Why is my dog suddenly nervous, won't potty, and obsessed with a toy?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Diamond is adorable! That tongue!! I wonder, has Diamond had a heat cycle recently? She is exhibiting signs that are consistent with a false pregnancy. This is a hormonal imbalance that occurs after a heat cycle that causes the female to think she is pregnant when he actually isn't. The dog will develop mammary glands and even make milk, they nest, pick up toys and carry then around like babies, more clingy to owners, anxious. A false pregnancy lasts about as long as a normal dog pregnancy or a bit longer, 2 months or more. The symptoms can return on subsequent heat cycles, so I recommend spaying once the false pregnancy symptoms go away. http://www.merckvetmanual.com/reproductive-system/reproductive-diseases-of-the-female-small-animal/false-pregnancy-in-small-animals?network=g&matchtype=e&keyword=false%20pregnancy%20in%20dogs&creative=223892247985&device=c&devicemodel=&placement=&position=1o1&campaignid=939309547&adgroupid=44403893422&loc_physical_ms=9007368&loc_interest_ms=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI24GO3LSJ2AIVzEsNCh02Ow67EAMYASAAEgJxN_D_BwE I hope this helps and I wish you and Diamond the best!

Hi. Thanks for using PetCoach. Since she is not spayed my best guess is that she is having a false pregnancy. If you are not planning on breeding her my recommendation would be to get her spayed. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/false-pregnancy-or-pseudopregnancy-in-dogs ) Best wishes.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Your description sounds most suspicious of generalized anxiety. There may have been something that spooked your dog recently to cause the behavior change, making him want to be near you all the time and causing him to seek reassurance. However, given his breed, it's also possible that he's just got too much pent-up energy - many high energy breeds can develop either anxiety or boredom if they aren't given an outlet for their energy and a way to tire themselves out. I recommend making sure your dog has a way to RUN his energy off daily. (with his breed and age, a walk probably won't cut it). You can take him running, or if he's ball motivated, throwing a ball is a great option to get him running. Fenced in dog parks are good options too. If tiring him out doesn't help reduce his clingy behaviors, I recommend consulting your vet and having them do a physical exam and likely some screening bloodwork. Sometimes panting, whining, and being generally clingy are the dog's way of telling us that something's not right, which can be the first sign of a disease or health problem. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! How old is Sara? Is she spayed? If you find this a good thing then that's great! It could be that she is calming down and is less rambunctious. Or she could be anxious about something (thunder storms or the July 4th fireworks). If she is not spayed and a had a heat recently sometimes female dogs can have a hormonal imbalance where the body is made to think it is pregnant (but it isn't) and the dog can be more anxious and clingy. They can carry one stuffed animal around like a baby, have mammary gland development and even have milk develop. It does go away. Have a good day!

If she is not spayed, this could be a false pregnancy symptom: https://www.petcoach.co/article/false-pregnancy-in-dogs/ It could also be anxiety or just Pepa just REALLY likes this toy. I do recommend to spay all dogs not intended to breed as this is beneficial for health: https://www.petcoach.co/article/spaying-ovariohysterectomy-the-benefits-in-dogs/ I hope this helps.

Adding a new baby to the house can be very disorienting for dogs. It causes a huge change of routine and priorities. Maybe Leona is walked or played with less than before the baby - this is all very common and somewhat unavoidable. The change in routines is usually quite stressful and can lead to pets becoming more anxious or having trouble with training. It's also possible that Leona is having some sort of medical problem that is causing her to urinate and defecate more. I would recommend trying to walk and play with Leona as much as you reasonably can. Going on a walk on leash is much better than throwing a ball or playing with a toy, in terms of her mental health. Ignore her accidents (if she gets a big reaction to them and that's the only time she gets attention, she could be learning that it's a good way to get attention) and make sure she has many opportunities to go outside. If the problem continues (and lasts more than a few weeks), I would recommend a vet visit for a check up to make sure nothing is wrong medically. Good luck!

Thats tough! It's hard when dogs become anxious or begin lashing out because they can't just talk and tell us what is bothering them. Many times these situations are best handled with both behavior modification and medications. Getting in contact with a behaviorist would be the surest and the fasted way to fix this situation. They observe the behaviors and then teach you how to react to modify Piper's behavior. What I recommend to clients is to focus on daily hard exercise, a tired dog is less likely to exhibit anxiety. Get on a routine and stick with it. Play classical music while you are away as this is calm. Read about dog anxiety and how to react correctly. Lastly, there's a prescription diet made by Royal Canin called Calm which may help. I recommend to discuss medication options with Piper's doctor as they may also benefit her. Be patient, this can take a while. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.