My dog is afraid of the back door after a break-in. What can I do?

Every dog is a little different as I am sure you know. Each will form her own personality, idiosyncratic behaviors, and preferential relationships. With this uniqueness is going to come a certain level of uncertainty in situations like you've described above. Some dogs will forget about something like you've described almost immediately while others seem to take it to the grave. The vast majority fall somewhere in between. I don't know how long it has been already, but the first thing I would do if you have not as of yet is to have the tail examined medically for any sign of continuing pain. If there is, this is going to be a continued reminder for Eva of what has happened to her. Once the pain is controlled, the reason for causing the pain becomes less fresh in their mind (at least that is what I think, some other vets may say I am anthropomorphizing dogs and cats a little more than they deserve). If you are able to determine that pain is not playing a role in the problem, the best you are going to be able to do is prevent the same thing from happening again. Once you feel Eva has healed mentally from this event and is ready, desensitizing her to doors and areas that trigger her anxiety may be in her best interest. This is something that should be done slowly and any positive outcomes should be rewards vigorously. Hope this all makes sense. Let me know if I can help in any other way.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Bear is just a little on edge from his itchy skin, unusual bath, and (I’m guessing) recent vet visit. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Keep doing your daily walks and training reinforcement and give him a few days. Even if this anxiety persists, it can often be managed with extra exercise and training in dogs of this age and breed. Best wishes to you and Bear!

Poor Luna! I'm sorry to hear that she has been so anxious since the fire this weekend. Try to determine what may be a high-value reward to her, be it a special treat or toy and try to use this object to coax her inside. A calming pheromone collar (here is one example: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/adaptil-adjustable-calming-dog-collar) can be helpful in some stressful situations. Ultimately, time, patience and rewarding positive behavior (i.e. she walked closer to the door today than she did yesterday) will be the best way to slowly remedy this situation. If she seems anxious inside of the house or is still having issues coming through the door in a few weeks, it may be worth discussing anxiety medications with Luna's vet. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Aww, poor Nike! I recommend that you try to do some desensitization and counter conditioning here. Keep some treats in your pocket or by the door, and when you get home, call Nike and throw the treats away from yourself and towards him. You can slowly toss the treats closer and closer to you each time you come home so that eventually Nike feels comfortable coming up to you again. Take it slow, and if you notice him looking nervous, don't toss the treats closer to you. Keep them at a distance that allows Nike to feel comfortable, and only move the treats closer when he is not showing signs of stress like cowering away. I think you'll eventually be able to get him back to normal. I hope your burn heals up soon!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes dogs can get scared even when there does not appear to be anything scary in sight. Remember that they can hear and sense much better than us so he may be perceiving something that is near which you may not. This can improve but it can certainly become a bit difficult at times. I recommend that you start taking him out for longer periods but very slowly over the next several weeks. Encourage him to stay out with treats and positive words. Also, in the beginning just take him out without walking initially just to get him used to his surroundings. Eventually little by little he will learn that going outside equals getting treats and attention and will improve with time but it does require time and patience. You can consider using the Thunder shirt for him which you may find online and can help a lot in these cases. Good luck and have a great day!