Ya think it's separation anxiety??

First off -- this is a dog who absolutely needs "consistency".  Don't try this, that and the other thing.  It's actually toooooo stressful on him.  He does well in a crate with the door open. DO THAT.  don't try "well let's try the bedroom again".  Do it absolutely forever -- it's not a bad thing.

And honestly, I wouldn't even leave him the blanket (it's not cold enough in Florida anyway to ever be a problem).  It's better than worrying about an obstruction (and boy can blankets cause those!  sheesh -- btdt)

Where ever you go for overnight TAKE THE CRATE.  We've got a huge fold-down wire crate that goes everywhere with us.

Now maybe your folks think a crare is "cruel".  It's not.  This is a DOG.  Not a human.  Humans want 'freedom' at all costs.  Dogs are **den animals**.  it's  a different way of thinking and feeling.  For them a crate helps them feel safe. 

I've seen dogs tear up a dog like that many times.   I've seen them rip their toenails out trying to dig carpet or concrete.  I've seen them dig thru drywall.  Because a "room" to a dog that gets THAT anxious, is too much room to run circles in.  Literally -- the 'room' gives them sufficient stimulation when they are not able to SEE what they want to see that they literally get crazed from over-stimulation.  Whereas if he was just in a crate, MENTALLY it helps them think "I don't like this, I may BARK like crazy but it can't get TO me."  So once the thing has passed they tend to settle easier.

It's likely that you won't ever be able to go by 'well, this worked ok last time' simply because there may not have been a stressful event while you were gone.  So you keep it consistent -- keep him in the crate he feels comfortable in ALL the time.  Just that consistency honestly can help the crated dog settle.

Just make sure that you aren't crating him 22 hours a day.  His crate should be available at night but he shouldn't be shut in.  But sleeping in the same room the pack sleeps in.  and that's the room where my dogs are crated.

Even if the dog might only have a "problem" one time out of 10 or 20 -- it's still better, in my opinion, to leave them crated *every* time so that one bad time doesn't happen and they don't get hurt in the process.  I'd be more upset about the state of his paws, and his belly and his nervous system than about the door.  And I'd be pretty darned upset about the door (particularly in your folks' house). 

Good luck!

I would definitely say sep. anxiety. Our Lucy has the same problem when she is left alone places other than at home. She has torn up our camper just being left for a few minutes while we showered, but she's fine for hours at a time at home (after being gradually acclimated to being being loose over the first few months we had her)

When she stays away from home I always make sure I bring her crate if they don't have one already so she has a safe placc eif she has to be left alone. I was worried when she spent the weekend at my Dad's house, but dad put her in his dog's crate when he was at church and she was fine.

Thanks for the responses.  My hope is that eventually he can be left on his own outside of a crate, but I understand that may not happen.  Believe me, my mom would rather he stays in his crate.  lol  I felt so bad about the door and offered to pay to replace it, but my mom waved me off and just said that she has always wanted new doors.  :)  I know now that in the crate with the door open is the best way to go, but I had to try other things to get to that understanding.  I would never put Buddy in a position that he was going to get hurt, but he had never done something like this before and he has been okay at home out of the crate. 

Sue

And this is how we learn - but I think you've probably learned more here than you know you have ... because I bet he wouldn't only be reactive when the other dog was 'out' ... I'd bet he would likely react if the external stimulation was "enough".  For example -- someone rings your bell or gets too close to the house or apartment --

Seriously -- a dog that will hurt themselves THAT seriously and in that kind of frenzy -- once you successfully crate train, you will find the trade off of "freedom" vs. knowing the dog WON'T hurt itself during a frenzy is just plain too huge to risk. 

I always thot I hated crates -- until the month when

A) 3 dogs got into cockatiel seed (FOUR POUNDS OF IT) and darned near ripped their guts out trying to pass bird seed that does NOT digest.  and

B) one of the dogs ate a SIX FOOT HOLE in a vellux blanket -- a dog that had never done an evil deed in his life decided to eat this blanket one afternoon.  I fretted over an obstruction for a WEEK (vellux has synthetic fibers in it that could have cut his intestines to shreds).

All dogs have been crated since.  No one has gotten hurt since.  *sigh*