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My rescue dog is anxious, underweight, and won't obey. How to help?
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
so i have an american mutt i rescued from an abusive past. and i am having trouble with a few things. 1 is that she cant keep weight on her. 2 she has a lot and i mean a lot of anxiety she does just fine with me but she has more anxiety in the community. 3 she hesitates on listening to caimans i fear she is afraid i might heart her when i tell her to come here or go out side basic things like that. how can i help my dog she is my baby
1 Answer
Most Helpful Answer
Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on November 15th, 2018
1) I highly recommend a vet checkup to rule out issues such as parasites or a GI problem/allergy that could be preventing her weight gain. Your vet can also perform a body condition score to see if she is at a healthy weight for her size and help monitor any changes needed.
2) Since she is having a lot of anxiety and having trouble with basic obedience, speaking with a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person is your best option. They can work with you one-on-one to tailor a plan to help reduce your pup's anxiety, and a veterinary behaviorist can also utilize medication as needed in conjunction with a training plan. Training techniques such as BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) are great for helping desensitize dogs to the triggers that cause anxiety. This can also help with her fear toward you or other people as well.
3) Once she has settled in a bit and the anxiety is under control, a basic obedience class together may help so that you can learn to better communicate with each other in a safe, positive manner. This can also help the two of you bond a bit better and gain trust.
If you're interested in talking to a veterinary behaviorist, you can find out more info here: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/
2) Since she is having a lot of anxiety and having trouble with basic obedience, speaking with a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person is your best option. They can work with you one-on-one to tailor a plan to help reduce your pup's anxiety, and a veterinary behaviorist can also utilize medication as needed in conjunction with a training plan. Training techniques such as BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) are great for helping desensitize dogs to the triggers that cause anxiety. This can also help with her fear toward you or other people as well.
3) Once she has settled in a bit and the anxiety is under control, a basic obedience class together may help so that you can learn to better communicate with each other in a safe, positive manner. This can also help the two of you bond a bit better and gain trust.
If you're interested in talking to a veterinary behaviorist, you can find out more info here: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/
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