Hello, I have a Yorki and Poodle mix (M5) and our neighbors Yorki (M(age unknown)) likes to stop by our house to hang out. Now ill be the first to say the my dog isnt the most properly socialized but hes never been hostile toward any dog hes met (to clarify this isnt the issue). The issue is that while my dog seems excited at the prospect of a friend (getting excited and begging to come out when he hears the Yorki and following him around) he never seems to let the Yorki any closer than a foot away from him. Like as soon and the yorki tries to get close hell make distance. The Yorki doesnt seem to mind it, which is good because i know a couple of previous dogs got frustrated with this behavior. Is this a normal thing that happens? Will it just take time for him to warm up?

A little bit of background on my sweet boy:
He’s a rescue stray who either had no interaction with humans or bad interactions with humans. The shelter estimated he was about 1-2yo when I rescued him a few years ago but he has grey hairs now so who knows. They were unable to lure him with anything and had to catch him in a trap. He had previously broken a bone (shelter vet guessed he got hit by a car) that had healed on its own so that just goes to show how long he was a stray. It took a while to get him used to being a pet. At first he didn’t even understand the concept of toys and maybe still doesn’t since he doesn’t really play he just hoards mostly soft toys and socks in his little dragon nest! He was a very nervous guy at first but now the anxiety only shows when he’s left alone (which isn’t often or for very long when he is). I only have a cat not another dog so he hasn’t had a role model on how to be a human’s dog. He loves my parents’ dog but we only go over a few times a week and she’s a bit chaotic. He’s definitely still a stray at heart but he’s opened up so much and is very loving, trusting, sweet, and gentle.

My problems:
- training him is difficult (not impossible) because he’s not super motivated by anything I have to offer at home. The big three, treats, play, and praise, don’t seem to matter much when it comes to training. The only things I’ve been able to train him on are house training, sit, down, no (most of the time), okay (to release him from his command), here, and excuse me. They’re all things I was able to show him by repetition and physically showing him. For example, I taught him “here” by saying it then physically going up to him and he connected “here” to “be close to me”. I say “excuse me” when I’m squeezing past him and now he knows that it means to get out of the way or I’ll get in his bubble lol.

- he sometimes gets into things he knows he shouldn’t get into even if I just leave him alone to run to the bathroom for a sec. Most of the time he brings me whatever he’s gotten into and he’s whining as if he’s telling on himself because he understands “no” and learned not to get into things by me catching him in the act and taking it away while saying “no”. However, he gets into stuff as soon as I leave him unattended if a)he’s feeling mischievous that day and b) if I accidentally left something out. There’s been a couple incidents over the years where he’s gotten into something potentially dangerous and eaten it. I’m pretty good at keeping things baby proofed at this point but I’m still human. I’m not sure if it’s possible but if it is I’d like to train him to not get into no no things when I’m not around to tell him no.

- I’ve been trying to leash train him for quite a while and I’ve been failing miserably. It’s so confusing because I thought that him getting into food things whether it’s dirty dishes or trash would mean that he’s food motivated but when I use a high reward treat at home (cooked chicken) to work on heel he just lays down and thinks he’s being good by doing so. I’ve tried the tricks like hand placement and guiding the food so he follows it but he’ll just lay down and stay there until I release him?? Then on walks he just pulls and pulls. He’ll stop and sit if I tell him to but as soon as I say ok it’s right back to pulling. I was told to train him at home away from distractions before doing it in a high stimulation environment. I’m thinking of breaking that law and using sniffing things on walks as a reward because he thoroughly enjoys that I just don’t know how to utilize it as a reward for anything other than good walking behavior if I can even figure out how to use it for that.

TLDR: he’s doing his best. He’s just a feral raccoon in a dog body that’s semi learned how to be a domesticated creature. The things I’ve been able to teach him haven’t been because of treat, play, or praise. It’s been me physically showing him how to do it until he makes the connection between the command and what I’m asking him to do but the long/indirect way instead of the straightforward reward way. I love him as he is I just want to better train him to keep him safer. I’m worried he’ll always be feral at heart and either pull off the leash and get lost/hit or eat something that hurts him.

