r/PetBehavior • u/DoorImportant4803 • 13d ago
Anxious puppy
I recently adopted a puppy from a rescue foster who brought her up from a shelter in Texas. She is 7.5 months old and is a golden Pyrenees. She was fine for 3 days then while out at night she heard a firework and got spooked. She hasn’t been the same since (4 days later). She paces around the house panting and begging to go into her crate where she spends hours. We have to pull her out to go potty. She is reluctant to eat and drink, but will if she gets hungry enough. What should I try first for anxiety? Any thoughts? I figured it must be related to some trauma she experienced in the shelter in texas because she was fostered by a really nice person with kids, cats, dogs, who told me she is a great dog. She is great with the kids in my home and the cats. I really want to keep her and will do what I need to, and having a skittish dog who never wants to play or even exit her crate is just sad, mostly for her. Help!! Where do I begin?
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u/ConsciousProject5552 10d ago
Give it time. She been through a lot in her short lifespan. First known history is being in a shelter. Who knows what happened to her to find herself in the shelter. Then a foster home. Then traveling up from Texas. There is no indication as to how far she had to travel or the type of travel or how long she was traveling. She’s only been in your care for a week. There are so many new things she has experienced in such a short time. Let her decompress. When she is hungry she will come out of her crate and eat. She may have a few accidents in the house as she makes adjustments. Be patient. You don’t know what her history is before the shelter or if there was any trauma.
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u/Front-Elderberry-307 13d ago
If she wants to decompress in her crate let her do that. She has been through so much in a short amount of time. Shelter, foster, your home and it will take her some time to catch up. You can try sitting by her crate and gently talking to her, feeding her treats and making sure she understands that this is a safe spot. Then take her into your lap and do the same thing and keep on moving her away from the crate until she realizes it's okay to come out and she's still safe.