My anxious Havanese nips when approached near his face. Help!

Poor Jasper! It sounds like he's quite stressed and anxious at the moment. Without more information, it's hard to say if this is simply due to all of the changes he's experienced recently (new home, new owner, etc.) or if he has some generalized anxiety issues. I would recommend giving him some time to settle in - this behavior may resolve over the next several days once he has a chance to adjust to his new living situation. You can help by giving him some tasty things to chew on (large rawhide chews, bully sticks, etc.) as chewing is a relaxing activity for dogs - just make sure to give him his own space while he chews, and don't allow your other dog to bother him. You may also want to try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure. If there is no improvement in his anxiety within the next week or so, it would be best to consult with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate him in person and help you put together a detailed plan to work on his issues. He may also need prescription medication to help reduce his anxiety, at least for a while. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Poor Jaxon! It does sound like he's quite fearful of many things, including sounds, the vet's office, and other dogs barking. The patch of hair that stands up is called his "hackles" - when you see the hair stand up like this, it usually means that the dog is frightened or upset. Since it sounds like his anxiety is fairly severe, the best option would be to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Jaxon in person. He/she can help you determine why he is so fearful, and will give you a detailed treatment plan for him including some training exercises you can do to increase his confidence and teach him to associate good things with people, other dogs, etc. He may also benefit from anti-anxiety medication. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org In the meantime, you could try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to help reduce his anxiety - this won't be as effective as prescription medication, but it may help to take the edge off of his fear in these situations until you are able to see the behaviorist for a more complete treatment plan.

Hi there! Aggression issues in dogs can be really frustrating. One of my dogs sounds pretty similar to Sammi, so I sympathize. Many dogs that are showing signs of aggression are truly anxious and unable to control their emotions. Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications can be used both long and short term to help them learn to process their emotions while in a calmer state. Commonly used drugs for this purpose are Prozac, Trazodone, and Gabapentin. I would recommend calling your vet and asking if they see behavior consultations or if they have any recommendations for a board certified veterinary behaviorist (someone who goes to three more years of school after vet school just to study behavior). I would also encourage you to use only trainers that focus on positive reinforcement learning. Fear tactic training can make aggressive dogs much worse. A good trainer can talk to you about helping your dog learn to focus on you during stressful situations and better their impulse control, to minimize these situations in the future. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

The ASPCA website has some good information on the different types of aggression in dogs: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/aggression It sounds like you're already on the right track with some behavioral training. You may want to ask your veterinarian if there are any behaviorists they would recommend to work with you specifically on the fear of strangers issue. At his age, as long as he isn't showing aggression at home towards family members I would think you could have good success with a behavior modification program but it will take work. You will be most successful if you can work one on one with a behaviorist who has experience with fearful dogs. I wouldn't even completely rule out that Pepe could be a therapy dog some time in the future. Good luck to you and Pepe - he's lucky to have a dedicated owner!

I would have Guiseppe seen by a professional behavioral expert. It would be good for you to be involved in his training as well so you can see what techniques the expert is using to apply at home as well. You can also learn what you should and shouldn't do with him to help stop this behavior. I would speak to your vet about a referral to a professional behavior expert. Good on you for wanting to address and correct this behaviors!

I would try to get a second opinion with another trainer just to be on the safe side - I feel like training couldn't hurt the situation. I would also consider putting him on an anti-anxiety medicine like fluoxetine to help. It sounds like he has developed anxiety over the years which sometimes happens. This could be due to a traumatic experience, a change in the household, a change in your schedules, or something else. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear about Blue, but you are not alone! This type of behavior is usually related to fear - fear that is so extreme that the pet has no choice but fight or flight. It often leads to aggression. The bad news is that an expensive trainer may not be able to help Blue anyways because her fear level is so high. The good news is that there are several great anti-anxiety medications that can make a HUGE difference in Blue's life. Not only will they reduce fear (and therefore aggression), but they will make whatever training you try MUCH more effective. (Pets cannot learn when they are scared). My favorites are amitiptyline and trazadone, but there are others available. Talk to your vet about what is available and reasonable to try for Blue. I hope this helps and best of luck to you and Blue!