Anxiety Causing Fear Aggression? Dog Training Case Study

Rescue dogs, especially older ones, can be challenging. They come from an unknown background and often come with unexpected behavior problems. Those who choose to take on the task of owning and training rescue dogs should be commended, but they also shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help.

At Hampton Roads Dog Training, we are well-versed in helping rescue dogs acclimate to new homes and new rules.

In fact, I recently had the pleasure of working with a one-year-old Boxer mix named Duke who suffered from anxiety and was in need of basic obedience training. His anxiety was turning into fear aggression, making it difficult for his first-time dog owner to interact with people or take him for walks.

We began the training with an in-home consultation, allowing me to come in and see Duke’s behavior for myself, draw my own conclusions, and create a customized training plan that the owner felt comfortable with. I knew Duke was especially anxious around strangers, and he proved it by barking and acting very stressed upon my arrival. For this reason, I observed instead of interacting. After a few moments, he seemed to calm down but never truly relaxed.

I designed a plan that would combat this anxious and difficult behavior through proper leash handling techniques and basic obedience training. The key to the success of this training was Duke’s dedicated owner, who was willing to perform the bulk of the training with my guidance, so Duke would learn to view her as the leader and listen to her commands. I use basic obedience not only as a way to teach a dog tricks or make them listen to their owner, but rather as a way for the dog and his owner to communicate. Proper leash techniques can also be a valuable communication tool.

This training program worked for Duke because we taught him as a team, away from stress-inducing stimuli, before attempting to introduce him to walks and strangers again. To see how we can help your pet, contact Hampton Roads Dog Training today at 800.649.7297.