When dogs don't listen to their owners, it is often due to two main factors. The first is inappropriate environmental training (we don't call it socialization anymore). This leads to excessive excitability and reinforced engagement with humans and other dogs. The second factor is a responsive dog-training approach, in which the dog guardian cues behaviors--"sit" / "down" /" come" /"leave" / etc.-- in the middle of a difficult situation. In the latter, the basic training is rushed. Lack of...

Approximately 21.4% of the dogs I worked with in 2025 were either on anxiety medications or showed some aggressive tendencies towards a human. This does not include dogs that would lunge at other dogs when walked or that would suffer from their human's absence. Does that mean there is a dog anxiety crisis in my city? One report released in May 2025 by the pet insurance company Trupanion revealed that pet anxiety claims nationwide have increased by an average of 93% since 2019. According to...

A busy or small room gives your dog a feeling that escape is impossible. Would you be able to tolerate a flashing alarm light in front of your eyes for a few minutes? Or would you feel less anxious walking down the same dark, isolated, and litter-filled alleyway every day? This might be a common experience for your dog. Anxiety in dogs can build up and often worsens if not addressed. This phenomenon is known as "trigger stacking," in which repeated exposure to stressors increases fear, making...