Video

How old is she?

Hey Wits End, this is indeed a very challenging situation. Was your dog a rescue from down south? Just curious. Regardless, she sounds part-ferel. Many dogs are weary of new people, but your dog sounds like she's at a whole new level. Finding a way to accept her for who she is and protect her is going to be necessary. We can't change her personality nor can we delete any trauma she has been exposed to. There is no quick answer.

@@EverythingDog - we got her from our local shelter. We live in Indiana. We also wondered if she is was feral. She was found on a back road about 9 miles from where we live, so I have no clue where she came from. She was alone when found at about 3 months of age. Yes, we are kinda at that point. Just realizing all we can do is love her and protect her!!! It is a very stressful thing to go through, for sure!!!!! Thank you for your response!!!

I buy cooked, frozen meatballs from my local grocery store.

It will take some time for her to understand that you can go away and come back. When you leave her alone, always combine your departure with something great for her. A Licky matt czcams.com/video/dV3U_tavGM0/video.htmlsi=U0j3Hj5FShcJkebN, a brain toy: czcams.com/video/FVUAb91BmPg/video.htmlsi=tYI-2KbRv3KaWYel or a Kong: czcams.com/video/-yQHXMiJOgA/video.htmlsi=7YpTw2GUOhGes0Zp Good luck.

So sorry to hear that your dog is worried/afraid of thunder. Have you tried a thundershirt? czcams.com/video/DkohO0G_OrI/video.htmlsi=I-iKYbR4thdxT_a0. Some dogs require medication if the anxiety is too severe.

@@EverythingDog Thank you. I will surely try this out

Happy to help.

Hey Lisa, here is the link to get on the wait list so you'll be notified of the next Free Webinar: denisemazzola.com/aggression-webinar-waitlist/

This is indeed a tough situation. Are you 100% she was abused? Many of my clients think their dog was abused because they adopted them as a puppy, the same as you, did all the right things, socialized, trained etc, and still, the dog wants to "eat" anyone outside of their inner circle. Seems like your dog has some very nervous and shy genetics. Just like some people are more extraverted and others are more introverted - you can't change genetics. She needs a "stand down" space with lots of yummy treats to eat, where she can see your guests, but no one touches her. Your job is to keep her safe. It's a tough situation.

@@EverythingDog yes. I am sure. I rescued her myself. Her and my second dog. Thank you so much I’m going to keep trying because they are worth it.

Hey Chritine, here is the link to the wait list for our next Webinar: denisemazzola.com/aggression-webinar-waitlist/

Hey Lori, here is the link to the wait list: denisemazzola.com/aggression-webinar-waitlist/

Congratulations on your puppy! What an exciting time. You can start to feed him from the Kong. Just put his dry food in it and let it fall out when he hits it or moves it. Have fun with it and your new puppy!

Hi Samantha seems like you have quite a large "gap", meaning the puppy you have isn't really what you were hoping for or anticipating when you adopted him. It's a challenging situation to be in. A young dog/puppy who appears to be afraid of the world has a lot of genetic issues. You didn't make him this way. His mom/dad are also anxious and he may have experiences that have left a some trauma as well. Obedience training is not really going to help. Of course it would be nice if he would sit and lay down, but that will not address his anxiety. We teach something I call, Functional Training. Functional Training is about setting up the environment for success, giving your dog a purpose because for heavens sake, every breed of dog was bred TO DO SOMETHING, creating Patterns, and holding boundaries for your dog. You can book a 20 minute FREE Discovery Call here: everythingdog.as.me/20minutediscoverycall

Vanessa, your 9-week-old puppy is in a huge transition, from the warmth, comfort and security of home and littermates to being on her own! If you are going just for a short time as you described above, it's ok for her to cry. Our dogs can learn to be uncomfortable. And she IS learning that you go away and come back. Something else is to pair your departure with something amazing for her. The easiest way to do this is with food. Toss her 5 small pieces of chicken breast as you walk out. You doing great.

Hey Annie, so glad the videos are helpful! This will also help with house training! Keep up the good work!

Hi Cheryl, this can be so frustrating and embarrassing. Distance is your friend and can help to give your dog some relief and make her feel safe. Everyone likes to be far away from the scary thing. Also, carry super high value food with you. Chicken cut up, meatballs cut up etc. We have a youtube video on it: czcams.com/video/c9OmACnPTqo/video.htmlsi=GKV0dt7DHKsvt1ka we also have a free webinar at the end of the month on this topic: Dog Aggression, Fact vs Fiction, Learn Why Everything You've Been Told Isn't Working. You can get on the wait list here: denisemazzola.com/aggression-webinar-waitlist/

Let me know how it works.

