My dog is terrified after fireworks. Why won't she jump or use stairs?

Poor Bella! She was probably really frightened by the fireworks. She is probably still anxious that there will be more of those loud sounds. I would monitor her for now. She hopefully should return to her normal self in a day or two. I'd let her sleep, as she probably didn't get much sleep last night. In the meantime, you can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety. If she isn't back to her normal self in a day or two, I'd take her into your vet for a health exam.

Slowly reacclimate him to going outside again. Use treats as rewards and bribes. If he is a small dog, carry him outside for ever increasing periods of time. Calming pheromone collars or sprays may be effective. Compression shirts such as the ThunderShirt may help as well.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Chester’s noise phobia has worsened with each passing year (which is very common). I’d recommend getting your vet involved. He or she can help you determine if Chester needs long-term anxiety medication or some some to have on hand for times of known fireworks. Do keep up with the collar and the thunder jacket though both help some. (I don’t know how many times he’s worn the jacket but the latest study I heard about said that is has its biggest effect after the 5th wear during a storm/firework episode). Best of luck to you and Chester!

I would recommend anti-anxiety supplements and calming supplements such as those recommended below. If there is no improvement, you may need to seek behavioral training or see a veterinarian about anti-anxiety prescription drugs. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Adaptil calming collar and diffuser 2. NaturVet Quiet Moments calm chews with melatonin

Molly may have gotten scared going up and down the stairs when her cone was on and now, even though the cone is off, she is still fearful. Try working with her by just doing 2-3 steps at a time and using positive reinforcement, like giving her a special treat and lots of praise, after each step. Once she is used to doing 2-3 steps you can slowly increase the number of stairs she's going up. One other thing to consider is that her hesitancy to go up the stairs may be related to pain in her joints or neck. If you try slowly encouraging her and that's not working you may want to have her evaluated by your vet. They can do a full orthopedic exam and possibly X-rays to make sure there are no bone or joint issues.

Poor Diesel! Fireworks and loud noises can be really scary for dogs. One important thing to do to when your dog acts scared is not to reassure him. We think we are comforting him when we do that, but it's actually reinforcing the behavior and telling him it's ok to be scared. I recommend getting him a thundershirt to wear when there are fireworks or loud noises. These have been reported to help dogs with anxiety. At home, you can put him in a dark quiet room by himself to self-soothe. You can also turn on the TV or music to block out the sound. Finally, you can consider get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety.

Is she food motivated? Using treats to entice and reward her maybe helpful. Also, seeking the advice from your veterinarian about using antianxiety pheromones and possibly medications may be helpful as she is adjusting. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.