In-home and virtual training for anxious and fearful dogs across New Hampshire.
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Freezes, shuts down, or refuses to move on walks
Startles easily at sounds, movement, or unfamiliar situations
Avoids people, dogs, or new environments
Trembles, hides, paces, or constantly scans their surroundings
Appears “stubborn” or unresponsive when overwhelmed
If so, you’re not alone — and more importantly, there is a clear path forward.
These behaviors are common in anxious and fearful dogs. They aren’t signs of defiance or poor training; they’re signs that your dog is overwhelmed and lacks the ability to regulate their response to stress. With the right approach, these patterns can be changed, and many dogs learn to move through the world with confidence rather than fear.
Anxious and fearful behavior rarely improves by time alone, nor by exposure without structure. While these dogs often want to engage with the world, they lack the impulse control and emotional regulation needed to do so calmly.
When regulation skills are missing, fear escalates quickly. Dogs may freeze, avoid, or react unpredictably, even in situations they’ve encountered before. This is why progress can feel inconsistent or short-lived using common approaches.
Our training is designed to address this gap directly. By prioritizing impulse control before increasing difficulty, we help dogs develop the skills needed to navigate stress without shutting down. As those skills strengthen, confidence becomes a byproduct rather than a goal that needs to be forced.
Initial Assessment
We start by understanding your dog’s specific fears, triggers, daily routines, and environment. This allows us to identify where regulation and impulse control break down and what’s contributing to the anxiety in real-life situations.
Custom Training Plan
From there, we create a personalized training plan focused on impulse control, emotional regulation, and steady, manageable progress. The plan is built around your dog’s needs and your household, not a preset formula.
Structured Confidence-Building
Dogs are guided through carefully structured experiences designed to expand their comfort zone without overwhelming them. Progress is paced intentionally so confidence can build in a way that feels stable and sustainable.
Ongoing Owner Coaching & Support
Owners receive clear guidance and support throughout the process. You’ll always know what to work on, how to progress, and how to support calmer behavior between sessions.
Long-Term Confidence & Stability
The goal is lasting improvement — helping dogs remain calm, engaged, and resilient as their world expands, not just during training but in everyday life.
Free 15–20 minute phone call
Our anxiety and fearful dog training programs are designed to provide structure, guidance, and support throughout the process — not just during training sessions. Each program is customized to the dog and household, based on severity, routines, and what will best support real progress.
These programs are designed to allow enough time to build impulse control, emotional regulation, and confidence in a way that actually holds up in everyday life. Training may include a combination of in-home and virtual sessions, depending on your location, schedule, and what best supports your dog.
Between sessions, owners receive clear, step-by-step guidance so there’s no guessing about what to do next. Rather than being handed a short plan and left to figure things out, you’ll have ongoing support as your dog progresses and situations change.
Our programs are built to be realistic, supportive, and accessible — often comparable in cost to shorter, high-pressure training options, while providing significantly more guidance and long-term support. The focus is on steady, meaningful improvement and lasting change, not rushed timelines or temporary fixes.
In most cases, yes. Many anxious and fearful dogs make significant progress, and some of the most severe cases we see go on to experience full resolution. Outcomes depend on the individual dog, consistency, and the underlying factors involved, but lasting improvement is very achievable with the right approach.
Anxiety and fear-based behaviors take time to change in a stable, lasting way. Progress often begins early, but meaningful results come from allowing enough time to build regulation, impulse control, and confidence rather than rushing the process.
Yes. We regularly work with dogs showing severe anxiety, shutdown behavior, or extreme fear responses. In fact, some of the most fully resolved cases we’ve seen started as some of the most severe. Training is always adjusted to the dog’s emotional capacity and progresses at a pace they can handle.
Yes. Virtual training can be very effective for anxiety and fear-based cases because much of the progress depends on owner education, structure, and consistency in the dog’s normal environment. Sessions focus on guidance, planning, and adjustments rather than live exercises, allowing owners to implement training confidently between sessions.
Medication decisions should always be made in consultation with a veterinarian. In our experience, most anxiety cases can be resolved without medication using well-structured behavior modification focused on regulation and impulse control. When medication is used, it should support training — not replace it.
Yes. In addition to separation anxiety, we work with a range of behavior concerns including reactivity, fear-based behaviors, leash issues, and impulse control challenges. You can learn more about our full range of services on our dog training programs page.
Free 15-20 minute phone call
