My senior dog snaps at my partner. How to improve their bond?

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! At almost 14 years old Kissy is probably arthritic, can't see or hear as well and probably prefers to sleep mostly. A puppy may be a bit much to be thrown at her. I would suggest not allowing the puppy access to Kissy, so baby gate the puppy, have the puppy on a leash so she won't get hurt by Kissy acting out aggressively, start teaching the puppy "manners". Go slow with the introduction. Do not allow the puppy to keep going at Kissy with out intervening. Puppies are a lot and we do not want the puppy to get bitten. My advice is watch them, leash the puppy, separate them frequently when you can't watch them and give it time. Good luck!

I'm sorry you're having this challenge with Koyah. It is common that small young dogs will often be nervous around men. The key to their relationship will likely be to have your husband do some training with her. She needs to see him as a positive person who delivers lots of treats while training. I would also recommend putting him in charge of feeding her for a while, so she really associates him with food. Make sure that all training is positive reinforcement, so she only has positive associations with you husband for now. Hopefully doing training together will help them form a good bond. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

That has to be frustrating for you! Dogs have different personalities, and although most dogs are very bonded to their primary caretaker, some dogs seem to take that person for granted. Your dog might just assume that you will always be around. and these other people are more exciting. To increase the bond with Maximus, I recommend you spend quality time together alone. This may be walking, cuddling. or playing with toys. I also recommend working on training sessions. This will help teach him to pay attention to you. Here is a link that discusses teaching 5 basic commands. If Maximus is already great with these commands, look into adding more. Make sure there is positive reinforcement with the training in the form of affection and treats! http://www.akc.org/content/dog-training/articles/teach-your-puppy-these-5-basic-commands/ Training is a constant project, and can be a fun game for you and Maximus. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I understand your concern! Until you get to the bottom of this, for safety reasons, I recommend that Lily not be allowed around children. She should be put in another room that she can not get out of and kids can not get in. I recommend that you make an appointment with your Vet. At 8 1/2 years old she is approaching her senior years and new problems can crop up. Things like arthritis, UTI's and low thyroid. She could be painful or not feeling well but not showing you in the obvious ways. Bring urine and a fecal sample to the appointment. Ask your Vet to do senior blood work and evaluate her for arthritis. If her physical and blood work is normal then I recommend training and anti-anxiety medications. Sadly she never may be trustworthy with children. I wish you and Lily the best of luck!

At 13, it is likely that Meika is starting to lose some of her hearing which might be playing a role in what you are describing. I would recommend repeating some obedience training with her like you did when she was younger using treats for reward to get her excited about doing training again. I would also start training her with hand signals if you didn't previously do that to help her if she is starting to lose her hearing. Finally, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine her to make sure she doesn't have arthritis which is contributing to her not wanting to walk as much or follow commands. If she has arthritis, it might be uncomfortable for her to do some commands. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm so sorry you and Baby are going through this. It sounds like she has some behavioral and mental health issues that would benefit from medication, counter conditioning, and desensitization. I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist right away to schedule an appointment. Here is a resource for finding behaviorists: https://avsab.org/resources/behavior-consultant-near-you-2/ In the mean time, avoid her triggers. If she comes up to you to be pet, only pet her for about 15 seconds and then stop for a moment - if she reinitiates by rubbing up to you, pushing your hand, etc, keep petting (and checking every 15 seconds or so). If she just stands there or walks away, leave her be. That can help give her a chance to disengage before she's overwhelmed. Also, if she shows any aggression or fear towards your child whatsoever, it would be best to keep them separate until her consultation with a behaviorist. Good luck!! Let me know if this was helpful information.