Scratching the surface

I have two Border Collie bitches, both spayed, one is five and the other 13. The oldest bitch has always had a problem with loud noises, fireworks, thunderstorms, rain on the conservatory roof and the like.
At night she has started to scratch at the kitchen lino in one corner so we put a rubber mat there to prevent damage to the floor. When we go out for a couple of hours she has been going upstairs and doing the same thing in the bedroom.
She also does the same in the conservatory. I am concerned at her behaviour but at a loss as to why she has started to do this. She is walked twice a day and is very fit and healthy for her age. Can you please throw any light on this matter? I would be grateful for your help.
Josephine Soraka, Farnborough, Hampshire


Carol Price, trainer and behaviourist, says...
There are several reasons why dogs scratch the ground in the way you describe. In entire bitches this can be classic 'nesting' behaviour, prior to having pups, but all dogs can go through nesting rituals like this, prior to settling down to rest or sleep.
In your bitch's case, however, I think the behaviour is an anxiety-releasing device, as it seems to occur only when you leave her. Your dog may always have been highly attached to you, emotionally, as well as having issues about noise, but as dogs get older they can become even more fearful and clingy. And this is what can lead to more anxiety-related problems when you leave them.
The thing I would suggest doing, as a priority, is making your older bitch her own special and safe 'den' in the kitchen. Get her an indoor kennel, large enough for her to easily stand up in and move around in, and cover the top and three surrounding sides of this with a blanket. Then install some really cosy bedding inside. Get your bitch used to going into this and sleeping in it gradually, and start feeding her in there. Do not just stick her inside and shut the kennel door or she will be highly distressed.
Start practising leaving your dog to rest in her 'den' with its door open for an hour or two, while you are still at home. If she then tries to follow you from room to room, keep putting her back there until she finally stays put and settles. Each time you leave your bitch in her den, also put some specific item in front of it that she can later associate with settling and resting there. This can be anything from a chair to a kitchen bin or ornament. Each time you come back to your dog, or invite her out of her den, take this symbolic item away again. Only when your bitch is really happy about resting in her kennel 'den' for an hour or more with the kennel door open can you then try shutting it.
All this retraining can take a bit of patience, but if done properly should do a lot to reduce your dog's anxiety about being left, and thus the behaviour that goes with this. Of course, as an older dog, there could be some age-related changes going on in her brain that are contributing to her anxious state and behaviour, or exacerbating it. There are certain medications or supplements that can be of benefit to older dogs in this regard, and which you might want to consult your vet about.

June Williams, COAPE Association of Behaviourists and Trainers, says…
Have her health checked by a vet. Emma Milne wrote an article in the July 2006 issue of Dogs Today about senility with a list of behavioural changes to look for (including restlessness at night, aimless wandering) and how Hills b/d, rich in antioxidants, has good results. What you describe, my younger German Shepherd will do when over-stimulated and she seems to be trying to make a nest to lie in.