Happy to help.

It really depends on how long you want/need him to be busy and of course, if it's too small, he may chew it. I think you'll be ok with either or one of each. You could have some kongs in the freezer ready for him. Good luck.

@@EverythingDog thanks very much!

Phyllis Im happy to help. Your dog will be happy as well!

Babette, this is a great example of how the dog's environment can clash with his instincts. He is genetically hard-wired to guard flocks of sheep, goats etc and in the absence of that, he'll guard the house. Add on top of that his herding instincts and you can also have some conflict within the dog. He needs to go off duty when you have people over, signaling that you have the situation under control and he doesn't need to do anything about it. Be sure he has other options to guarding such as a bone to chew. You can get on our wait list for our next Free webinar: Dog aggression Fact vs Fiction, understanding why everything you;ve been told to do isn't working. denisemazzola.com/aggression-webinar-waitlist/

Hey, 30 minutes isn't too long. What does your dog do in the car? Sometimes crating the dog in the car, AND covering the crate so they can't see things flying by can also help. You could try giving them something extra yummy in the crate as well to create a fun/positive association. Or try a thunder shirt. It can help with anxiety. In my experience, it either helps immediately or not at all. We have a video on that here: czcams.com/video/DkohO0G_OrI/video.htmlsi=TCR1ZBMl7UyuWyL1

@@EverythingDogunfortunately i can’t do crate. My dog barks incessantly in the car - she acts extremely excited to get in the car but when she’s in she just goes insane. Barking, running from window to window! When we get to where we’re going she’s almost unable to calm down for 15/20 mins. She’s a 7 year old golden retriever

@@SANEBLG Why can't you do a crate? The behaviors you are describing are often solved with a covered crate and something yummy. It contains the dog, and she can't see out the windows which can contribute to her emotional dysregulation. Have you tried giving her something super yummy in the car? A fresh beef marrow bone? A yummy bully stick (with a holder?) A Xlarge stuffed kong? Is this a new behavior or has she been suffering from this type of emotional dysregulation her whole life?

@@EverythingDog Thanks for getting back to me! Unfortunately, until I buy a bigger car, she's too large for a crate her size. I know that this is poor preparation, but Bella is a rehomed dog that I had to take in pretty unexpectedly so this is all pretty new. She's 7 years old, and one of the first things I was told about her was that she "hates the car". I have tried really high-value treats, but the moment they're done she goes again. She's also a little overweight and I would like to be able to take her in the car daily. My calming cap actually arrived about 5 mins ago. I will test this, and consider a thundershirt as u suggested.

@@SANEBLG sounds like you are doing the best you can with the sudden taking in of the dog. When dog's are overweight, I don't skimp on treats, I reduce their meals, just like I would for myself. If I eat an icecream cone I won't have as much dinner. It all balances out. Give her time to adjust to her new environment as well. Good luck

Hi John, I would look at your local pet stores and feed stores. If no luck there, then order from Chewy or Amazon. Thanks for watching.

We use a baby bottle brush and the dishwasher. Our dogs use their kongs weekly, so we clean them as needed.

Here is the link to register:denisemazzola.com/dog-aggression-webinar-o/ What is your biggest concern with your dog's behavior?

Here is the link:denisemazzola.com/dog-aggression-webinar-o/ What is your biggest concern with your dog's behavior?

@@EverythingDog she is afraid and barks aggressively at my husband and strangers (she is good with me and our kids). She is 5 months old; we have had her for 3 weeks. We think she had little exposure to the world/people and possibly was abused before we got her.

@@anndeardorff3834 I hope you can join us tonight (Wednesday) for our Webinar. Sounds like you have some genetics at play as well.

Hi Barbara, here is the link to register: denisemazzola.com/dog-aggression-webinar-o/ What is the primary issue you are having with your dog?

Here is the link to register: denisemazzola.com/dog-aggression-webinar-o Webinar is recorded so if you can't join us live, you'll receive the recording. If you can join us live, we have a special freebee we are offering only to those who show up live Wednesday night. What is your biggest concern with your dog?

