Causes

• Dogs that are not properly socialized when they are young often develop behavior problems such as anxiety or aggression. These dogs are often left in a yard or tied up where they can only view what is going on but never participate. When this happens they do not know how to deal with certain types of stimulation as they have never had the opportunity before. Dogs that are beaten or neglected tend to develop these problems in a more severe way. They have not been treated fairly and thus become very distrustful of their surroundings.
  
  

Anxiety

• Anxiety for the most part comes from a lack of self-confidence in the dog. A dog that has been in limited environments will often feel uncomfortable when taken new places because the dog isn't sure how to deal with the new stimuli and becomes hypersensitive to potential dangers. The dog sees everything as a potential danger and can react inappropriately. When a dog has become overly attached to his owner he can also become very anxious when taken away from the owner as he sees the owner as his source of safety.
  
  

Aggression

• A dog that is nervous in her environment can act out aggressively when she begins to feel overwhelmed by a situation. These dogs will usually first try to escape before becoming aggressive. If they cannot get away though they will often try biting. Once the dog has found some success in controlling her environment through aggression, she will become aggressive more easily as she feels safer "on the attack."
  
  

Training

• When retraining a dog that is anxious or aggressive, it is often best to find positive ways of building his self-confidence as opposed to dealing directly with the anxiety or aggression. A dog that feels comfortable in his environment will naturally become less anxious and aggressive as he is no longer afraid. This can be done with the use of play and basic training with a praise or food reward.
  
  

Environment

• Along with training, providing a dog with a healthy living environment can lower aggression and anxiety. Dogs that are allowed to roam free in a yard are often more confident than dogs who are tied up all day. Providing clean fresh food and water along with a clean and comfortable place to sleep makes the dog feel cared for. Access to toys allows the dog to feel she has some things that are hers.