My new puppy is scared of my husband. How can they form a bond?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and for being brave enough to ask this question. The great news is that Callie is young! The best things I can recommend for bonding are training and play. Training doesn’t have to be rigid or be done for hours a day. Work on fun tricks together and if you feel that you (or Callie) is getting frustrated, stop for a break or try the next day. Training is so positive because it gives Callie clear expectations with predictable consequences and increases her trust in you as she learns to understand that you will react the same each time. Play is also important but obvious avoid any actions that she might be wary of. Eg, be sure to throw things away from her to fetch rather than toward her as she might confuse this with you throwing something AT her. In general, sqautting down to be at her level and keeping your hands mostly palm-up are helpful in avoiding scenarios that might make her anxious. Exercise in any form is good for her mental health and will decrease anxiety in general. I hope this helps and I wish you and Callie all the best in a brand new, wonderful relationship.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend that your boyfriend pets her frequently always approaching her very slowly and with a calm voice and demeanor. Also, it would help if he approaches her with treats. I find peanut butter in this type of scenario very helpful as it takes time to lick it off which will give him more time to pet her at the same time. Usually this works well. This will take time and patience but I think that eventually she will warm up to him. Good luck and have a good day!

Congratulations on your new puppy Callie! Things that can make Callie bond with you more are things like feeding her. Dogs bond well with the person who gives them their meals. Also playing with her, taking her for walks, training sessions with her...all the one on one attention will help. Your gender does not make an impact on your new baby! You may also see her preference switches periodically! Please reach out again if you have any further questions!

I'm so sorry Athena is scared but glad you are trying to work with her. Sometimes puppies have just never been socialized well or she may have had a bad experience. Start by try to figure out what About your boyfriend scares the puppy. Is he a much bigger guy, is he generally loud, deeper voice? Some of those things he can't change but some he could. Have him sit on the floor to be in her level. Let him feed her and give her treats. Right now have all of her interactions with him be positive. Some dogs may always be submissive to certain people. But give it time and lots of positive interactions. Having them take a puppy training class together may also help. Here are a couple of article that give you more ideas. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1811 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1751 https://drsophiayin.com/resources/dog_behavior/#fear%20period

This will take time to overcome. It's best if he ignores her, sits down and doesn't look or talk with her. Over time she will get used to him and hopefully then she will seek him out. I've had success reducing this anxiety with the supplement Solliquin. Taking Evie to an obedience class will expose her to new people and animals and help her gain confidence in different situations. Once she is trained if she enjoys walks you can start walking her on a leash and have your husband come along so she is focused on walking and having fun with him around. I have a dog who is also scared of my husband and it's taken over a year for him to start to relax. He does enjoy waking and will go with my husband willingly when on the leash. Be patient, Evie should relax once she's settled into your household. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Evie.

Remember that, while you thought about this dog and bringing her into your home, all she knows is that one day she was Here, and the next day she was THERE, with no warning or explanation. She is confused and frightened. Try letting her come to you when she's ready, instead of approaching her. Don't pet her for the time being. Just be a calm and stable presence i her life. Understand, too, that dogs have no idea what a "name" is, other than a familiar word that usually has something to do with her. Yes, there are things you can do to help her adjust to her new surroundings, but this is not a "one or two sentence" answer. If you would like me to work with you on it, just click on the prompt ot initiate a consult.

Katy is beautiful. Thanks for including a picture. A dog establishes a relationship with each person individually. So, your partner needs to establish a relationship with Katy. One good way to do this might be a program called "Nothing in Life is Free". It requires Katy to do what your partner asks of her in order to be rewarded. For example, have him feed her, but ask her to sit or lie down before getting fed. That way she is getting rewarded for listening to him. You can use this with all aspects of her life. She needs to sit when he asks her before going for a walk. If she doesn't do it, then she doesn't go out for a walk. You can use treats for this type of training to establish a good relationship between your partner and Katy. I would advise again disciplining her especially since she has a history of abuse. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.