My new dog is scared and won't follow me. How can I build trust?

Congratulations on your new dog Hazel. New situations can be very stressful and it sounds like she may have not had a lot of training or exposure in her previous home. Find treats that she really seems to like. You may need to experiment around with different ones. Once you find the treats, reward her for approaching you with a treat. Reward her for sitting next to you or any other healthy activity that involves her being interested in you. This will quickly form a positive association. You will not always need to reward this behavior but for right now, it’s important. To train her to use a leash, hook it to her collar and allow her to drag it around. She will eventually move and get use to the weight. Then start to pick up the leash and slowly follow her as well as encourage her to walk with you. The key is to use high value treats, talk softly, keep things positive and be patient. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

A lot of puppies striggle with the concept of walking beside people at first, especially when a lead is introduced. If you have him on a lead this is likely the issue. What I usually find helps is getting him to follow you round a safe environment first such as your garden or home. You can do this on/off lead. Never ever pull him if he isnt walking as you will make him fear the lead. If yiu have a favourite toy or treats you can coax him to walk alongside you and praise him when he does. I would focus on this for a while befire trying to get him out into the world. When he is walking well in the garden try him on the street. He will likely take a bit if a back step so be prepared to work with him again. If he continues to plant his bum when you go outside he is likely scared of all the new things going on. Try not to force him, keep coaxing him and making it look fun outside and he will eventually realise it is ok. A friendly older dog can be a great help in guiding a young pup so you could borroe a family member or friend's dog to try and show him tbat outside is fine. It can be very frustrating with a pup, but persevere and eventually it will just click with him. Good luck!

Hi there! I'm so sorry to hear about Smokey's troubles. It can be difficult when we adopt pets from shelters, because we don't know their history, or what happened to them before they came home with us. It is important to be patient and work with Smokey daily. A great idea would be to call his veterinarian, and get some recommendations for a veterinary behaviorist in the area. Veterinary behaviorists are veterinary doctors who are board certified in behavior. They could evaluate Smokey, and give you the best advice as to how to work with him. If a veterinary behaviorist isn't available, your veterinarian may know of some good trainers in the area, who are skilled in working with fearful dogs. In general, I would not push Smokey, let him come to you. Let him get acclimated to his new home. 3 weeks isn't very long in a dog's mind. He still needs to settle in. As long as he isn't showing any signs of aggression, you can try some natural calming supplements like zylkene or canine compsure. They can help him relax and get to feeling more comfortable more quickly. If he is showing any signs of aggression, like biting, nipping, or growling when you get close to his personal space, dog bowl, or toys, then I would avoid the supplements, and call your veterinarian right away. Giving calming agents can sometimes make aggression worse. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

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.

Give him some time to acclimate. A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may decrease any anxiety. Consider short visits to a dog park or short walks to get him further acclimated. Praise and reward him as he progresses, but correct any negative behavior immediately. If you need help, consider an obedience or socialization program. The local Petco may offer one or both.

Congratulations on adopting Lady! Earning trust will take a lot of patience and time. Remember that she has had a lot of sudden changes with her new home and a new person in her life. Start by giving her space in her new home and try putting a bed in her favorite space in the house to make this her "safe spot". Try to avoid approaching her if she is in this safe spot. If Lady is food motivated, you can start by offering a few high value treats when she lets you gently pet her. Some dogs are threatened when you reach over the top of the head and respond more favorably to scratches on the chest or under the chin. Once you figure out what she enjoys (food, walks, chasing a ball, etc.), you will be able to build upon that activity and spend most of your interaction doing her favorite things. One other thing to try is a calming pheromone collar or diffuser (Adaptil is one example) to see if this helps to calm her a bit. I hope this helps!

Remember that, while you thought about this dog and bringing her into your home, all she knows is that one day she was Here, and the next day she was THERE, with no warning or explanation. She is confused and frightened. Try letting her come to you when she's ready, instead of approaching her. Don't pet her for the time being. Just be a calm and stable presence i her life. Understand, too, that dogs have no idea what a "name" is, other than a familiar word that usually has something to do with her. Yes, there are things you can do to help her adjust to her new surroundings, but this is not a "one or two sentence" answer. If you would like me to work with you on it, just click on the prompt ot initiate a consult.