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Hey Everyone – I’m really hoping for some advice or reassurance. We have a 4-month-old golden retriever who is absolutely terrified of going outside. We literally have to carry him out of the house just so he’ll go potty. Even with treats, he’s hesitant and often refuses to move.

Once he’s outside, any small noise sets him off — he’ll panic and sprint back to the door. He completely freezes on walks and won’t budge, no matter how patient or encouraging we try to be. I don’t want to pull him, but at 35 pounds already, it’s getting really tough to carry him every time.

His anxiety feels extreme, and I’m honestly starting to worry that this might be a lifelong issue or something that might require medication down the road. We’ve tried taking him to the beach (he was petrified the whole time) and to puppy social classes, but he just hides under our chairs the entire session.

We live in an apartment in Chicago — while the city can be noisy, our immediate neighborhood is actually pretty quiet. Still, he just seems overwhelmed by everything once we step outside.

Has anyone else dealt with this level of fear or anxiety in a young puppy? Did your dog grow out of it, or did anything specific help? I’d love to hear any advice, tips, or success stories. I just want to help him feel safe and confident outside.

Hi! We got a 16 week old puppy on Sunday. He has been adjusting a lot better than we thought! He was comfortable around us almost right away, loves to play and cuddle with us, has been sleeping through the night already, etc.

He stayed with a trainer for a couple extra months, so he has a good foundation. He likes his crate and generally has no problems sleeping in there overnight or for naps. However, we always need to be next to him. I either need to sit on the floor by his crate or lay on the couch which is right next to the crate and he can see me from there. I can’t even go to the kitchen, which is still very close and visible from his crate.

Today I just tried to tough it out while I went to the bathroom for a minute, and he barked and cried the whole time. When I came out I sat next to the crate but didn’t give him any attention, and then gave him a treat once he settled. How should I continue introducing alone time? I don’t want to stress him out, and I don’t want him to hurt himself when he’s scratching at the crate, but I also don’t want to come back right away and make him think if he cries I’ll come back (reinforcing the behavior).

I know this is relatively normal for puppies. But our last dog had really bad separation anxiety, so I want to make sure I address it before it’s too late. We do have a check in scheduled with the trainer, but want to start working on it asap. Or, should I left him adjust to us and his new home for the week and start that next week?

Hi this is my first post so please bear with me! I recently adopted a dog on Friday and picked her up on Sunday at the shelter after she got her spay surgery. I have taken her out a few times since we've gotten home and she's peed outside though it did take some time since is terrified of outside but it went just fine up until today. She has eaten and drank from her food and water bowl like normal but, when I begin to take her outside she shuts down and starts shaking, crying, and panting till we're back in my place. Any advice would be helpful for me to get her to go to the restroom and also calm her fears? Thank you in advance

My dog is here too but she isn't winning but honestly Tripp is cute and deserves to take first prize https://beta.petwrk.app/popular-pets

Hello reddit, I am hoping to get some advice. My wife and I rescued a pitbull mix, at the time she was 5.5 months and about 27 lbs, she is now 8.5 months and about 45 lbs. She's a healthy pup, and we have a trainer who has helped us with her behavior. We usually crate her for the evening between 8 and 9pm, and she's up at 6am during the work week, and on weekends we get up around 7 or 8 am. She sleeps through the night with no issue. Perhaps this is why I'm perplexed about her daytime crating. She isn't trained to enter the crate on command, but she will allow us to place her in the crate, or she'll follow a treat into the crate. Once inside she will settle, and not come out until we call her out. The issue lies in the length of time she'll stay in crate – I've tried keeping her out in the morning until 8am, 9am, and even 930am – this means she'll have as much as 3.5 hours out of the crate in the morning. This was our 3rd round of attempts to daytime crate her, and each attempt has resulted in a reduction of time in the crate from 3 hours, to 2 hours, to at times less than one hour. Each attempt is usually 5 or 6 days in a row and then one or days off. She paws at the door of the crate and/or barks and cries. I usually cave in after about 10 minutes. She doesn't hurt herself or try to escape. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could extend this daytime crate season to 4 or 5 hours, I will need to be able to go back to the office soon, and my wife is a teacher and has to be at work. Our trainer does have a program that we're technically on step 2 of 3, but the issue isn't getting her in the crate, it's the amount of time. I haven't yet left the house with her in the crate. It's been 90 days. Send help lol. Am I giving in too quickly? The crate is in our bedroom. Apologies for the scattered thoughts, just wanted to include all info.

Hi everyone! My partner and I are thinking about adopting a dog. We each have had our own family dog but never one of our own. We live in a big city in a third-floor apartment with no elevator. I’m curious how others have navigated similar situations. If you’ve gotten a puppy for the first time, especially in an apartment or a city setting, what was that experience like for you? I know one of the biggest adjustments for us will be the daily routine. How often were you taking your puppy out during the early stages, and how did you manage that without an elevator? How did your puppy handle potty training in that type of setup, and did the city environment (noises, traffic, crowds) affect their behavior or confidence?

Also, curious what was the most rewarding part of those early days for you And what was unexpectedly difficult? If you went through this with a partner, I’d love to hear how you navigated it together. How did you split responsibilities like nighttime potty breaks, training sessions, or handling those extra challenging moments? Did it bring you closer or test your patience a bit?

Any tips, relatable stories, or "wish I had known this sooner" advice would be super appreciated. Thank you!