depends time?

[Guest amama207]

My Cairn is 12 years old and since last spring she has become very anxious being in the house. Suddenly she needs to sleep ing the basement every night (previously she slept in our room on a couch). She scratches at the door to go out at about 5:30. If she should sleep upstairs with my daughter, she always has an accident. Even coming up from the basement and heading for the door she has an accident. This has never happened before. She doesn't seem to have an accident when I leave her in the house for several hours during the day. Seems to be a night time thing. Also, VERY anxious when it's windy, rainy or someone is mowing the lawn.

Should I have her sleeping in a large crate?

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! Might not be a bad idea to crate her - - could cut back on the accidents. I would put her nearby so she wouldn't become anxious or afraid - - - seems like her age is catching up to her - - - good luck!

[kayharley]

Has she been in a crate before and if so, did she like it? My older Cairn uses her crate all the time for rest and peace but if I close the door, she starts having anxiety attacks, pants and whines until I open the door.

I guess the best thing is for her to feel secure and comfortable. Maybe letting her out for business later in the evening would help. I have an 11 year old so it's only a matter of time before I face similar problems. God Bless the Older Cairns...

[MikeC]

I agree with Kay and CarCarDawn. I have not had the opportunity to live with an older Cairn yet as Duffy is not even a year old yet, but in my lifetime I have had other dogs that lived to old age (10 - 14 years) and as they progressively got older they developed little quirks that I was told by my Vet happens with older dogs. Much like us humans when we reach advanced age.

MikeC

[Guest abbycairn]

When dogs get elderly they sometimes become incontinent, usually at night. I would not put your dog in a crate - weeing is not something she can control and it is only likely to upset her to wee in her crate.

I suggest you put her in a small area with some newspaper (just so clean up is easier for you) and her bed. You should be able to buy an inexpensive exercise pen and set it up somewhere where cleanup will be easy, like the kitchen. Or, if you have a spare room you can buy an off cut or end-of-roll piece of vinyl flooring and put that down, then put the x-pen on top of it.

Or - you might be able to find an extra large crate and put newspaper at one end and a dog bed at the other. But I think an x-pen would be better.

Stacey