My pitbull is scared to go outside. What can I do to help her?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Some dogs just do not enjoy going outside too much and it takes some encouragement to get them to go outside. Most of the time this is something that happens when they are scared or nervous about their surroundings. This is certainly not uncommon. A few things that you can try are going very slowly and reward progress. As your dog makes progress going outside, go ahead and reward Petrus with praise and also treats. Try to find fun things to do outside that your dog may like such as playing ball so that he associates going outside with something good. Before you know it he will get used to being outside. Good luck!

Is it possile to go out another door, or to a different part of the yard? If not, you need to teach her, in very small doses, that it is okay to go out. Do not baby her ("Oh, poor puppy! It's going to be all right.), or she will pick up on your tone of voice and be even more scared. Instead, speak to her with confidence (Come on, Lola, let's go out!). If she gets through the door, stop, rward her with a treat, and stop the exercise. Next time, try to get a very little bit farther out the door. Keep inching out in increments until she is comfortable going outside again.

I would continue to take her out on the leash for lots of walks, giving her treats to distract her if there is a noise or something that may scare her. You can also get an anti anxiety supplement at PetCo which may help her to relax. Usually this will improve over several weeks as long as there aren’t more scary episodes. Please contact a dog trainer if she doesn’t improve in a month or so. They can help you learn how to build her confidence and get her used to various things outside. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Harley.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes dogs can get scared even when there does not appear to be anything scary in sight. Remember that they can hear and sense much better than us so he may be perceiving something that is near which you may not. This can improve but it can certainly become a bit difficult at times. I recommend that you start taking him out for longer periods but very slowly over the next several weeks. Encourage him to stay out with treats and positive words. Also, in the beginning just take him out without walking initially just to get him used to his surroundings. Eventually little by little he will learn that going outside equals getting treats and attention and will improve with time but it does require time and patience. You can consider using the Thunder shirt for him which you may find online and can help a lot in these cases. Good luck and have a great day!

Dogs are situational learners and can sometimes make some very weird connections. I recommend to start clicker training her. You will also need some very high value treats or a high value toy. Whichever she thinks is better. Basically start in the house near the doorway with you and reward her for coming near you. Gradually work your way out the door. What you are trying to do is produce a positive association. It is very important that you remain calm and try not to get frustrated her as she will pick up on negative energy. You can also start feeding her in the back yard or playing out there to continue the positive association. Also give her positive reinforcement for looking at you frequently or when she is afraid. This will teach her to look to you for action. This will be a slow process. Be patient and keep her on the medication for now. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Most will outgrow this as they get older and more confident but walking with a friendly buddy dog and clicker training can help to work as positive distractions to encourage her to keep walking with you

This is normal for a puppy of her age. By tricking her though, you are slowing her learning ability and not helping her. The best thing to do is go outside with her and sit and let her play. AS she gets older and more comfortable, start moving around outside, doing your own thing so she gets used to moving and not paying attention to her. With age and training, she will go out on her own.