My dog is scared of everything and has panic attacks. How can I help?

I am sorry to hear that this is happening. It sounds like she is anxious enough to hurt herself. When dogs are this anxious I do think that medication has a place in making them feel better. I would highly encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian soon. There is a new supplement out called Solliqiun that has a lot of promise. You may consider using that first, before medication. Also, there Is a pheromone product called Adaptil that is a calming pheromone. It comes in collars and plug in diffusers. I would encourage you to purchase this as well. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Poor Jaxon! It does sound like he's quite fearful of many things, including sounds, the vet's office, and other dogs barking. The patch of hair that stands up is called his "hackles" - when you see the hair stand up like this, it usually means that the dog is frightened or upset. Since it sounds like his anxiety is fairly severe, the best option would be to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Jaxon in person. He/she can help you determine why he is so fearful, and will give you a detailed treatment plan for him including some training exercises you can do to increase his confidence and teach him to associate good things with people, other dogs, etc. He may also benefit from anti-anxiety medication. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org In the meantime, you could try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to help reduce his anxiety - this won't be as effective as prescription medication, but it may help to take the edge off of his fear in these situations until you are able to see the behaviorist for a more complete treatment plan.

I’m sorry to hear about Kyro. This type of behavior is often due to anxiety. I would strongly recommend talking to your vet about anti-anxiety/ behavior modification medication which can make a huge difference! Often times, training is also needed in conjunction to medication. For safety, a basket muzzle while out and about is a great idea. Best of luck to you and Kyro.

I'm sorry to hear of your issues with Marley. He is lucky to have such a dedicated owner. Some dogs are fearful by nature. It is possible to overcome this behavior with dedicated behavior modification and a positive training environment. I would urge you to look for a positive reinforcement trainer in your area. Approaching is problem in an organized manner will be very helpful. To get you started this is a great resource: https://positively.com/contributors/help-for-the-fearful-dog-by-linda-michaels/

Poor Kota! It is possible she wasn't socialized very well as a puppy (mastiffs especially require a lot of socialization with lots of different people, places, and things to help them feel comfortable) and so is still scared from that. It may take a long time with lots of patient practice to help her feel more comfortable. Positive reinforcement with a favorite treat and taking new situations slow (and removing her from the situation if it is too scary and then trying again later) can help. I also highly recommend speaking with a veterinary behaviorist in your area. They are veterinarians trained in both behavior and medicine, and can work with you on a medication and training routine to help reduce Kota's stress and fear and start on positive training to help her relax and adjust. You can learn more and find a behaviorist here: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear about Blue, but you are not alone! This type of behavior is usually related to fear - fear that is so extreme that the pet has no choice but fight or flight. It often leads to aggression. The bad news is that an expensive trainer may not be able to help Blue anyways because her fear level is so high. The good news is that there are several great anti-anxiety medications that can make a HUGE difference in Blue's life. Not only will they reduce fear (and therefore aggression), but they will make whatever training you try MUCH more effective. (Pets cannot learn when they are scared). My favorites are amitiptyline and trazadone, but there are others available. Talk to your vet about what is available and reasonable to try for Blue. I hope this helps and best of luck to you and Blue!

I'd always want to rule out a medical problem when there has been an abrupt change in behavior. A visit to the vet is in order to help to ensure that there are no underlying issues - changes in vision, neurologic issues, etc - that may be at the bottom of this. If everything is well with your health, ask yourself some questions: could there be any nocturnal animals visiting your property, and would she be able to see them or smell them? Could there be distant thunderstorms that she is hearing (and you're not, because you're sleeping) and the noise is making her anxious? You can try some low impact changes, such as a [Thundershirt ](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/thundershirt-heather-gray-dog-anxiety-solution) or [pheromone diffuser](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/thunderease-calming-diffuser-kit-for-dogs) to help calm anxiety. Your vet can also prescribe medications that will reduce anxiety. Hope this helps!