How to stop my dog from barking and nipping at guests due to anxiety?

Poor Vito! In general, we tend to treat this problem by teaching the dog to associate good things with people entering a room - often, very tasty treats :) My first thought is that you may need to use higher value treats if he isn't interested in eating them when you try this - things like chicken, roast beef, or string cheese are often good choices for this type of training. If he still will not take treats in this situation, then this means that he's too worried or anxious to eat - in that case, you will need to find a way to make the situation easier for him (possibly by removing him from the room until the person sits down and gets settled, then bringing him back in), or he may need anti-anxiety medication in the beginning to help. Since it can be difficult to do this on your own, it would be best to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can help you in person. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here (dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer here (ccpdt.org).

This is a difficult question, as the recommendation for which medications or therapies to start for anxiety are very individualized to the patient and the specific things that are triggering their episodes. If you haven't tried some over-the-counter therapies such as a Thundershirt ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/thundershirt-heather-gray-dog-anxiety-solution ) or a pheromone diffuser ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/thunderease-calming-diffuser-kit-for-dogs ) those are often good places to start. If these aren't helping you will need to consider consulting with a vet, who can prescribe Prozac or another anxiety medication, along with behavior modification therapy.

Hello. Much depends on what is the underlying cause of your pets anxiety. Noise phobias can sometimes respond to gradual conditioning to that noise. Training & training tools & toys can sometimes help with separation anxiety. Often, we turn to pharmaceuticals & supplements. I always recommend OTC products like Zylkene or Composure. These are natural supplements that contain ingredients that are not harsh or dangerous. CBD may help with anxiety, but you need to be sure the company you use has scientifically formulated their products to be sound. Canopy Growth seems to be one doing so for pets (https://canopy animal health.com ) & yes, this is the one associated with Martha Stewart. Prescription medications are often used, as needed or for help with behavior modification. Sileo, Trazodone, acepromazine & anti-anxiety medications like Prozac have all been utilized, but you will need to work with your veterinarian on these. Start with some of the supplements, like Zylkene & go from there until you find the right fit for your pet. Thanks for contacting PetCoach.

Poor Capo! It does sounds like he has terrible anxiety. I can give you a few things you can do at home for him. Loud noises can be very scary for dogs. One important thing to do to when your dog acts scared is not to reassure him. We think we are comforting him when we do that, but it's actually reinforcing the behavior and telling him it's ok to be scared. I recommend getting him a thundershirt to wear when he starts to appear anxious. These have been reported to help dogs with anxiety. You can put him in a dark quiet room by himself to self-soothe. You can also turn on the TV or music to block out the sound. Finally, you can consider get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety. If these things do not work, then I would have Capo seen by your vet again (or another vet for a second opinion) to get him some anti-anxiety meds.

Poor Ruger! It sounds like he's extremely anxious - barking at things like this is how dogs communicate that they are scared and uncomfortable. Especially in a 5-month-old puppy, this is very concerning because this behavior is likely to get worse as he gets older without proper treatment. There is also a significant risk that this may progress to lunging and biting when he is an adult, which is extremely serious in a large-breed dog like a GSD. Because of this, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Ruger in person and put together a detailed, step-by-step treatment plan to address this problem - success rates for treating behavior problems like this are highest when treatment starts while the dog is still a puppy, so I would do this now. Don't wait until he's older, or it will be much harder to make progress. The general approach to treatment for anxiety and barking like this involves teaching Ruger to be comfortable seeing strange people by associating them with treats and other good things - but for anxiety this severe, it will be extremely difficult to do this successfully on your own, which is why I really recommend seeing the behaviorist as soon as possible for some hands-on guidance. Medication may also be helpful, and the behaviorist can talk to you about this option as well. You can search for a veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are medications that can be used to reduce anxiety at times. These types of behavior can improve though this does require in person training with the help of a qualified dog trainer. I would encourage you to contact a dog trainer that can work with you and your pups in person to really take care of this behavior. The sooner these behaviors are dealt with, the more likely it is that you can improve and resolve them. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Camellia may have generalized anxiety, or separation anxiety. This can cause dogs to have destructive behaviors, such as chewing excessively, tearing up furniture or clothes, etc. I recommend consulting with your veterinarian about medications that can be given to help reduce anxiety at home, and make dogs much more calm at home. These can include Trazodone, Prozac, Clomicalm, etc. Many dogs tolerate these medications very well and can save them from being relinquished to shelters. I hope this is helpful! Please consider there before rehoming Camellia, as her underlying problems will not go away on their own, and changing homes can actually worsen her signs.