Anxious puppy

[fruitphilosopher]

Hello everyone!
Our MS puppy Malik is 5.5 months old and completely won our hearts. He’s wonderfully smart and makes us laugh every day. He’s thriving in many respects and making progress in the areas that are challenging for him.

I’m writing hoping some of you great folks could share some insight on anxiety in puppies. I’m not sure whether Malik’s anxiety is a completely normal puppy behaviour or whether there is something we can do to work on it. It seems to be a very fine line for him between anxiety and excitement. For example, he loves walks, but when we’re getting ready to take him for a walk and he’s waiting, he gets anxious - yawning, panting, occasionally whimpering. When he recognises that we are going somewhere exciting he acts the same way. He adores other dogs (too much - we’re working on it) but he wants to play with every dog so badly that he cries and barks and pulls (if on leash) to get to them, and gets very upset when they leave. Today he actually bolted so fast to get to a dog that he broke off from the leash and ran across the street! Luckily he wasn't hurt but it was very scary.

He was a very fearless puppy until recently and still doesn’t seem very fearful but he is showing some fears - doesn’t seem comfortable with heights, he is fine being carried but grooming table and trolley both make him very nervous (he’s perfectly fine being groomed when he’s on the ground... but my back isn’t). He’s recently been nervous in the car and recently gotten really bad separation anxiety (he used to be fine left alone, we haven’t been leaving him alone very often or for very long and very suddenly he started being extremely anxious when left alone. We have always left him well exercised, with things he likes to occupy him).

He just seems much more nervous and wound up than any of his puppy friends. I'm not sure if he is just a normal, very alert schnauzer puppy going through a fear period, or if he is struggling. Otherwise he is a very healthy puppy, very well bred, fairly high drive and gets plenty of exercise and mental stimulation, he enjoys training, is eating and sleeping well, growing well, he’s rarely anxious or misbehaving at home... We are fairly firm with him but I think we are fair, we love him, he’s very bonded to us, and a very affectionate and sweet boy.

Any advice is much appreciated!

[zeta1454]

Hi Jan,
Malik is most likely going through one of the ‘fear periods’ which happen 2 or three times at different ages in the first couple of years of a dog’s life (sometimes just in the first year). He will also be going through adolescence when hormone levels can surge and have quite a significant effect on a dog’s behaviour at the time. It is a phase and he will pass through it with your support and care. Try not to make comparisons with other puppies as all are individuals and this period can be slightly different for each and can happen at varying times.

Keep on with training even when it doesn’t seem as though it is being immediately successful - be patient and consistent with him.

Don’t force him into any situation he is uncomfortable with at the present time but try to keep him distracted from whatever is worrying him, focused on you and stay relaxed and cheerful with him. Some of his fears if they have not been there previously e.g. heights and car travel may resolve as he matures and the hormone driven anxiety fades. As regards the separation anxiety, this is a difficult situation if you do need to regularly leave him. It may be one of those things which will resolve of its own if he was fine being left before but, if you are doing all you can to prepare him for you leaving and he is still getting very distressed, it may be worth seeing if you can either arrange for a dog sitter or doggy day care ( if these services are available at the current time?)

There are a couple of links here with some information (on the ‘second fear period’ but you can probably find more information online as well

https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Dog-Behavio ... ds-in-Dogs

https://www.rover.com/blog/uk/why-is-my ... eet-signs/

.

[Oscar 12345]

I had a very anxious pup too. The best advice I have is for you to be really confident with him and as relaxed as possible. Just no fuss you want calm. No "walkies" type excitement. Just walk to the lead and off you go. Talk to him lots, reassure that everything is ok and he will learn that if you are ok then it is ok. Keep training, keep with the safe exposure to those things that might invoke fear. Sit on benches and watch the world go by. He can't say hello to every dog, it's just not possible so choose which ones you think are appropriate and I find that letting dogs say hello then stand apart a little whilst you chat to people is brilliant socialisation. On the grooming table, really nice treats that he can and in the car just do lots of small journeys. In time he will get used to all this stuff and start to ignore it. So safe exposure to stuff and then the excitement dial reduces. They do mature beautifully if you are patient and keep relaxed.

[Schnauzerluv]

Hi Jan, I know exactly what you are describing re the fine line between exitement and anxiousness. My first two minis were the same and I didn't even recognize it as anxiety back then!

Fast forward 15 years, we have welcomed a puppy Ozzy. He was a seriously anxious pup I'm sure I've made some posts here about it. But at 8.5 months, he has come such a long way, my neighbor commented how nice and social he was!

I followed the excellent advice you got already. I used to take Ozzy in the back garden to get used to sounds and neighbours. I name the sights and sounds (birdies, neighbours, neighbour's dogs, people passing the property, planes, sirens, alarms, cars). It was sort of a no big deal, I was letting him know it was a normal thing and it's ok. All of this he was rewarded for remaining calm BEFORE he has to bark and alert me. I am acknowledging that he hears/sees it and rewarding for that so he never has to bark at it. It becomes like wind or night darkness, just something that happens.

I also sat in the front window with him watching people and dogs walking by. Again, I rewarded verbally for him to just "watch" (I did this verbally by calmly talking to him). Later we moved to the front porch, out in the front yard, closer to the street and so on. Each progression is made once the previous is solid. If at any time Ozzy reacted by barking, I have moved too quickly and I had to take a step back. Now he will play with another dog at the edge of the front property without any reaction. He does not bark at the neighbors dogs through the fence even if the neighbor's dogs do. Just calmy (happily) tries to touch noses and watches. He'll even (kind of creepily lol) watch the neighbor's playing with their dog. I can tell he's eager to join, but he doesn't make a sound and just watches.

Did you ever hear of impulse control training? I really think Malik would really benefit. I could explain it, but I was referred this video and it's just easier to refer you. I think it really helped Ozzy to control his exitement and take a step back, observe, think before he makes a decision.
https://youtu.be/DBmLFn6YyoM

I used to start with a round of impulse control before training sessions to help calm him and focus on me and what we are learning instead of trying to knock the treats out my hand lol. Laughing because that would NEVER happen now.....

As for keeping puppy alone, I'm still working on it. I'm building his independence as much as I can by encouraging him to sniff around outside in the garden, being in different rooms/on different levels etc.

For actually leaving the house, it was a very gradual progression. It started with me opening the door and shutting it. Then standing outside while Ozzy was sitting inside. Then close the door with me outside and walk back inside again. I literally yoyo'ed in and out that door 10 times a day. It became commonplace to Ozzy. Gradually the idea is to increase the amount of time you are "away". Gradually, it is important the dog does not react. You return to the dog BEFORE he reacts. Every dog is individual in how they will progress, for Ozzy we are still at 15-20 minutes.

It's difficult right now with Covid being home so much to teach puppy to be alone. At least it has been for us. But at least I have lots of time to teach this slowly and confidently. I have so much more to write, but I will stop there!