Q&A: All About Anxiety in Dogs

You Asked, We Answered: All About Anxiety in Dogs.

August 25, 2025

TLDL (Too Long, Didn’t Listen):

1️⃣ Anxiety ≠ Fear ≠ Reactivity – Anxiety is anticipation, fear is reaction, and reactivity can be rooted in many things (including excitement). They look different, and they call for different kinds of support.

2️⃣ Play isn’t always “happy” – Species-typical behaviors can be fueled by stress, so look for tension and avoidance before assuming needs are met.

3️⃣ Training choices matter – Basic obedience or “just let them get over it” approaches rarely help. Instead, focus on meeting needs, building coping skills, and creating a safe, predictable environment.

Episode Overview:

Wondering if your dog will “grow out of” anxiety? Or if a sit-stay will solve their fear of strangers? This Q&A episode clears up the most common misunderstandings about anxiety in dogs and gives you the tools to actually help.

Allie, Emily, and Ellen break down the difference between anxiety, fear, and reactivity; why breed stereotypes don’t dictate destiny; and how to tell if your dog’s “happy” behavior might actually be stress in disguise. You’ll also hear why some well-meaning training advice can make things worse and what to do instead to set your dog (and yourself) up for calmer, more confident days.

Links & Resources from the Episode

🧾 For full episode transcripts: Arial | OpenDyslexic
🎧 Episode #120 – Why Your Pet Needs a Safe Space (and How to Make One)
📚 Gardening, Wasps, and Anxiety
✅ Let me sniff! Nosework induces positive judgment bias in pet dogs
🎧 Episode #112 – Try It: Teach Your Dog “Find It” From Scratch

Going Down a Rabbit Hole?

Dive deeper into the world of enrichment, behavior, and building harmony.

Episode #95: How to Identify Your Own Ladder of Escalation
Do Dogs Grow Out of Anxiety?
Instagram: What I wish more people with fearful dogs knew…

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Meet the Hosts

Allie Bender, CDBC, CPDT-KA, SBA

Allie Bender is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed, and a Shelter Behavior Affiliate. She has been in the animal welfare industry since 2006 and professionally training since 2012. She is the founder and co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker.

While in the animal sheltering industry, Allie realized that her passion lied in helping pets with maladaptive behaviors. Specifically, she wanted to help prevent animals with rehabilitatable problems from being euthanized. She loves working with dogs and cats displaying stranger danger, resource guarding, and leash reactivity. Her favorite thing about working with pets and their people is seeing relationships grow and seeing harmonious households develop.

EMIly strong

Emily Strong is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Shelter Behavior Affiliate. She has been in the animal welfare industry since 1990 and has been a behavior consultant since 2008. She is the co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker.

Emily started working with animals at a young age and struggled with the notion that you have to hurt, scare, or intimidate animals to help them. When she discovered the behavior sciences and learned that it wasn’t necessary to do so– that we can care for emotional, mental, and physical health simultaneously– she plunged headfirst into animal behavior. Emily loves helping current and prospective behavior professionals and working with pet parents through our in-depth services. She enjoys working with all species.

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