Frenchie scared of everything/potty training regression

mueller213 · Mar 23, 2017

Hi! I have a female Frenchie named Zucchini. She is 1 year and 3 months old. Recently, she has become scared of everything, especially humans. Also, in the past few days, she has started shying away from her puppy friends that she sees on her walks. She flinches and pulls back as soon as she sees another human or dog in the lobby and will not say hello (she was very social and fearless as a puppy). Most people choose to ignore that she is clearly scared (I live in Manhattan), so they back off. However, they will still try to pet her and she tries to paw their hands away. Even when I go to give her a treat, she flinches, and will flinch as she chews the treat.

She has also been regressing in her potty training. I started leaving her out of the crate, blocked off in the kitchen, about a month ago. Yesterday she had two accidents (peed right next to the front door, then pooped and ate it and was spread all over the floor). This morning, I took her for her morning walk, but she pooped as soon as we got back inside, near the front door again.

She is the first dog I have owned on my own and I am at a loss for what to do. I took her to the vet last week, and they said they did not see anything wrong with her, but she is starting to worry me. I have never, nor would never, spank/hit her. She does not go to day care (only stayed in a kennel in December for 3 nights) and I do not have other roommates.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Jakeyjake · Mar 23, 2017

She may be going through her second fear period. Have you tried training her to help build her confidence? General obedience training may help with this as she looks to you as her leader and gains trust in you. I would also try to avoid overwhelming, traumatic experiences. It could also just be genetics with her. With regard to the housebreaking, I would go back to basics with her and start from the beginning and use the crate with perhaps an x-pen around it.

Alice Kable · Mar 23, 2017

:smileywelcome: to you and Zucchini!!

It sure sounds like something spooked her, I know Frenchies can be very sensitive and sometimes have weird behavior. Has she been spayed? Like [MENTION=600]Jakeyjake[/MENTION] said go back to the beginning with potty training.

2bullymama · Mar 25, 2017

Jakeyjake said:
She may be going through her second fear period. Have you tried training her to help build her confidence? General obedience training may help with this as she looks to you as her leader and gains trust in you. I would also try to avoid overwhelming, traumatic experiences. It could also just be genetics with her. With regard to the housebreaking, I would go back to basics with her and start from the beginning and use the crate with perhaps an x-pen around it.

:up: great avice