My Akita puppy is scared of me. How can I build his confidence?

You are doing a good job so far. I would go to puppy classes and then a group obedience class or two when he’s six month old or so. The more training you do the better behaved dog you will have. This is a large and head strong breed so I’m glad you are taking the socialization and training seriously. In addition I would have it neutered by eight months to prevent any change of behavior due to adult hormones. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

Behavior training would be a great way to help her gain confidence. You can look into puppy socialization and obedience classes in your area. I'd also recommend asking any strangers to allow her to approach them, and to offer a treat. Sophia Yin's website is a great resource for behavior questions - this link has good information on socialization in general: https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/puppy-socialization-stop-fear-before-it-starts/

Poor Oakley! It sounds like he needs a little help with socialization and would benefit from seeing a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person. You can have a trainer come to your house to observe the situation, and help provide some more tailored advice to help get him feeling more comfortable, especially since he is still so terrified after several weeks. In the meantime, continuing to try and get him adjusted to things may help. Try tossing a favorite treat to him every time you go near him, or placing a favorite treat or chew toy outside of his kennel to encourage him to go out and explore a little. If he does come out, gentle praise and even more special treats can help teach him that what he is doing is OK! If he's startled by loud noises or objects, soothing music can help drown out scary sounds, while letting him sniff and approach new items on his own (and then rewarding him when he does) can help encourage him to explore some. You can find a local behaviorist in your area, and learn more about them as well, by checking out this link: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

I'm so sorry Athena is scared but glad you are trying to work with her. Sometimes puppies have just never been socialized well or she may have had a bad experience. Start by try to figure out what About your boyfriend scares the puppy. Is he a much bigger guy, is he generally loud, deeper voice? Some of those things he can't change but some he could. Have him sit on the floor to be in her level. Let him feed her and give her treats. Right now have all of her interactions with him be positive. Some dogs may always be submissive to certain people. But give it time and lots of positive interactions. Having them take a puppy training class together may also help. Here are a couple of article that give you more ideas. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1811 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1751 https://drsophiayin.com/resources/dog_behavior/#fear%20period

Max will benefit from a group dog training class. Even if you go and sit and watch a class and get him used to sitting and watching other dogs while you are relaxed his behavior should improve. With a good trainer and meeting dogs in class that he gets to know and see weekly he should relax. He needs to build confidence and learn normal dog behavior. If you have a friend with an older, calm well trained dog that he gets used to you can walk together to help him learn to behave also. He’s at a critical age for improving this behavior so please get some training soon. Also neutering him will prevent hormonal issues affecting his behavior. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Max.

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.

Socialization and more socialization! The more that Lucky is exposed to in a positive manner, with treats and praise, the more courageous he will become. You will want to start slow and increase the amount of time for socialization periods so that it is not overwhelming. Here is a great article on socialization in puppies. https://www.petcoach.co/article/socialization-of-your-puppy/ Thanks for using PetCoach.