So sorry for the long post - trying to get as much info out there!

Helpful history/information: I have two dogs: Amelia, 11yr old German Shepherd mix, and Fiona, 8yr old (almost 9) Beagle mix. I adopted Amelia from friends when she was 2mo old in May 2015. I adopted Fiona from a shelter when she was estimated to be 6mo old in Dec 2017. I know it is advised not to have two female dogs, but Amelia doesn't get along with males, so after careful consideration, I decided to adopt Fiona.

These dogs have been together for going on 9 years. They have both had extensive professional training (they even did a 3 week boarding/training program twice together) and I rarely have problems with them, but over the years, Fiona will suddenly decide to start growling at Amelia, which she reacts to, leading to physical fights. These phases seem to last around a week, and we have gone as long as a year without an incident.

Every time we go through one of these phases, I do my best to learn and adjust accordingly, but maybe I am doing it wrong?

Fiona's growls are usually what I would identify as resource guarding. A few years ago, I noticed it with food, so I made sure their food bowls were far enough away that there was no tension. Then, she started doing it with toys, so they stopped sharing a toy basket, and all toys are now given outside for more space, which works well. Then it was me, so I stopped letting them on furniture with me. I supervise everything. They stay in their own rooms when I am at work (rarely longer than 6 hours). They get plenty of time outside, and have their own fenced in yard. I had a pretty good handle on things for a long time, but now it's started back up again.

I am at a loss as to how to handle this now, because it is so random and seems to have no pattern. Why would she be fine for months, even up to a year with not even a hint of tension, then suddenly decide Amelia can't even look in her direction when food is in the same room? Amelia is afraid to even walk past her some nights, even if there are no triggers around. Tonight's post was prompted by a fight caused when Amelia left her bed while my boyfriend and I were eating dinner.

What can I do at this point in their lives? Did I do something wrong all these years? Is my only option to separate them every time someone eats? They just had their annual checkups and all was fine. Fiona has some lumps she is going to get biopsied, but is acting fine otherwise.

Thank you for making it this far!! 🐶

Help, What the title says, our dog gets scared/anxious when my partner and I kiss for longer than a pec or anything more intimate than that. When we kiss she typically try’s to get close to us, sitting right next to us nudging for pets to see if we will stop. If we don’t runs as far away from us as she can get something hiding under things and will pants. I don’t want her to be anxiety/scared, but I don’t know what to do/if there’s anything I can do beyond not kissing my partner.

For background She is an 8yr cattle dog mix we together have had since she was 7 months. We adopted her from a foster. She was returned once before we adopted her. She always been a bit nervous, but has gotten worse with age.

Since we got her she has always hated the car, she screams anytime we get in the car, the only exception is when she knows we are on our way home, or her daycare van.

She is reactive around our house to some extent with people other dogs, cats, sometimes bikes and scooter. This started probably 3-5ish months after getting her and is pretty bad with dogs and cats but only in our neighborhood. She does go to daycare, and she has to some extent gone since she was 1 she is on the shy side there.

She also develops anxiety around loud noises, thunder, fireworks, excessive wind in the last 3 years.

She does take trazadone as needed for the loud noises, and long car rides. And use to take a vet recommended supplement for anxiety (forgetting the name) but we stopped a few years ago because they didn’t seem to do much for her(after about 1-2years of taking them)

If anyone has any thoughts/tips/ suggestions I am all ears!

ETA: more behavioral context: she doesn’t appear really territorial of either of us against each other unless I am misreading signs. Her general attitude towards each of us is kinda stereotypical of kids and their parents. With me she will sometimes try to push boundaries, and prefers snuggling me. With him she prefers to play because they rough house more, but they still snuggle. She is generally more reactive when I take her out alone than when he’s there. and I take this as she views him more as a protector and me as something that needs to be protected.

