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Anxiety and Aggression Training for Dogs

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At Sit Means Sit, we are proud to offer a variety of dog training sessions for all of our dog owners. Whether you are worried about aggressive behavior, obedience training, an anxious dog, or helping your dog get along with other dogs, we proudly offer training programs that are perfect for both the dog and pet parents. 

One of our training programs focuses on preventing fear aggression. Using positive reinforcement and other tools, we can help stop aggression in dogs and help your anxious dog be a valued member of the family.

Early Warning Signs of Fear in a Dog’s Behavior

Are you worried that you have an aggressive dog? Some of the signs of fear aggression in your dog include:

  • Yawning:

    Don’t mistake this as a sign of boredom. Dogs can yawn when they feel emotionally uncomfortable.

  • Disinterest:

    If your dog is not paying attention to toys or treats that they usually love, they may have anxiety.

  • Panting:

    Your dog may be cooling off if it is warm, but panting may also be a sign that they are stressed.

  • Sniffing the ground:

    When looking for fearful dogs, you may notice them sniffing the ground. This canine behavior allows them to focus on something other than their trigger.

  • Growling or lunging:

    Some aggressive dogs will go on the offensive, hoping to scare off the trigger.

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Using Aggression Training to Help Your Dog

While these aggressive behaviors can be frightening, you can keep your dog with proper training. Working with a professional dog trainer with experience in fear aggression and other issues can be the best choice in these situations. Once the underlying cause of aggression is found, dog trainers can handle the aggression in dogs and help overcome or manage the dog’s fear.

 

What is the Training Process for Aggression in Dogs?

The first step in training an aggressive dog is to figure out their triggers. Do they seem to get upset in certain situations? Is there a particular person who sets them off? Finding out the cause makes it easier to work on positive reinforcement training to help your dog feel better.

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What Causes Aggressive Dog Behavior

Are you worried about aggressive behavior in your dog and want to look into obedience training? Be aware of some of the following signs in your dog:

  • Maternal aggression: This is where the mother will be protective of her puppies.
  • Resource guarding: This is where your dog will guard their food or toys from other dogs.
  • Territorial aggression: Your dog will protect the area they see as their own. This can be a car or their backyard. It may be against other dogs.
  • Protective aggression: The dog will guard a human, often their owner.
  • Pain aggression: The dog will experience discomfort and defend against movement or touch of any kind.

Tips for Dealing with Aggressive Behavior

Following the right steps will help you know how to assist your dog when they feel threatened and can make it easier to prevent fear aggression for your furry friend. Some of the tips you can use to prevent aggression in dogs include:

  • Establish a Safe and Calm Environment

      When your dog sees a perceived threat, their fear aggression will cause them to behave aggressively. Dog owners need to work to change the environment, adding positive associations to help the dog feel more comfortable.

      Most dogs will feel more comfortable at home if their pet parents provide them with a cozy bed, toys, and a sense of security. Look for early warning signs to help prevent anything that will cause anxiety, like loud noises or unfamiliar people, until the dog feels less aggressive.

  • Gradual Exposure and Desensitization

      To help handle aggression in dogs, it is important to slowly impose any fears or triggers they may have. Starting with low-intensity exposure can help them get more comfortable with the perceived threat.

      Figure out what the dog’s fear is. Then, play an audio recording of the fear at a low level. Reward your dog with treats, praise, and reassurance when they are calm. This will help desensitize them while allowing the dog to have positive associations with that perceived threat.

  • Positive Reinforcement Training

      When you are worried about canine behavior, it is always a good idea to work with positive reinforcement for fear aggression, fearful dogs, and any time your dog feels threatened. Positive reinforcement is most effective for pet parents, and professional dog trainers will also use it.

      Positive reinforcement helps to encourage the desired behavior while also moving your dog’s attention away from whatever is bothering them. Most dogs will love it when their pet parents praise them, offer a reward, or give them attention when they follow obedience training and don’t show aggressive behavior.

      Fearful dogs can be difficult for many pet parents to work with. They worry about whether they will be able to handle the aggression in their dog and may choose training programs to help.

      At Sit Means Sit, our dog trainers can work on obedience training, fear aggression, and other negative dog behaviors that pet parents are worried about through our dog training program. We are excited to offer the best dog training program around to handle fearful dogs and aggressive behavior. Contact us today to learn more!

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Kari C

When I got my dog George i immediately enrolled him in puppy training day classes - once those were completed - he now goes to daycare at Sit Means Sit Dallas and absolutely LOVES IT! Great place and great people who give 100% to the dogs!!

Diana guerra

I love how friendly and knowledge everyone is. I haven't seen my dog with other dogs in such a long time. He's come along way. Thank you so much Sit Means Sit and all the employees there. I couldn't have asked for more. Extremely happy dog mom!!

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Loren Langenbeck

Absolutely love Sit Means Sit! My pup came in with low confidence and very timid and she has come leaps and bounds. I love the day training option, I didn’t like the idea of sending my girl off for weeks at a time, here I am filled in as her training progresses. Now she sprints up to the door, ready for school!

Jana Hofer

Clean place, reasonably priced services. My dog received play time throughout the day and I received an updated report card each day with a photo. They do have cameras that are monitored during the night so that there's always someone keeping an eye out.

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Mark Lefkin

The team at Sit Means Sit is amazing. They quickly identified the challenges my rescue pup was having and began addressing them immediately. I saw positive improvement within days. Everyone is so helpful and very responsive.

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Kym Cowart

My dog Enzo learned so much from his stay at Sit Means Sit and he fell in love with all the wonderful people that work there. He was subsequently adopted by another couple, bc he was my foster dog, and they claim, they have never had such a well behaved dog! Thanks Sit Means Sit! 10 / 10

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Terri Mason

We had a great experience training our puppy through Sit Means Sit all of the trainers were really caring and knowledgeable. This is our 3rd lab and the others were never trained, I already see a difference in just 7 months. I would recommend!

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Bonnie solitaire

Can not say enough great things about SMS. Trainers were all awesome gave me the confidence to handle my Tyson. They were patient and you can tell they love what they do. If you are struggling with a reactive dog give them a call it will be life changing for both you and your fur baby.

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