Do you have a puppy that is anxious?  If so, please take a few minutes to read about Dedicated Dog Training’s experience with fearful puppies.  We’d like to begin by letting you know that whatever we write about is based on not only our opinion but real-world experience of 15+ years of training lots of people and dogs. 

Before delving into the anxious or fearful puppy, we must first identify two (2) very important words; these (2) words determine the outcome of your experience with a training program.

Realistic Expectations: There are plenty of great Long Island dog trainers out there, but there are just as many that aren’t so great and let’s say can over-promise and under-deliver.

Any reputable dog trainer should inform you that anxious puppies have or lack certain genetics that training can not “fully” make up for.  It is not something that owners of fearful puppies want to hear, but something they MUST hear prior to deciding whether to enroll in a dog training program. 

At least that is how we feel.

Obedience Training is a MUST for the fearful or Anxious Puppy

A truly anxious or fearful puppy in our experience will never naturally be that outgoing, very confident dog.  As a matter of fact, there is a very likely chance as the puppy matures, it will turn into fear aggression. 

This is not to scare you, but to educate you.  You see, these are the dogs that not only REQUIRE obedience training, but they need “STELLAR” obedience training (probably more than puppies that do not exhibit fear) to help you control and navigate down the road through a potential not-so-great scenario that may arise.

We see too many puppy owners dismiss command training, this in our opinion is BIG mistake.  Having your dog SIT or DOWN in the living room with no level of distraction when your dog is relatively calm and not highly aroused or focused on something is not obedience, at least in our opinion.

Isn’t there more to it, than just obedience training to help the anxious puppy?

Absolutely!  Obedience training is to help you progress with a behavior modification program.  In addition, obedience training is the MOST important component to help improve your puppy’s quality o life as well as yours.

In combination with obedience training, you must have an understanding when to (and when not to) push your dog into new situations.  For example: there are times where your puppy needs a helping hand otherwise, they may never move forward with something that you’re trying to get them past.

And there are other times that you must ask yourself is it worth trying to push the issue and possibly create distrust or another issue.

A professional dog trainer should be able to help you identify what recipe to enlist for different situations.  So yes, there is more to it that just obedience training.  There’s an education component that is priceless (in our opinion).

What Kind of Results Are Expected with this Type of Puppy?

This is where it gets tricky.  There are so many variables that have an impact on results; this is one of the few reasons that most dog trainers do not want to get involved with fearful and anxious puppies.  Without thorough communication, it lends itself to a dissatisfied client, conflict between owner and trainer and confusion to the puppy.

One of the main reason we opened this article up with defining realistic expectations is because if owners of a truly anxious puppy expects their puppy to very confident after training – there will be disappointment.

We strongly encourage that any puppy owner that has a puppy that is fearful and wants help should go into a program with the expectations of “making things better,” not “fixing my puppy.”

Now this is easier said than done.  We get it!  But this is the TRUTH.  By many dog trainers will tell you what you want to hear it makes it more difficult for the experienced ones to try to have you understand that we NO training can replace genetics.

Have Questions? 

Have Questions?  Please comment below to receive a more specific response to “your” situation