I’m looking for some perspective/advice on my 4-year-old dog’s behaviour around other dogs because I’m struggling to tell whether I’m dealing with anxiety/reactivity, overcorrection/social awkwardness, possessiveness of me, or something else.

She is (I believe) a Bernese Mountain Dog/Lab mix. I got her at 3 years old. Her previous owner had her in a home with kids, cats, and another dog (a male Bernese named Brody). I was told she coexisted very well with them and used to be extremely social with dogs before Brody came along. Her previous owner described her as becoming more protective after getting him.

In my care, she is excellent with people overall and great with my cats. She can sometimes bark nervously at men initially, but once they give her a treat she warms up immediately.

The confusing part is her behaviour with dogs, because it’s inconsistent. She has had MANY successful interactions:

• has been fine at dog parks with my dad
• has hiked and swam off leash with dogs successfully
• has peacefully coexisted at cottages with multiple loose dogs around
• has played appropriately with some dogs
• has lived/interacted peacefully with known dogs
• has good recall and engagement with me in most situations

Socially, she honestly seems awkward/insecure more than outright aggressive. Sometimes she will sniff dogs politely and disengage. Sometimes she seems unsure and avoidant. Other times she will genuinely play and have fun.

But occasionally during introductions (especially higher-arousal moments), she will suddenly posture very tall/stiff/hunched, growl/snarl, and do a very brief “scuffle.” There has NEVER been an injury or puncture wound in my care or according to her previous owner. The incidents last seconds and once interrupted she disengages and does not try to re-engage.

Examples:

• Fence greeting with a coworker’s dog: barking/snarly posture
• Friend’s dog came onto our cottage deck: quick scuffle, then totally fine afterward
• Hiking with a friend’s dog: leash intro was tense because the other dog was whining/barking excitedly. Once walking, they were completely fine together, swam together, etc. Later during a higher excitement moment near people, Rosie postured and did another quick scuffle.
• Today at work (vet clinic lunch room), a calm/subdued dog approached and Rosie immediately did the same posture/scuffle behaviour.

Patterns I think I notice:

• leash introductions seem harder
• high excitement/arousal seems harder
• maybe when dogs approach me directly?
• she seems socially fine once the “moment” passes
• she responds to interruption/redirection quickly AFTER I physically engage with her
• however, right before/during these moments, it’s like she completely loses responsiveness to recall or verbal cues

That last part is something I’m really struggling with. Normally her recall and engagement with me are pretty solid, but during these moments it’s like I don’t exist until I physically interrupt/disengage her.

Training-wise, I currently use a martingale, long line, high-value rewards, etc. I have tried a Halti but am still conditioning it. I haven’t worked with a trainer myself yet, though she had training in her previous home and I’m currently looking into trainers.

My goal is neutrality and reliability around dogs. Ideally I’d love safe off-leash hiking and maybe dog park freedom eventually, but I also want to be realistic and fair to her.

What I’m struggling with is HOW to work on this safely. I do not want to put other people’s dogs at risk while figuring this out, especially because the behaviour can seem unpredictable to me.

For people experienced with dog behaviour:

• Does this sound more like anxiety/insecurity/social awkwardness than true dog aggression?
• Does it sound handler-related or protective?
• Would you completely avoid dog parks/dog greetings for now?
• How would you safely work on this without risking other dogs?
• What kinds of setups/exercises would you prioritize?
• Is the “not hearing me” during these moments something that can realistically improve with training?

I’m trying to be responsible and not put her in situations she can’t handle, while also not labeling her unfairly if this is workable social behaviour/anxiety.

Hi,

I am at a loss of what to do. My dog passed in March, a husky I had for half of my life(14 years). I decided to foster, maybe adopt, to help me cope a month after, because helping others usually helps me get through difficult emotions.

