Chaos and the fearful dog.

Fearful dogs struggle in chaos. Heck, most dogs struggle if they live in chaos. Well, really the same is true for people too. When a fearful, nervous, or anxious dog is brought into a home with too much freedom and lots of chaos, they often become even more insecure and sometimes try to control the living environment. Dogs do this if they think something needs to be done to get things in order. Sometimes it comes in the form of resource guarding, sometimes they will fight with other dogs, sometimes they will stop cooperating with anything the human asks of them, or they might become territorial and try to protect the home. Even too much freedom and chaos on the walk can lead to dogs becoming reactive, barking and lunging on leash.
So what’s needed to help these guys? A strict teacher/leader/coach who will see beyond their fear and hold them accountable. Someone who will not feel sorry for them in their moments of weakness, but will see their true potential. Someone who respects their fear and moves at a pace they can handle, while always striving for just a little better. Someone willing to implement a strict routine for all the dogs in the house. Someone willing to advocate and keep strangers and strange dogs away. Someone willing to keep the children in the home under control and gentle with the dog. Someone willing to muzzle the dog if necessary but still provide enriching life experiences. Somebody willing to correct them just like they would any other dog for bad behavior. Someone willing to get help from a trainer if things aren’t working. A person willing to refrain from giving affection when the dog is fearful. Someone who won’t give up on them. Someone with a ton of patience or who’s willing to become more patient.
Once these dogs have a safe, secure, predictable, environment they are much more likely to thrive! Implement a routine and get started today, your dog will thank you for it!