Helping Tipsy Feel Safe.

Dog’s communicate their fears in many ways-some cower, some freeze, and others, like Tipsy (This name has been changed to protect the family’s privacy), resort to growling, guarding, or even biting when nothing else works. Tipsy, a 7-year-old Lab/Beagle mix, was rescued from a hoarding situation as a puppy, and his early experiences shaped his anxious and reactive behaviors. His loving parents have worked hard to help him, but recently, his fear and resource guarding escalated-resulting in a bite that required medical attention. It’s truly disheartening how previous trainers have failed Tipsy and his family. As dog owners, we place our trust in professionals to guide us in training our dogs safely and effectively. Unfortunately, two out of Tipsy’s three training experiences were not only ineffective but also emotionally harmful, contributing to the behavioral challenges he faces today. Luckily they reached out for guidance one more time, hoping to better understand his behavior and find a training plan that builds his confidence rather than instilling more fear. This is Tipsy’s story and the steps we’re taking to help him feel safe and secure.

Introduction: Tipsy is a 7-year-old, neutered Lab/Beagle mix that his parents adopted from a store front pet shop (claiming to be a rescue) when he was a puppy. He was 3 months old and removed from a hoarding situation. Tipsy has always been anxious
around unfamiliar people. His parents contacted me because Tipsy had bitten
the dad a week ago when trying to remove a remote control from Tipsy while he was on
his dog bed. Tipsy has shown aggressive behavior in the past but has not bitten with
this amount of intensity where he’s broken skin. His dad needed to receive medical attention
with one stitch. Another incident was when a delivery person walked onto their property
to deliver a package to the front porch. Tipsy ran up to him and bit his leg. This
occurrence did not break skin. There were other situations where the kid’s friends were
playing with him or chasing him, and he turned and bit them. Never breaking skin. He
has been prescribed Prozac for the last 5 years by his family Veterinarian but has never been on
a behavior modification plan. I always recommend a behavior modification plan when being on prescription anxiety medication.

Training History: They signed Tipsy up for a local chain pet store puppy training class, but it seemed
overwhelming for him. He was flooded with unfamiliar people and other dogs, he was not ready for that much interaction all at once. They did not complete the training class. Two years ago, the owner of a local boarding facility helped out with a few training tips such as “Place” and “Relax.” Since his behavior continued, they hired a chain training business to come to their house to
train. The trainer instructed them to drop a heavy weight onto the ground (or yell at him)
to startle him when he showed signs of aggression. I am sure you all know what happened nexted. Using coercion only made Tipsy more fearful. Luckily Tipsy’s parents didn’t feel comfortable doing
this to him, so they stopped.

Evaluation: When Tipsy’s parents opened the door, Tipsy ran out onto the
porch to greet me. He sniffed my shoes, pants and coat. He jumped up on me to get
closer. I ignored him. We then went through the house onto the back patio where we sat
down. Tipsy was very friendly with me, initiating affection so I pet him. Once the treats
came out, his behavior became demanding (barking, jumping, paws on table) for the
treats. I was able to run with him, pet him, walk him on leash and train him without him
going over threshold or being fearful, aggressive or anxious. I did read his demanding
behavior as him being a little nervous. He had trouble sitting still.

Management Strategies

• Bedroom Rules: To prevent resource guarding incidents, Tipsy will stay in the game room at night instead of the bedroom. However, we will work toward reducing his stress around his dad’s presence so he can eventually sleep in the bedroom again. Prior to the incident in the bedroom Tipsy would end up going to the game room in the middle of the night anyway.

• Visitor Protocols: Tipsy should remain inside when delivery trucks arrive and be on a leash when visitors come over.

• Minimizing Stressors: Reducing daily stressors, including interactions that push him beyond his comfort level, will help prevent over-threshold reactions.

Training Exercises

1. “Find It” – A mentally stimulating game where Tipsy searches for hidden treats. This will be used to redirect his focus when he encounters stressors.

2. “Let’s Run” – A fun, emergency exit cue that helps Tipsy move away from potentially stressful situations, such as encountering visitors or children playing too roughly. This is a great way to build a positive association to a situation that could be potentially harmful.

3. Trade Instead of Take – Resource guarding is best managed by teaching Tipsy that giving up items leads to something even better. This reinforces trust and reduces the instinct to guard.

Behavior Modification: Changing Tipsy’s Emotional Response

Using Counter Conditioning and Desensitization, we will work on gradually changing Tipsy’s negative associations with certain triggers. The important step with this technique is to remember you are not rewarding the behavior because you are dropping treats non-stop. Rewarding the behavior would be only treating when the behavior happens.

Steps to Counter Conditioning:

1. Identify the distance where Tipsy notices a stressor but remains calm.

2. The moment he sees the stressor, begin feeding high-value treats (e.g., chicken).

3. Stop the treats when the stressor moves away.

4. Repeat until he anticipates something positive instead of reacting fearfully.

5. Slowly decrease the distance between Tipsy and the stressor over time.

Medical and Wellness Considerations

• A full veterinary checkup, including blood work and thyroid function tests, is recommended to rule out any underlying medical causes of anxiety.

• Prozac dosage should be regularly monitored to ensure it is still effective and not causing any other medical issues.

• At least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily (fetch, tug, brisk walking, or structured training) will help naturally reduce stress.

Understanding Tipsy’s Body Language

One of the most important aspects of working with an anxious dog is learning to read subtle signs of stress. Tipsy’s signals might include but are not limited to:

Lip licking

 Whale eye (seeing the whites of his eyes)

 Freezing

 Stiff body posture

Tail tucked under

Ears pinned back

No eye contact

Hard stare

Lips pulled back

Piloerection (raised hackles)

Body posture behind vertical, lowered

Avoidance

Recognizing these early signs allows us to intervene before he reaches his threshold.

Conclusion

Tipsy is a loving dog with significant anxiety, but his parents are committed to helping him feel safer and more secure. With structured management, behavior modification, and force-free training, Tipsy can build confidence and reduce his stress responses.

As we implement these changes, I will continue to support his parents, helping them navigate Tipsy’s progress until they meet with a veterinary behaviorist for a comprehensive assessment. With time, patience, and the right approach, Tipsy can live a happier, more relaxed life as a well-adjusted family member.

I give special shout out to Tipsy’s parents. They might not have known what to do, but they knew when to say, “Enough is Enough” when it came to using fear, force or pain to teach Tipsy how to live in his new home. Helping dog’s like Tipsy is never “fixed over night” We can only keep working towards building confidence and a strong bond so our fur babies can have a happy, healthy life. We will love them where they are at, at that moment!