Did I traumatize my pet after an accident?
Sudden accidents like getting locked out in the rain or experiencing a painful bite trigger intense guilt and anxiety about permanently damaging the animal's trust. This fear often makes owners overly wary, distant, or hesitant to resume normal physical contact and favorite routines like sunbathing.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- This comes up 18.3× more often in r/puppy101 than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1seeking reassurance from online communitiesDid this help you?
- 2talking to a therapistDid this help you?
- 3feeding and cuddling the pet to check for normal behaviorDid this help you?
- 4Keeping hands away from the pet's face temporarilyDid this help you?
- 5Ending playtime immediately when biting occursDid this help you?
- 6Intensive bite inhibition trainingDid this help you?
- 7Using a towel to scoop up the petDid this help you?
- 8Confining the pet to a hallway by closing doorsDid this help you?
- 9Coaxing the pet out with foodDid this help you?
- 10Using a hairdryer to scare the pet out from under furnitureDid this help you?
- 11Buying a new carrierDid this help you?
- 12Using Feliway spray in the carrier and on towelsDid this help you?
- 13Putting surprise snacks in the crate during the dayDid this help you?
- 14Rotating the crateDid this help you?
- 15Moving the crate closer to the bed at nightDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I just feel so guilty and sorry for her being terrified.”source ↗
“I just feel awful and she must’ve been so scared. I already have almost all my ocd thoughts surrounding her and I’m worried she won’t enjoy her sunbathing anymore cause she’ll be scared.”source ↗
“I always feel the same way, especially the piteous meows in the car… breaks my heart”source ↗
“I just really don’t want her to have anymore fear. Sunbathing has been such a joy for her as she couldn’t do it in our old home and I just would hate for her to be scared to do it now.”source ↗
“However now since the bite I can’t help feeling a bit nervous around her and slightly more distant.”source ↗
“Has anyone else had a puppy bite that hurt/injured them and then felt a bit wary afterwards?”source ↗
“The issue is, now he refuses to sleep in the living room on his own and only sleeps on the other side of the pen, far from the crate and close to the pen door.”source ↗
“He did sleep in the crate at night but kept whining (he did not whine like this since day 2 home with us) so my boyfriend had to put the crate closer to our bed.”source ↗
“now I am scared that he will not settle down with them during the day or for the night and that we will have to leave our own wedding early.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 13Why can't I stop worrying about my pet dying?
- 5Why does dropping your cat off for surgery cause so much anxiety?
- 9Why do minor pet symptoms cause such immediate panic?
- 11Why is my gray kitten turning orange?
- 8Why does my dog forget house training after the vet?
- 3Coping with a pet's terminal illness right before a major life event