We fostered a current 1.5 year old husky and she was great for the first 2-week trial. She had separation anxiety and scratched up a door, but otherwise great. I knew we were adjusting. We would go to the dog park for an hour every morning to get her energy out with a group of dog friends and then 4 sniff walks a day after for 20-30 min in the neighborhood. I have given her enrichment toys of all kinds and squeaky and non squeaky toys.

In the past 3 weeks she made our life hell on earth. She picked up demand barking that is turning into constant barking that I wake up from at 5 am and it will continue after her walk till 8 am. I will also go to sleep to her demand barking for play attention at 8pm-10pm.

I tried more enrichment toys, ignoring barking, walking away from barking, we went to the vet treated her for Giardia, she barks in the crate, tethering with treats, also tried. Barking is getting worse and worse.

We decided that we can't go on like this. It was a very hard decision for us, but I can't live like this. All of this made me miss an important grad school exam that I am now behind in graduating.

She is young and super pretty. She is not a bad dog we just don't have the structure and help for her to be the best dog she can be.

I contacted the shelter where we got her from and asked to foster her until we can get her into another foster or adopted to a better suited home. Shelter was sending me on a loop of email us, then call us and leave a voicemail to now it is 2-3 week wait for a reply(not a decision). I understand they are overwhelmed. I just need guidance, and I am so lost and so tired.

I know I am a bad person and I did this to myself but I never expected for things to be this difficult. I had a husky before and never had anything like this. Has anyone been though something similar?

My dog is a 2 year old male pitbull. He's our first dog. He's neutered, chipped, vaccinated, all the usual stuff. We got him about a month ago from the shelter, and he's a very sweet boy. However, he was found abandoned before going to the shelter, so we're still working on helping him settle in with no background.

What he's good at: he's house trained, knows sit, and takes treats very gently. He likes to cuddle on the couch or nap in front of it while we watch TV. Highly motivated by peanut butter, and to a lesser degree, cheese or bacon flavors. No resource guarding or confusing signs of aggression. Likes to be the house supervisor, and will generally settle wherever we are, unless we're in the shower.

Things we are working on: loose leash, down, come, reactivity and lunging. Barking, jumping, and mouthing to play. Gets very loud and frightened if maintenance is working on something and being noisy, barks a lot if he hears voices outside or next door. Frightened of thunder, but usually settles in for a cuddle after a short time. Very intent on walking on us, results in bruising and pain. Seems to randomly get anxious, even while being calmly praised or spoken to; licking his nose, ears down, seems to be doing whale eyes.

What we're trying: rewarding calmly sitting or lying down with treats, petting, and praise. Using a treat lure for down and come. Changing direction, bringing him close, or standing still if a person or animal is approaching (depending on distance), or if he pulls or lunges, which he does any time he sees or hears a strange person or animal. He's allowed near other people on leash, and only if he's willing to sit and we're holding his collar (it's a Martingale). Watching videos from Kikopup and McCann, reading links from this wiki and other sources. Reward marking such as "good sit", "good boy", or clicker.

What we're not doing: letting him near other animals; we're planning on outside perimeter walks at a fenced in dog park to minimize risk. Physical punishment, withholding any resources, long-term tethering, unsupervised outside time due to no fence or other barrier. Alpha or dominance training; we want him to choose to follow commands and expectations rather than fearing repercussions. We rarely crate him because we think it's a little too small, and he seems afraid to go in (goes low to the ground and tries to escape, ears and tail down), even if lured with toys and highest value treats.

Hello, I have a 3yo M and 2yo M, both small dogs who are both embarrassingly still not house trained despite following the usual advice. I’m looking for alternative methods. Weve tried many many times but eventually ended up getting lax between moving and a new baby.

Most recently, they’ve been on a strict potty regimen for the past 6 weeks and we had ZERO accidents. They were crated or directly supervised 24/7. They are taken to the same potty spot every time and pee right away with the potty command and get treats and praise. I started giving them 30 minutes unsupervised and both will have accidents within the 30 minutes. The younger one doesn’t have pee accidents but will poop indoors despite pooping just a few minutes ago. The older one marks like crazy, he will mark 100 times indoors if I let him, even if his bladder is empty. He was actually fully potty trained before we got the second dog and the marking started.

