10mth puppy becoming more anxious

[dollylucy]

He's upset by everything. Nervy, jumps at anything.
Barks at everything, yesterday it was a feather. Cats, squirrels, birds. Barking at workmen, very territorial about the garden
Barks hysterically at the fox who runs down the side fence.
He gets really upset and shaky when he senses the fox.
Sometimes he's actually sick, he's that worked up.
What can I do?

Speaking from experience I would seriously think about getting a behaviourist in.

I had a really nervous dog. It just got worse and worse. Got a behaviourist in and it helped a bit. But sadly he turned nervous aggressive and the it all turned awful.

A nervous dog really really needs help from someone who knows what they are doing. It's a bit of money but something you should really think about doing before it gets worse.

Nervous dogs can become quite dangerous, I agree you need some professional help.

Is he neutered? (For clarity, if he's not I am NOT suggesting this is a good idea, it is definitely not ...)

No, not neutered
Just made appt with vet. See what he says.

This is a new thing and I was hoping he'd grow out of it, but this week it's been awful.

it's the foxes that kick him off, but he just barked at a friend this morning and backed away from another friend. It's the foxes that get him worked up so much he's sick.
It's really not helping with workmen in the garden, I need things to get back to normal.

Dogs go through a second fear stage linked to adolescence...so while it's fairly normal, it also sounds a bit more OTT, if you can get a behaviourist or good trainer to work with they should be able to help you with his socialisation.

We spent last week at my mums and he was fine. No problems at all.

Get back to our own house and he's all worked up.
Could be territorial, protective.
He hasn't actually been apart from me for weeks now

In case your vet is a bit neuter happy, advice is that neutering (removing testosterone) is likely to make a nervous dog more fearful, not less ... so I would strongly recommend that if your vet suggests it will cure all ills you smile and say you'll think about it (and don't, at least until this stage is trained out and/or passed).

What breed/type is he?

Don't suppose workmen are helping. Is he food oriented? Are they happy to butter him up by throwing him the odd treat and letting him come round to them slowly as a good thing?

You say he hasn't been apart from you for weeks now? Is he settled if you are away? If not, does he have a 'safe place' that you can teach him to settle when he gets OTT?

Oh. Whatever you do don't get him snipped. That made my springer worse. The behaviourist also told me this.

He's a cockerpoo

I usually put him in his crate if I leave the house, he's fine.
I don't think he thinks of that as his safe place, he never goes in there unless it's bedtime or I'm going out.
But haven't been able to leave him cos of the workmen in and out, they come in to use the loo etc

Fortunately they are very dog friendly and he will let them stroke him, but then he starts barking again once they go back to work.