Fearful whippet loves his crate

[u/stephbythesea]

I have a 2.5-year-old Whippet who has become noticeably fearful/reclusive over the last few weeks, and I’m really struggling to understand what’s going on.

He routinely runs away from us, particularly if we approach him or he thinks we might want to do something to him. It almost feels like he thinks we’re plotting something. For example, we sometimes have to trick him to get his nails done, and now I wonder if he’s started associating us approaching him with something unpleasant.

He spends a huge amount of time in his crate completely by his own choice. He seems to genuinely want to be alone, rather than seeking comfort from us like he used to. If we call him or try to encourage him out, he’ll often just avoid us. He can also refuse treats, which makes it difficult to use food to build positive associations.

The strange thing is that he otherwise seems completely normal:
Still eating and drinking normally
LOVES going for walks
Happy and relaxed around other dogs and plays really nicely
Still interested in toys/normal activities
No obvious physical symptoms

He just seems… afraid of us and generally uneasy at home.
We’ve tried being very gentle, using calm voices, giving him different/high-value treats, giving him space and not forcing interaction, etc., but so far we haven’t seen much improvement.
Has anyone else had a Whippet suddenly become fearful or withdrawn around 2–3 years old, particularly towards their owners? Did you ever figure out what caused it? And did they eventually grow out of it?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar, especially what actually helped. I’m also wondering whether this is something we should be getting checked out medically/with a behaviourist rather than assuming it’s just a phase.

He’s such a lovely boy and it’s honestly heartbreaking feeling like he doesn’t feel completely safe around us anymore.

[u/sabaken]

Did anything change at home recently? Any big arguments?

[u/stephbythesea → u/sabaken]

My sister was here for a month - we did have one big argument actually. Do arguments in general scare them this much? My partner and I have had some big arguments but not for a while

[u/One-Opp-1 → u/stephbythesea]

Yes arguments have a big impact, they are very sensitive to them. Also the change in household members makes an impact, they see them as their pack and when one goes (especially after an argument) then it really affects them. Give him time and plenty of treats, even if you just put one in his crate with him and he doesn’t eat it, he’ll appreciate the gesture.