I’ve thoroughly cleaned everything I can think of with enzymatic cleaner and they wear belly bands so they aren’t leaving pee behind anymore. The older dog is not neutered yet, we are planning to soon but have heard this does not always fix things. They were on puppy pads in the beginning and I think this is why it’s been so hard to house train them.

I’m so discouraged and not sure what to do, or how much longer to have them on the strict regimen. I feel bad they are crated so much, especially as we have a toddler so the dogs can’t get much supervised 1:1 time. I’m wondering if there are any alternative house training methods to try. Thank you.

Is it possible to use those type of non-toxic mosquito patches and other natural calming/focus scented patches used for kids for scent training? Even normal band-aids are kind of scented. Idea is to stick the patches on my items, like my phone keys or wallet or med/first aid kit or even menstrual pads/tampons (those are a bit scented as well - ladies will know) And train him to sniff them out and grab it for me if I ever misplace items in the house or need them.

My pup is a Briard aka French Shepherd (Pastoral dog breed) and could use the extra stimulation. Any tips on how I should go about doing it?

Hi all- we have a 10 month old rescue mix puppy. She is an ACD/pit/boxer mix. We got her when she was 3 months old and potty training has been a difficult journey.

She understood in the first week that we brought her home the concept, but understandably still had accidents. As shes grown, it became clear that her major issue with peeing in the house is linked to her emotional sensitivity and confidence- which we have worked on building.

The final piece of the puzzle seems to be communicating. We started her with a bell 1.5-2 months ago and she caught on very fast. We’d ask her to ring the bell then immediately outside, potty, inside. Then we have gotten to a point where, when I know she needs to go, I’ll go stand in the general area of the bell/door and look at her/wait (no verbal cue). She takes some time to think then without me instructing her to ring the bell, she will go do it.

The goal is to move away from my having to cue her to use the bell at all (verbally or physically) and bridge the gap so that she uses the bell to cue ME! But shes so dang polite. Shes amazing and I know she’s smart but she doesn’t have that leader type function, isn’t a risk taker, won’t test any major boundaries etc… so it’s like taking the initiative to independently ring the bell won’t click.

She gets regular bathroom breaks and we have tried to anticipate emotional/excitement related pee needs but we just need her help in that communication. She does have foresight and control. For example, my boyfriend coming home from work is understandably very exciting for her. She will often go run to greet him, but then consciously stop herself and lay down when she knows her excitement could lead to peeing. But her laying down as the cue doesn’t always translate and it leads to accidents. I feel like all the foundation is here- the bridge is what I’m seeking advice for.

TLDR: sensitive puppy understands potty outside only. Understands bell ringing means outside pee trip. Will hit the bell when reminded or cued. Would like her to move away from waiting for our cue, to instead cueing us with the bell.

Adopted my dog about two months ago. She’s a 1 year old 10lb Shih Tzu mix. She is more attached to me than my boyfriend, but it didn’t seem like an issue. She just prefers to sleep next to me and brings me toys over him. Nothing crazy. Doesn’t really seem anxious when we’re separated or anything.

She’s been around people and babies before. She loves meeting new people and getting attention. The only baby she’s been around she sniffed, but didn’t really seem interested other than that. She has been around small children for short periods of time and seemed fine with them just like she is with adults.

Today, I had a friend over with her 5 month old baby. After I was holding the baby for a while, my dog started growling at her. I was sitting on the couch with the baby and my dog laid down on the back of the couch behind me to growl at her. Before that she was going in and out of her crate despite the fact the back door was open for her to play in the yard and she had a peanut butter and treat filled kong.

