My rescue dog is scared of my husband after a year. What to do?

This will take time to overcome. It's best if he ignores her, sits down and doesn't look or talk with her. Over time she will get used to him and hopefully then she will seek him out. I've had success reducing this anxiety with the supplement Solliquin. Taking Evie to an obedience class will expose her to new people and animals and help her gain confidence in different situations. Once she is trained if she enjoys walks you can start walking her on a leash and have your husband come along so she is focused on walking and having fun with him around. I have a dog who is also scared of my husband and it's taken over a year for him to start to relax. He does enjoy waking and will go with my husband willingly when on the leash. Be patient, Evie should relax once she's settled into your household. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Evie.

I recommend he take over the walking and give her treats so she looks forward to being with him. Don’t have him be too pushy, have him sit with a treat and let her come to him. You may also want to try an anti anxiety supplement like Solliquin. It helped my rescue dog relax in the new household. This may take several months to improve, give them time and as they both grow and mature this behavior should improve. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kona.

1) I highly recommend a vet checkup to rule out issues such as parasites or a GI problem/allergy that could be preventing her weight gain. Your vet can also perform a body condition score to see if she is at a healthy weight for her size and help monitor any changes needed. 2) Since she is having a lot of anxiety and having trouble with basic obedience, speaking with a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person is your best option. They can work with you one-on-one to tailor a plan to help reduce your pup's anxiety, and a veterinary behaviorist can also utilize medication as needed in conjunction with a training plan. Training techniques such as BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) are great for helping desensitize dogs to the triggers that cause anxiety. This can also help with her fear toward you or other people as well. 3) Once she has settled in a bit and the anxiety is under control, a basic obedience class together may help so that you can learn to better communicate with each other in a safe, positive manner. This can also help the two of you bond a bit better and gain trust. If you're interested in talking to a veterinary behaviorist, you can find out more info here: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

Taking Mina to a group obedience training class can get her used to going fun places and help her relax around other people and dogs. Being able to redirect her behavior from anxiety to performing sit, down and heeling can give them confidence and reduce anxiety. I also like to use the supplement Solliquin for anxiety especially when I'm working on improving this behavior. Usually if your friends ignore her and don't make eye contact then when they are sitting in your home she may come investigate them on her own. This behavior can get worse if you force her to meet people and do things that increase her anxiety. Be patient, changing this behavior takes time and it's often a result of her insecurity so having her learn new things, go new places and get praise and treats for good behavior will make her a more confident and relaxed dog. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Mina.

Consider a pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar, to help decrease any anxiety. Next, expose her to a "new" person forever increasing periods of time. Praise and reward her as she progresses. It will take time and consistency, so keep at it but don't force her to move on if she gets too worked up.

In situations such as these, time is your friend, as well as patience. 4 years living solely outside is a long time for a dog, and that's a lot of years of work to reverse. You may want to treat Perseus as if he were a puppy, starting with a similar routine for feeding, potty training, etc to get him used to being around people and in/out of a house. Getting him used to you can take time. Always approach by talking calmly and gently and tossing a treat toward him. Not directly facing him and/or crouching down can also make you less intimidating and scary. Let him approach you first rather than you approach him, and be sure to quietly praise or offer treats any time he does. As he gets more used to you, you can then treat only when he allows petting or approaches you and accepts gentle handling. This can take a lot of time, so patience and always maintain a calm presence can help. It is also a good idea to speak with a trainer or behaviorist in your area who can come to the home and offer more tailored advice for how to help Perseus. They can help formulate a training plan as in the case of a behaviorist may also be able to recommend medications to help keep him stress free and relaxed as he learns how to be a dog.

I certainly sympathize with your situation. My own 2 year old dog is the same way. The key to training him is to expose him to situations that are not too scary for him, but improve his confidence. This is not a quick or easy process, and will need to be continued long term. I have found the best method to be a desensitization and counter-conditioning system. When Max encounters something that is slightly scary for him (not too overhelming at first), ask him to sit or lie down for a treat. The goal is to get him to do something that he is comfortable with and receive a treat (positive reinforcement) for doing that behavior instead of being afraid. Do not give him any reinforcement (verbal or otherwise) for fearful behavior, but try to ignore it. Instead reward the behavior you want to see. It would be a great idea to have a trainer try to help you start this type of training program, so you might ask your vet for a recommendation on a trainer. I have been using this on my dog, and it works well, but requires a lot of work. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.