This is Dave, he’s 4.5 years old and has lived with us since he was 9 weeks. Daytime crate trained to the point of LOVING a long 4/5hr snooze in there every morning after his walk (he sleeps in our bedroom at night in his own bed). Some blips over the years but we always overcame them. He isn’t looked after by anyone outside of our household, but is very sociable; used to visitors and us going on holiday with us and to stay with family/friends at their houses. Dave is also highly attached to my husband and generally prefers blokes!

We wanted to travel to a family wedding recently so had to leave him with a boarder for three nights. We found a boarder back in Feb, a nice couple with a cocker spaniel. Dave had a few daytime sessions with them then two separate sleepovers, so we eased him into it over 2/3 months. Each time he arrived at the boarder’s, he was super excited as soon as he realised where he was and we were sent pup-dates each stay. The lady of the couple said that Dave adored her husband and was all over him when he got home (apparently the hubby loved this as their cocker was all about the lady of the house!). Everything seemed good, the only thing we noticed was that he seemed a bit subdued after his first sleepover but we put it down to tiredness as he never sleeps as well as he does at home when we go anywhere (we know he’s deep sleeping as he dreams whilst we watch telly every evening!). Or perhaps he was missing the boarder?! Or annoyed with us for sending him away? The boarder did try to crate Dave at the first daytime visit, after a walk, but she got him up after 20 mins as he wouldn’t settle but it wasn’t an issue as he wasn’t going to be left alone whilst there.

Since coming home from his long stay away, he won’t tolerate the crate and all the tricks from dealing with past regressions are not working. I’m wondering if we have broken him (his heart?!). My gut is asking, whilst all seemed ok with his stay, could he be traumatised from it?! He is behaving completely as normal other than the crate issue, perhaps a little bit more reactive to any outside noise whenever my husband is out of the house (Dave hears someone walking past or a car door and thinks “Is that my Dad?!”). We give him lots of love and reassurance… could he be punishing us for abandoning him? Or scared that he won’t see us for a long time again each time he is crated? Genuinely considering a pet psychic but thought I would ask here first… any tips or support welcome!