@tanza
Thank you!! I’ll post back with results-

My 8yr old male had what looked like a bite on his neck. I shaved him a little so I could look at it to make sure it wasn’t a tick (fairly sure it isn’t). Upon closer inspection if had a black surface, circular in shape and had actually formed a lump under the skin as well. It was not tender to touch at least.
Cleaned him up a little and kept an eye on it for about a week now.
Never bothers him. It’s just there. The lump under the skin is gone but the black marking is still there. It does not look like a scab either- no edges to it, no tenderness.

Might or might not be related but his coat has been quite poor for the past few months as well. He’s on a fish based diet and gets fish oil supplements to try and combat the dryness/lackluster.
Usually his is a soft deer-fur like coat, especially in the winter
We thought initially it was stress related from loosing his littermate to Fanconi, and dry winter air.
But it’s not gotten any better.

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome- we are trying to avoid a vet visit with the COVID crap but my gut feeling is that this is either thyroid related or possible melanoma....

He also has been more irritable and his ears have been bothering him too- I do clean them. So does his benji-sister... he’s never had a report of bad health all around. So yeah, I’m starting to get a little nervous.

I’ll see if I can get an image up here for reference.... thanks in advance

Also... CBD doesn’t help much. Trazodone seems to make him more hyper.

We are considering bringing in a female companion around the same age.... he does well at daycare (has lotsa girlfriends) after getting over the fact that his pack member has just deserted him for a few hours.
He goes 4-6 hours at a time usually.

Ok....and we are back. Sigh... full blown separation anxiety complete with panting, salivating,screaming,destruction and loss of interest in food.
I’m reading up on Patricia McConnells work for separation anxiety and general behavior issues right now. But, as of a few minutes ago we have no crate.
I’ve seen these High Anxiety crates from Impact brand crates and they sound promising for destructibility reasons...combined with training and therapy (not just throwing a dog in a dark crate) I’m hoping this might help Max.
Does anyone have any experience with these crates?
Does anyone have suggestions on de-sensitizing for separation anxiety?
Currently Max is joining me at work during the day and has been kicked out of bed to sleep in his own bed. We don’t make a big deal at departures or arrivals either.
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!!!!

I’m not a breeder but, you really should go pick him up in person. You should meet the breeder and make sure he is coming from a reputable home that breeds to better the breed and not just to make money- I know this sounds harsh and I’m not trying to be a jerk.
I’ve adopted dogs that were unfortunately in this type of a situation when they were ‘shipped out’ and really, if you sincerely care about the dog and his future pick him up yourself. It’s a great time to bond with your boy. Driving or even flying back home with him.
Also as Tanza is suggesting the 8 week mark seems a little too early...again, I’m not a breeder but I do care deeply about the breed itself.
Good luck!

I think Max is coming out of the woods a little bit!
He’s been more mischievous when he is with me at work (I do feel very lucky that they love him as much as I do) and when I got home last night after a movie he engaged in playtime like he used to do with his brother!! It was so awesome.

He has a handful of girlfriends at daycare and today he made a new friend- Jimmy, a bull terrier. Tears- great tears at least!

You all have been so wonderful. Thank you so very much for all you suggestions and words of comfort. Thank you.

So today the Max has been taken to daycare to see if socialization helps at all.
He lost it when my partner left for work today. Full blown benji siren blasts.

Fingers crossed this helps- is it a big deal if he attaches himself to me right now until he adjusts to being the only dog or, is that going to slow him down with his transition?
By attaching I mean that I take him to work with me where he has his own little bed to chill in. He does not sit on my lap and I do not acknowledge him if he follows me unless someone is asking about him. He’s just ‘there’ in close proximity.
I’m struggling

...and, yes the Max was with us when we let James Dog Kibble Bones depart. He was not interested in much after a single sniff. He did run around the house looking for Jimmy when we got back home.

Thank you sooo much for the suggestions everyone
Right now my partner leaves for work at 10-ish and I’m out the door by 630am. Max eats and walks before I leave and then sleeps by my partner until he’s out the door.
He made it 2 hours in his crate today before starting to cry...I did obtain approval to bring him with me to work so, I’m thinking that if I increase the time he is alone/in his crate (or let him roam free like usual) by a half hour each day it might help- then I come home to pick him up and walk back to work with him for an hour or two and walk home around 330/4pm.
We can deal with separation anxiety at any point in time but, right now I want him to know he isn’t alone and will never be abandoned by us.
I will update as time goes on-

Also, thank you for the suggestion but, no puppy. We prefer adopting adults and, I’m a foster for BRaT (Pittsburgh area) so that may be a possible solution if a B comes up in my area. I have to admit I really like having a single B...the time spent is so much more personal for me.

You all are great. Thank you SO much!!