Dog aggressive, won't potty after moving. How to help my stressed dog?

It sounds like Luna is very scared. She has had a big change in her life and that can be very frightening for a dog. I would strongly suggest that you consult an animal behaviorist in your area. Be sure to find someone who uses positive reinforcement training methods rather than dominance theory or punishment. Luna does not need someone to be her Alpha. This type of dominance theory creates more fear in dogs and does not promote a safe, comfortable relationship long-term between a dog and their owner. I would not try to force Luna to do anything. It is better to coax her into a kennel if that is where you want her using treats. It is important that Luna feels safe and not threatened. If your dad does not feel that he can interact with Luna safely, I would recommend that her previous owner pick her up and have her boarded somewhere until the trainer can be consulted.

I believe the accidents are associated with the stress from the move. I would suggest trying some of the following techniques; I am very sorry that you are experiencing these issues with your dogs. I will suggest a few tactics to help you both have some peace. The key is to helping them feel safe and secure at home, increasing exercise to help with anxiety and also increasing mental stimulation. Increased exercise especially a long afternoon or evening walk Chew toys Puzzle toys Interactive games like fetch and hide and go seek Leaving the TV, a fan or a White Noise generating machine on DAP- dog appeasing pheromone releasing diffusers Thunder coats Here are some further resources to help you, but also feel free to ask me any for their questions here on the forum. https://www.petcoach.co/article/top-5-tips-to-potty-train-your-dog-young-and-old/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/10-ways-to-stimulate-your-dog-s-brain/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-ways-to-make-sure-your-dog-feels-safe-in-your-home/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/10-signs-your-dog-is-stressed/

Is this new behavior by your boyfriend or has your boyfriend just started to come around more? If so, Luna certainly could be stressed by this or protesting. Make sure Luna and your boyfriend get plenty of bonding time and maybe he can feed her, walk her or even give her some dog treats throughout the day to help. Whether he is new or not, you may consider putting a calming collar on her like adaptil or sentry. If This doesn’t work, I would talk to your vet about putting her on an anti-anxiety medicine like fluoxetine. I hope this helps!

I’m so sorry you and Luna are dealing with all of this. I would absolutely be concerned with having Luna in a house with other dogs and children at this time (and maybe ever). It is not only potentially dangerous for the children and other dogs, but it will be stressful on Luna as well. I know it is always hard, but it may be a good idea to re-home her to a more quiet home, perhaps with a male owner if she seems to respond best to them. In the meantime I would separate her from the other dogs and kids and keep her daily routine and training very consistent. Providing a lot of exercise, and positive reinforcement with training. When she masters basic obedience and gains confidence then working with her around other dogs etc. will be more successful. If re-homing her is not an option I would definitely enlist the help of a veterinary behaviorist to work through her aggression in the safest, most effective way possible. Sending you a lot of luck, these situations are always so hard.

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.

I am so sorry for all that you guys are going through! Such stress is hard on everyone, regardless of 2 legs or 4. However, the difference is, you KNOW why you're stressed and why you're moving and why everything is in upheaval, and all Matel knows is that every thing changed and her people seem upset. The most important thing is to make sure that her needs continue to be reliably met-- food offered at the same time, water always available, maybe a routine daily walk stays intact. Additionally, make time to do things she likes to do... play with her and her toys, try to get her playing, etc. This is good stress relief for everyone; if she sees you and your wife having fun and trying to engage her, that will reassure her that, "oh, its going to be ok. They are ok!" As things settle down, she will likely come around to her old self. There are medications that can be helpful for dogs, though usually dogs don't develop clinical depression the way that people do. These drugs in dogs tend to be more helpful for anxiety. However, if she's not coming around, talk to your vet about trying medication. Massage can also be helpful, soothing, and can promote good feelings and bonding. Here's a great video about canine massage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tghk42R0QHU&t=9s I'm so glad you guys are safe. Best wishes to you all! Thank you for asking PetCoach!

Oh no! It sure sounds like Lou Lou is really upset, likely about the new situation. Stress can trigger behavior issues quite easily, and if she feels pressured, afraid, or like she has to compete with your other dog at all in this new environment, she could become aggressive. If she's eating and drinking fine, and has no diarrhea or vomiting or other physical issues, it's likely stress. You need to somehow get some anti-anxiety medication for her like Lorazepam from a veterinarian and try to keep them separated. Good luck!