work and still has to be told several times before he'll do something, sometimes over and over again. Ruby however is unbelievably obedient, she doesn't need to be told to sit to have her lead put on, sit and wait til she's told she can eat etc etc, and she never tries to barge past anyone to get through the door before them, her manners are impeccable, she was trained to do it and now automatically does it before she's told.

Like Bitkin said, you can never generalise with dogs they all have different personalities and what training methods may work for one dog may not necessarily work for another.

And thanks for pointing out I dont withhold my dogs food! I would never do that, I just make him wait til I say he can have it (a few seconds later!)

Good luck with Lana xx

Good post, because it illustrates with first hand experience how different dogs need different treatment.

1cutedog obviously has sussed out Lana's personality, and with luck and work will reap the rewards. I am rooting for you 1cutedog, and think of you when struggling with Jimmi!!!

Yes Lanas a stubborn, strong minded girl. My previous dog was so easy going compared to Lana. I did notice this when I first got her and decided I would have to be firm with her only I wasn't, sadly I'm much too soft hearted for that although I am being firmer now as I feel it's for her own good.

I have another dilemna Lanas new larger crate arrived today and I intend putting it in the livingroom but she's always slept in my bedroom, in her smaller crate in our previous house and in this house just on her bed although sometimes she's gone through to sleep on her couch in the livingroom.

I intend to put her couch in the spare room and put the new large crate in it's place in the livingroom but not sure what to do at night time. I don't want her to feel unloved in not having a bed for her in my bedroom and leaving her in the crate in the livingroom.

Should I just use the crate for her to sleep in during the day and still have her bed in the bedroom, use her old crate for her bed in the bedroom, although she can't lie right spread out in it, but did use it for 5 months before we moved, or should I try to leave her in the livingroom crate? I wouldn't shut the door of the crate or the livingroom or bedroom as she appears to dislike being shut in rooms hence the chewed/clawed up livingroom door from the other day.

Thanks so much for all the replies, you've no idea what a help it is. Yesterday before I posted I was almost in tears because of the door and I think never seeing an end to being stuck in the house except when I took her for walks or tied her up outside the shops. Not being able to simply nip out to the shops without the worry of whether it was safe to tie her up outside or leave her at home working herself into a state. I know it will take time but seeing light at the end of the tunnel really helps.

I look forward to the day I can go and mooch around the shops or go for a coffee without having to worry about her.

lots of good advice there, I hope something works for you and Lana soon.
my GSD Baily suffers SA but the total opposite to your dog.
when I go out he just lies by the door and sulks, he wont move for anyone or eat/drink if anyone calls at the house while I am out my OH has to look out of the window to see who it is and ask them to go around to the back door because Bailey wont move, he gets covered in letters and flyers/newspapers sometimes too. poor boy.

To make life more simple, just move ALL your own furniture out and just put Lana's couch in the living room, her bed in your bedroom, and the crates left wherever she might like to smooth about during the night!!! Oh you have made me laugh reading your post, you are certainly looking out for her comfort and happiness, like only a true dog-lover know how!

On a serious note, to help answer your question, leave the crate doors open, like you say, that's a must. Leave the large, new one in the lounge where her sofa was, leave her original one in the bedroom just as it always has been, and maybe put her bed in the bedroom too (gosh, you're gonna need a much bigger house ya know!!! ). Over the next few nights, you will get to know where she is tending to want to be, so you can change around as necessary! Lol, this is exactly what I've done with my two after Zena arrived, I was humping great big, high sided, heavy beds here, there and everywhere, until my hubby poot his foot down, and said "just leave them where they are in the daytime will ya"!!!! Men don't understand, they like their "daytime" beds and their "night-time" sleeping arrangements don't they, which are different! I still have one bed which is taken into the kitchen every night without fail, so that Zena can start off sleeping in there with Georgie who likes the cool floor by the back door, but it's all change by 11.30 when we're in bed, Zena goes under the stairs, but then she moves out of there religeously at 4.00 am. when Georgie finally wants to get himself into bed, so she slopes off into the dining room into what is supposed to be HER bed!!! Oh you gotta laugh at the antics we go through just to make our dogs happy haven't you!

See how it goes, you can always swap about like I have, and good luck once more!

Read my post over again and can understand why you laughed at it Helena54, The things we do or worry about over our dogs. After much struggling I've got the crate together, so glad I didn't get the very biggest size, I could keep a tiger in the one I've got . Lana's been in it a couple of times but the tray at the bottom makes noises when she moves about in it so she doesn't appear very keen so she's away lieing in her bed at the moment.

The crate came with a duvet type thing but it's not very thick. Once I have more padding in it if it still makes a noise I'll take the plastic tray out the bottom, the wires won't bother her because the bedding will be so thick. She'll have to be patient while I order from the internet seeing as I can't leave her to run out to the shops

Lol, yes of course, it's internet shopping for you and Bitkin from now on isn't it!!!

I think my big plastic tray at the bottom made a noise, because it didn't sit properly, it was a tad warped, and I think we ended up wedging it under one side or the front to stop it, or I think I pulled it out slightly at the front and then wedged something underneath it, so the bars above held it there.

Glad you read through that post and realised why I was laughing, coz you must have been thinking so hard about what you were going to put where and it just all sort of came out as you typed!

Good luck with it all, I'm sure she'll make herself comfortable, somewhere, somehow with all that lot!!!!

Oh dear oh dear........it's a good thing that we all have a sense of humour isn't it!!! I can just picture you lcutedog, black and blue around the legs from banging into cages and beds.

The crate that I purchased for Jimmi is also quite big, but it had a metal tray rather than plastic because I was worried that he might pull the bedding aside and eat the tray. This can make a bit of a noise too, but he's not bothered by it and there is lots of thick bedding on top. I think that Helena is right and you will have to wait a few nights to see where Lana's preferred place of sleeping is, and then you can go from there.

Onwards and upwards - I am sure that with the encouragement of people on here, we will get there in the end.

Waitrose deliver free you know - as long as you go over £50....... Just try NOT going over that!

Oh poor Bailey.......and poor you - you must rush around at top speed when you go out, in order to get back as quickly as possible.