Hey Paula, here is the registration link: denisemazzola.com/dog-aggression-webinar-o What is the biggest concern with your dog?

Hey, your poor dog. Im so sorry to hear about his past trauma. Your job will be to protect him from other people. He may never trust other people due to this traumatic experience. And it's a much bigger issue than I can solve on CZcams.

Hey there. Use this link to register for our Live Free Webinar: Dog Aggression Fact vs Fiction. Learn why all the things you've been told are not working. denisemazzola.com/dog-aggression-webinar-o/ Hope you can make it live as we are offering a special surprise bonus to everyone who shows up live.

You can register for the webinar using this link: denisemazzola.com/dog-aggression-webinar-o/ What is you're primary concern with your dog at the moment?

That is awesome. Be sure to be creative and have fun stuffing it for him/her.

hes 0 months old so there is still hope. our female dog which is 9 months old is fine shes just a little skiddish with loud noises as well as our male dog.

10*

Hey thanks for sharing. There are a lot of genetics at work here, given that Cane Corsos are guarding dogs. Remember, some dogs don't need "fixing" they need a different environment. An Environment that will set them up for success, one that will communicate to them that they can stand down, you are in the drivers seat, not them. We are opening the doors to our Revealing Your Dream Dog online program for aggressive and reactive dogs. You can join here: denisemazzola.com/dog-aggression-webinar-o/

Hi Diane, Here is the link to get on the waitlist: : denisemazzola.com/revealing-your-dream-dog-waitlist/ Next week, you'll receive an email where you'll be able to register for the webinar. watch your email and maybe check spam or junk as well. What is the biggest struggle you are having with your dog and what have you tried already?

That would be a great time to use a Kong. Be sure you try it out before you leave so you can observe him/her and be sure he's ok with it.

Hi Diane, here is the wait list link. Watch your email next week for the registration page link. denisemazzola.com/revealing-your-dream-dog-waitlist/

Hi Cynthia, here is the link: denisemazzola.com/revealing-your-dream-dog-waitlist/ What is your dog most reactive towards?

@@EverythingDog other dogs when we walk her. She wants to play with them and does crazy on the leash. We use a pull collar which really doesn’t help. It a soft pull collar.

Think of Kongs as a puzzle. Start easy with lots of quick success for your dog. GRADUALLY, make it more challenging. Be sure he/she likes peanutbutter. (Not all dogs do!) Also, you can use cream cheese, wet dog food, anything that will stick inside. Let me know how it goes.

I think I understand what you are saying here. Use a martingale collar that he can not slip out of, or use a slip lead and keep the tension on it so he can't slip out. Give him treats for being outside, OR take him to a different area. It sounds like something scared him and that is why he's running back inside.

Hey Darcy, here is the link to get on the waitlist: denisemazzola.com/revealing-your-dream-dog-waitlist/

Here you go Darcy. This is the waitlist link: denisemazzola.com/revealing-your-dream-dog-waitlist/ This is a link to the blog about Emotional Dysregulation: denisemazzola.com/is-your-dog-stuck-in-an-emotional-dysregulation-cycle/

OH MY GOD Lacie! This is HORRIBLE. Im so sorry that you and your daughter were so severely attacked by a dog! Dogs have been domesticated to live peacefully with people, not seek them out to destroy! I can not imagine seeing a dog attack my young child! And I couldn't agree with you more, some dogs are not meant for this world. I relieved the dog was humanly euthanized. I hope your daughter's wounds have healed, but it will take a long time for her mental/emotional wounds to heal...if ever. All my best to you.

@@EverythingDog thank you for your thoughtful response. Yes, she is physically healed and emotionally healing, she loves to tell her story and seems to use that as a strategy for healing. We actually got a mini golden doodle for our family in hopes of helping her love and trust dogs. They’re the best of friends. I like to tell my story in these videos because I always see comments from pet owners defending their dogs who have bitten. Although I understand their feelings, it’s something that should be taken very very seriously and caution should be used if you own and animal who has shown an aggressive behavior.

Sepia, anti-anxiety meds will be given daily. They must be weaned if the dog needs to come off of them. How old is your foster puppy? What trauma has she experienced? You may want to look at Jean Donaldsons' book Mine before you try meds. Some behavior work first will help you gauge if the meds are helping or not. Please remember, for some dogs, meds can make things worse, but you won't know until you try. Good luck and thanks for fostering.