My dog cowers and hides when I come home. How do I rebuild his trust?

Hi Shreeyut! I am so sorry to hear that your dog does not seem to recognize you. I would start by always moving very slowly around him. Offer him treats and praise him for any small positive interaction with you. Do not yell or punish him for being scared. It may take time, but hopefully he will come around. Above all else though, keep your personal safety mind. I would never want you to be bitten or harmed. I hope this information helps. Good luck!

Something must have scared her and it will take some time to get her to relax again. I would ignore her, go sit in the room with her and have very tasty treats ready. Hopefully Merida will investigate the smell of the treats and you can offer them to her. I would only reach for her if she's relaxed and not hold her if she wants to get away. Gradually she'll learn you always have good treats and she will relax and start to come to you again and then you can start petting and playing with her. Please be calm and speak softly and even play with her toys without looking at her. She should become curious and want to join in. Again this may take some time and if you are too loud or forceful it may make her more fearful. Be patient and things should gradually get back to normal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Merida.

The best thing you can do is not to force him. Just be nice to him, talk calmly and give him small treats of something he likes a lot. In time he will come around. Forcing him will just make it worse. Most dogs do better if you ignore them at first so they don't feel threatened. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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!

Poor Bear! He may be feeling a bit nervous if that is where the person broke in. You may want to take him out through the front for a little bit if possible, or try to encourage him to use the back again by associating it with good things again. This may include giving him a treat every time he's near the back door and working up from there. Or, coaxing him out with his favorite food before praising and rewarding him with lots of treats. I would give him some time to settle back in and calm down, as the situation was likely very scary for him too.

Poor Brody! How scary for both of you. Dogs can certainly be anxious and upset for a while after a traumatic event like this, just like people. This should improve with time, but there are a few things you can try in the meantime that may help. If he seems nervous all the time, you can try using a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to help him relax - these products are all very safe, and can be purchased over the counter without a prescription. On walks, he may be very nervous about other dogs approaching for quite a while - so I would make sure to give him plenty of space, and don't walk in areas where other dogs are likely to be until he seems more relaxed and comfortable again. You can also carry treats with you on your walks, and praise and reward him every time you see another dog - this can be a very effective way of helping with fear.

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!