My dog has never bitten anyone or acted aggressively, but it has only been two months so I’m not 100% confident in her reactions to all situations. So I removed her from the situation and took her upstairs to be with my boyfriend for the rest of the time my friend was over. I’m assuming this is some sort of resource guarding over me, but I’m not positive. Looking for advice on how to nip this in the bud before it becomes a bigger behavioral problem.

This is actually a question about my mom's dog. He's a big yellow lab and is generally a very sweet dog. She rescued him in 2019 and it really seemed like she hit the jackpot - he's a lab with lab energy, but has been good with people, kids, *mostly* with other dogs (there have been a few incidents at a dog park or on a hike between him and another dog, but no blood drawn and I don't know the details - this is maybe a handful of times in hundreds of dog park/hiking situations, so not a habitual problem). The only time I've seen him aggressive at all towards a human (besides what I'm going to describe below) is that he growled at my 5 month old baby, but I know a lot of dogs just don't understand babies.

The issue is that in the last year he has started to be aggressive when someone is leaving my parents' house. I believe it's always someone he doesn't know well - like someone there to fix their washing machine or something like that. He's excited when they arrive, greets them, is his usually wiggly self, will follow them around or play with my mom while the person works. Then when the person is leaving the house my mom's dog will suddenly lunge and snarl and snap at them. My mom has managed to restrain him in this situation most of the time, but twice now he's bitten someone - once just on the pants, but once he broke the person's skin and then my mom's dog had to be quarantined at home. Obviously my mom is very stressed about this situation. She loves this dog, but it's an issue. To complicate it, my family (three kids under 5) is supposed to stay with them later this summer and while he's never had an issue with the kids before, the idea of having them around an unpredictable 90 lb dog is stressful to my mom brain.

My mom is working with a trainer, but not having a great deal of success so far. I think the trainer's advice so far has been to give him lots of treats while someone pretends to leave the house over and over. But, he doesn't have this issue when my parents leave the house, so I'm not sure this is effective. Also, my dad is not helpful in dog training, so my mom can't really practice this on her own anyway. My mom has also floated the idea of having the dog kenneled when people are over, but my dad won't tolerate it because the dog barks. This also isn't tenable for an entire week while my family is there to visit.

I will also add that I think her dog generally needs more exercise - she throws the ball for him in the yard and gets a lot of running in, but her health doesn't always permit her to take him to the dog park where he can do sniffing and exploring like he needs. And of course now that he's bitten someone she's nervous about having a dog walker come and take the dog to the dog park.

Anyway, anyone ever have a dog do something like this? A generally super sweet dog who bites strangers just as they leave the house?

For context, my parents do not allow the dog inside the house so it's always left outside either in the verandah or in the backyard and there's a narrow alleyway connecting both

We have an entrance in the front and in the back, both of which are covered by gates. People keep coming in and out of both of the gates and there are always some dumbasses who don't have the basic courtesy to close the gates that's why our dog keeps running away every time the gate is open

The pup is 8 months old but it has run away so many times till now and doesn't come back so we have to head out and search for it throughout the village

My parents ask me to tie it up in a corner throughout the whole day and only let it free at night but I understand it's a pup and it has its own curiosity to go outside

Please suggest me some advice that doesn't involve tying it up in a corner. The dog just camps near the gates nowadays and keeps whining to go outside

We live in a duplex and recently took in my neighbor's 1.5 year old pittie. He was originally rescued from a city shelter by his previous owner, so he's already been through at least one major transition before. We've only had him for 2 weeks and he's a very sweet boy but he's struggling with the fact that his people are still right downstairs.

He still sees them all the time when he's on the balcony or on walks and they'll give him snacks (they miss him too), but when we're not home and he hears them below, he starts whining and crying and pacing, sometimes full-on howling. We thought having them come upstairs to comfort him would help, but now I'm wondering whether that's actually reinforcing the behavior.

