How to help a scared Mastiff puppy with anxiety and house accidents?

I'm sorry to hear that Coco is so frightened of being outside! Unfortunately, what you are describing is very common in dogs that did not receive adequate socialization as young puppies - all pups need to get "out and about" to see the world and have lots of different experiences during their socialization period, which is from 6 to 16 weeks of age. It sounds like Coco didn't get much socialization during this period, which is likely why she is so fearful now. It will be difficult to get her comfortable with the world at this age, but not impossible. You will need to take things very slowly and make sure that being outside is always a fun and positive experience for her - this may mean simply sitting on the porch with her feeding treats or playing with a toy for a few minutes, then taking her back in. You can work up from there as long as she is comfortable. Ideally, it would be best to work with a veterinary behaviorist on this - he/she can evaluate Coco in person and help you put together a detailed plan to help work on her anxiety. Prescription medication is also helpful for some dogs with severe anxiety like this, so you could discuss this option with your veterinarian as well.

You could try getting Sissy acclimated to a crate inside or a comfortable bed. Also, feeding Sissy all of her meals inside will help get her more comfortable with being indoors. Making use of an Adaptil collar for both Sissy and your Shih tzu may help resolve some of the anxiety they may be experiencing. These articles may be of interest to you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-select-the-best-crate-for-your-dog/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-crate-train-your-puppy-or-older-dog/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-ways-to-make-sure-your-dog-feels-safe-in-your-home/ Thanks for using PetCoach and best wishes to you and your dogs!

Oh dear, poor Axel! Some dogs have innately anxious and nervous personalities, and German Shepherds (it appears that Axel has a fair amount of Shepherd in him from the pictures!) are known for anxiety issues. Continue gently trying to socialize Axel with new people and surroundings, and offer small treats and gentle encouragement as he is introduced to a new situation. Some dogs also benefit from thunder shirts ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24037 ) for anxiety, as well as calming pheromone collars or diffusers ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=33000 ). If all else fails, consider consulting a veterinary behaviorist to discuss behavioral modifications to try at home, and possible anti-anxiety medication. I hope that all goes well!

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. I would recommend socializing her more and getting her out of the house and potentially into some training classes for dogs. You can also use the below products, which can be found online. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly! 1. Adaptil collar 2. Thundershirt 3. NaturVet Quiet Moments Calm Chews with Melatonin

Hello. I would start with an over the counter anxiety product like Zylkene. I would also start using a dog appeasing pheromone in the home ( room diffuser ) or it comes as a collar. The pheromone can calm an anxious dog without drugs. Adaptil is the name of this product. If this does not help over the course of a couple of weeks, you will need to talk to your vet about possible behavior modification therapy & the use of prescription medications like Trazodone. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

I am sorry to hear about Kaijah! This type of behavior is often due to anxiety. I would strongly recommend talking to your vet about anti-anxiety/ behavior modificatiion medication which can make a huge difference! Training will be so much more effective once this type of medication is started. While you’re at the vet, have him/her look at the feet. I see many cracked pads that are not concerning and do not need treatment at all. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Kaijah!