How can I get my anxious dog to potty outside when I'm alone with her?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Pippin! Sometimes dogs as they reach social and behavioral maturity between 2-3 years old will have changes in behavior and that includes anxiety. Another possibility is that something triggered this fear of being alone outside: fireworks, thunderstorms, etc. I would try to desensitize her so eventually she will go out on her own. I would recommend contacting or seeing your Vet for medications. I would prescribe prozac and a short acting sedative while you help her through this. It hopefully will not be a permanent thing but to be used long enough to hopefully fix the problem. While she is on the medications you will have to go out with her every time she is outside. Start with a leash then get rid of the leash and eventually get further and further away to the point you can maybe stand at the door where she can see you. If that goes well maybe she will go on her own with you inside. It will not be a quick process. It will take time and effort on your part. Good luck!

Lots of questions! Good for you wanting to make the world a better place for dogs :) Always be willing to learn! Keep an open mind and soak up all the knowledge you can. The dogs will thank you for that. OK. Staying home alone is something that needs to be build up over time. If you are 3-4 hours and she is behaving and quiet and relaxed you're on the right track! Just keep building by adding 10-15 minute increments each time. My rule for kennel is their age in months plus 1=how many hours they should be able to be kenneled (after working up to it), to the max of 8 hours. Any longer than that and they need a break. Loose leash walking can be taught easiest on a harness. You can use treats or toys to encourage them to stay close to your side and focus on you. If they get pulling to hard I stop, wait till they look at me then take a step backward. This usually invites them into you, and they quit pulling. They also didn't gain any forward momentum, so they didn't accomplish anything by pulling. Keep working on this and the pulling should lessen. If you're in public and she is pulling, there is probably too much excitement and its overwhelming. Try giving more space and add distance between you and all the people. If she is bowing when she meets dogs, its usually a play bow or invitation to play. I would try to sign up for some puppy classes or find a group of friendly dogs to play with. Socializing is important for our dogs, just as much as us. And lastly, the grass. Keep her on a leash and simply restrict her access to people's lawns. Shorten the leash up when passing by and if you have to, pick up your pace walking. She will come right along with you. Of course, you can start her walk after she relieves herself at home and then hopefully she won't have to go again on her walk.

It may be time to speak with a local trainer or animal behaviorist in your area to see if they can observe what is going on in person. This can help them to formulate a plan that may help Peanut regain her confidence outside. Usually, this involves taking small steps by exposing her to being outside for longer periods, and offering treats and praise when she is calm and successful. If she becomes too nervous, taking a break and letting her calm down before trying again can help. If the anxiety continues, it is also a good idea to rule out any health issues with your veterinarian, as some illnesses can cause sudden behavioral changes or anxiety, especially if there is pain. Your vet can also prescribe an anti-anxiety medication if needed during your training plan to help make things a little easier on Peanut.

Is she food motivated? Using treats to entice and reward her maybe helpful. Also, seeking the advice from your veterinarian about using antianxiety pheromones and possibly medications may be helpful as she is adjusting. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

This will be challenging to correct as Copper has developed an unhealthy fear of coming inside. So you will need to be very patient and try to avoid any negative energy as that will only feed into Copper. This is an instance when clicker training can really help pets. First you will want a very high value treat. Once Copper knows what the clicker means, you will gradually move closer to the door. Make sure to click and reward him for any motion that he makes to move towards the door. Eventually you will work through the door. You should also utilize the area for play with any favorite toys. With holding these toys at all times except in that area will further the positive experience with the area. Lastly, slowly moving his food bowl toward the door can also help. The idea is to make the area positive. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Lillian. Make every effort to get her outside to potty. Also work on making her more comfortable. It's a big change for her. Once she is comfortable in the house, you can begin trying to get her comfortable outside. It's possible something has scared her in the past and now she has developed a negative association. You may try to counteract this by creating a positive association. Begin by having a high value treat or toy. Start playing/a training session inside the house by the door way. Do this for a few days. Once Lillian seems comfortable playing by the door way, toss the toy or treat outside and allow her to retrieve it and come back inside. Do this until Lillian is comfortable. Then move outside by the doorway way. Gradually move further and further away from the door way. Then begin gradually decreasing the play time and just hanging outside with her. Try not to leave her outside unattended until she seems comfortable. I hope this helps.

Is it possile to go out another door, or to a different part of the yard? If not, you need to teach her, in very small doses, that it is okay to go out. Do not baby her ("Oh, poor puppy! It's going to be all right.), or she will pick up on your tone of voice and be even more scared. Instead, speak to her with confidence (Come on, Lola, let's go out!). If she gets through the door, stop, rward her with a treat, and stop the exercise. Next time, try to get a very little bit farther out the door. Keep inching out in increments until she is comfortable going outside again.