Field notes · Dog training in Angier & Raleigh, NC
Why won't my dog listen when he is scared?
A panicking dog cannot pick the right option even when he knows it. Fear does not just feel bad, it removes the choice, so the panic has to be dealt with before anything can be taught.
In the trainer's words
Because of that panic, it produces the inability to choose a good option. That is why I can't let him practice the panic without some kind of consequence that produces some kind of clarity about what to do.Kelton, Head Trainer, Angier K9 Consultants
Seen with 2 dogs: Finn, Reaper
34 recorded moments, each one linked to the exact second it happens in a full training session published unedited. Trainers call this panic removes the ability to choose.
2:59
He has reacted badly to any pressure at all — even slight
4:59
"He looks like a prey animal" — learning to handle pressure instead of fleeing it
5:53
Too much mass to be panicking like that
6:46
"Panic jumpies" — going home, into the crate, and that's fine
0:04
Home Depot. "I don't ever expect Finn to be like 'people are my jam.' He has to just not freak out"
4:27
He lets people pet him now — I wouldn't touch him from the back
6:58
Whatever noise your dog will freak out at, it's in Home Depot. "And I love it"
10:54
You guys are in Home Depot? Like, I could never
13:20
Ten emotional states, tracked every session
16:39
All the way up, for the water
21:23
It sounds like off leash is an important thing here
23:46
When pressure hits, don't panic — do a thing
37:52
"This is an e-collar. It is designed to deliver a low stimulus electrical shock" — said plainly
44:46
"He would just eat whatever the penalty was" — the frozen dog absorbs the correction
1:51
What kind of sniffing is this?
3:23
Still hypervigilant — but better than earlier
5:42
Space to retreat, and still required to come back and do the thing
6:30
The other S-tier option: physical exercise
Related questions
Recognize your own dog in this?
Most people who call us have already been told their dog is a lost cause, or that they should manage it and hope. We train dogs in Angier, Raleigh and across the Triangle, and we take the serious aggression and reactivity cases that other programs turn down.
How it works: tell us what your dog is actually doing. We tell you honestly whether we can help, including when the answer is no. If we can, you leave with a plan and a start date.
What you get back is a dog whose world gets bigger instead of smaller.
Book a free consultation