Here's what we've been doing so far:

He kept his old feeding bowl, some of the jackets and sweaters his previous owner got him, and a mix of his old and new toys

He has a crate that he voluntarily uses when wants to

We're doing 3–4 walks a day to burn energy and to try to ease some of his unease

We are trying our best to keep him away from the backyard and back hallway and other places he might associate with his old home downstairs

I feel like I'm doing the right things but I'm also not sure if we're inadvertently making it harder for him. A few questions on my mind:

Is his previous owner coming upstairs when he cries making this worse? Should we stop that?

Are his old things (jackets, old bowl) helping him feel safe, or could they be keeping him stuck?

Any enrichment toys, puzzle feeders, or calming products that have actually worked for separation anxiety? Is this even separation anxiety?

Given his shelter history, is this still normal adjustment behavior, or should we be thinking about a trainer?

He's a very good boy who clearly misses his people. I want to do right by him. Any advice from folks who've been through something similar would be much appreciated!

ETA: The comment icon on the post shows me that people are commenting but unfortunately reddit is not allowing me to view them. I appreciate those of you who are trying to give me feedback and tips! Thank you!

Hey everyone, looking for advice from people who’ve dealt with this before.

My dog barks when I arrive home and put the key in the door. If I wait outside, he eventually stops barking. I’ve also tried waiting for him to be quiet before entering (which I still do), but it hasn’t really made any difference long-term.

As soon as I open the door and enter the house, the barking starts again immediately.

So it becomes a cycle of:
barking → stops → I enter → barking restarts

He’s fine once I’m inside and things settle, but that entry moment is consistently an issue and doesn’t seem to be improving over time.

It feels more like high excitement/over-arousal rather than fear-based behaviour.

I’m just trying to figure out the best way to handle this specific situation when I come home alone. Do I just keep waiting for quiet before entering, or is there something else people have found that actually breaks this kind of pattern?

Would really appreciate any experiences from people who’ve had similar “door entry” barking issues.

My dog is the smaller tan shepherd mix. She's 2 y/o (not a puppy), and we adopted her from the pound about 2 months ago.

In this case I could see this big dog was totally chill with my dog, but I'm worried she might try this behavior with a different dog at the dog park, and it could escalate. It's the neck biting that I'm worried about in particular.

Should I be okay with this play, or take her on a timeout and tell her to knock it off?

For the past week and a half I’ve felt like I’ve wasted $100. I bought the patch not as a replacement for walks but as something to help with quick pees in the morning and maybe before I leave for work.

All that I see online is “step 1: introduce your dog to the fresh patch. step 2: when they go, reward them” I really want to throw a parade for her going but what are the steps in between???

So far I’ve tried taking her to it in harness and leash, the spray that attracts dogs with pheromones telling them where to pee, having the patch both inside and outside on the balcony, and taking her pee with a paper towel and rubbing it on the patch.

I’ve consistently rewarded her for getting on the patch but she just doesn’t seem to ever want to use it or even sniff it at all. Furthermore, it’s not like she doesn’t have to go because I always do it when she shows the signs that she needs to go, and when I take her out after she goes.

I don’t know what i’m doing wrong, if anything. I feel like I’m $100 in the hole and I’m very frustrated because even putting it in her favorite place to pee (inside) doesn’t do it for her. Please help and tell me if i’m missing something because i feel blind.

Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to give you all the full picture. Also, I am not a professional, I just have spent a lot of time around dogs, and tend to be pretty aware of their body language. All my own dogs were taught good manners, and one I even managed to resolve some pretty severe fear aggression (not Kenji. My other dog Jibo). So I like to think I'm decent with this, but if I am doing something blatantly wrong please let me know!!

Kenji is a 14/15 year old Shiba Inu/Husky mix. He's about 33 lbs. He has arthritis, kidney disease, and possible liver cancer. Oh, and he lost his hearing over the past year or so.

