How to stop my Pomeranian's aggressive barks when I leave or at night?

I would recommend taking Mia to the park and get her energy out of her. The more you exercise her and get her energy out the better. This will make her as tired as possible which will make her less inclined to have the energy to bark. I would also talk to your veterinarian about anxiety medication. This was a big transition for her and she may need time to adjust to the change. I am so incredibly sorry for your loss and wish you peace in your time of need. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Mia! If she is too upset to take treats, this means that you need to be further away from the things that are scaring her. Some dogs need a lot of distance at first! When you are far enough away for her to be comfortable, you can praise and reward her for calm behavior, then gradually work on moving closer as long as she's doing well. It can be challenging to do this on your own at first, so I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can work with you in person. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here (www.dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer here (www.ccpdt.org).

Hi there! Aggression issues in dogs can be really frustrating. One of my dogs sounds pretty similar to Sammi, so I sympathize. Many dogs that are showing signs of aggression are truly anxious and unable to control their emotions. Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications can be used both long and short term to help them learn to process their emotions while in a calmer state. Commonly used drugs for this purpose are Prozac, Trazodone, and Gabapentin. I would recommend calling your vet and asking if they see behavior consultations or if they have any recommendations for a board certified veterinary behaviorist (someone who goes to three more years of school after vet school just to study behavior). I would also encourage you to use only trainers that focus on positive reinforcement learning. Fear tactic training can make aggressive dogs much worse. A good trainer can talk to you about helping your dog learn to focus on you during stressful situations and better their impulse control, to minimize these situations in the future. I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I am so sorry to hear about Ivanhoe! This type of behavior is often due to anxiety. I would strongly recommend talking to your vet about anti-anxiety/ behavior modification medication which can make a huge difference! Training is often completely ineffective if the fear/anxiety threshold is not lowered. Once medication is instituted, training is often MUCH more effective. I hope this helps! Best of luck to you all!

Poor pup! Barking and vocalizing while you're gone is usually a sign of separation anxiety - this is similar to a panic attack that occurs every day when you leave the house. Shock collars should never be used to treat this problem, as this will only increase his anxiety and make things worse. I would strongly recommend consulting with your veterinarian about this problem, as most dogs with significant separation anxiety issues will need prescription medication in order to make any headway with treatment. If your regular vet isn't well-versed in behavior, you could also consider making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist for a full evaluation and treatment plan - you can search for one in your area here: www.dacvb.org In the meantime, you could try a DAP pheromone diffuser as well as a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to help with his anxiety. These will not be as effective as prescription meds, but may help to take the edge off a bit until you are able to see the vet.

Unfortunately, if Mia is not trained to be in a kennel, then being confined may be quite scary for her. I am attaching a link below with more information about crate training an adult dog. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1694 The key will be to slowly get her used to being confined in that area before you leave her. Be sure to feed her in there and take your time getting her used to it before actually closing her in the area. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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!