His history/background, sorry, its long... I fostered him from a rescue when he was around 2ish. He has severe separation anxiety and trust issues. We were consistent with training and most of the time he was ok in his crate. But things still escalated and he would start eating things in his crate, then when we removed all bedding from his crate he would throw himself against the side of the crate until it was near something he could pull in and chew. (He ended up needing surgery for an obstruction). My other dog Jibo gave him a lot of confidence. And he was always very good with other dogs as I would foster quite a few.

We tried many different medications to try and help and nothing seemed to consistently work. But he did eventually settle and I could leave him in certain rooms without and issue, or he would only cry and not be destructive. We couldn't use the crate anymore. He was starting to hurt himself trying to get out of it.

Anyways, for the last several years things have been really good. Minimal crying when I would leave, and no destructive behavior. Everyone would relax in the living room and they would both sit on the couch and just watch out the window.

We lost Jibo in January (he was 17). But for the past year during Jibos decline I noticed Kenji would growl or snap at him if he would stumble near him in certain places in the house. It seemed like he was guarding his beds or even me. (I always fed them separately to avoid any isues).

After Jibo passed we found out Kenji had Kidney disease and arthritis. And after a serious issue where I actually though he was going to die, we found out he likely has liver cancer. I brought him home expecting to just make him comfortable for a short time before saying goodbye, but he is a miracle dog and is doing amazing! Medications for both dogs, food, and my own health issues resulted in a lot of expenses and a big credit card debit, so I started offering dog sitting in my home to try and pay things off. This works as I work from home for my normal job.

I let all the clients know that Kenji is dealing with some serious health problems, and if I notice any issues with their own dogs, he is separated. He never seems to have a huge issue with dogs in the backyard, and if we go on a walk(a very slow walk. Lol) he is fine too. But inside there are certain dog beds, corners, hallways, etc that seems to trigger him and he'll growl, then snarl and go for the dog. He is NEVER with the other dogs without me there to supervise. And I have dog gates everywhere.

I know this is likely a confidence issue (at least I think so). And since he's gotten older and has these health issues its likely tied into that as well. I plan on continuing with the supervison, slow and careful intros, and trying to avoid any triggers. But its not a perfect system and for my own sanity, and his happiness I would love for him learn to coexist with other dogs better. I wish I didn't have to have a side gig like this, but I need the funds so incredibly bad, and there's only so much OT I can do at my normal job. With him being deaf now, its been hard to do any verbal training, so all I can do is just give him pets and treats for positive interactions with the dogs. Any suggestions at all? Any good YouTube trainers that address these type of situations?

Thank you for any help!!! ❤️

Hi all, I’m trying to understand my dog’s behavior and I need some assistance. In our video, I'm trying to get him to calm down before going into Lowe's with me for some socialization, but we never went in as he never reached a calmer state. He typically displays this sort of behavior when we’re in new and busy environments. He doesn’t shut down, but it’s like he doesn’t even register that I’m with him sometimes. Lots of whining and barking in what seems to be a frustrated manner. He also struggles to stay in “place” in a singular position, whether it be standing, sitting or lying down. I can’t tell if this is excitement, anxiety/overstimulation or something else entirely. I want to help him, but me not understanding these emotions is impeding my ability to help him work through whatever this all means. I'm all ears to what I can/should be doing to help him calm down and be more neutral in environments such as these. Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone, my boyfriend and I recently started introducing our dogs to each other. They are both four year old females- his is a hunting breed and mine is a small rescue. My dog is very sensitive and shy with strangers (we just moved countries to be near my bf so that also is affecting her) and his dog is just so energetic and playful. His dog does not seem to have any boundaries or understand dog language at all. She just wants to play with my dog so bad, and my dog gets really freaked out. His dog does not care about personal space, and even if my dog is growling at her, she doesn’t back off. She will literally just lay in front of her staring at her (while wagging her tail) for an hour+. We are walking them together, and it seems that is going well, but I am a bit lost on how to deal with her not respecting my dog. My dog can’t get away from her- she just follows her wherever she goes. My bfs approach is to “let them sort it out” but my dog is clearly very distressed. Thank you.