PUBLISHED: The effectiveness of various methods for the treatment of canine fears

Press Release - For Immediate Release

September 2022 – The Center for Canine Behavior Studies, Inc. is proud to announce that the Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research (Elsevier) has published their research paper titled, “An investigation into the effectiveness of various professionals and behavior modification programs, with or without medication, for the treatment of canine fears".

The paper was written by the CCBS team of Ian R. Dinwoodie, Vivian Zottola, and under the leadership of President/CEO Nicholas H. Dodman. The paper is second in a series, following the previously published paper, “An investigation into the effectiveness of various professionals and behavior modification programs, with or without medication, for the treatment of canine aggression” published in the volume 43, of the aforementioned journal in May–June 2021, pages 46-53.

The study investigated the most efficacious behavior modification programs, training equipment or techniques available to support the treatment of fear and anxiety-related problems, like separation anxiety, storm phobia, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study investigated 1,308 dogs whose owners (n =1,048) described as having at least one form of fearful/anxious behavior.

“Dog owners often struggle to find solutions for their pet’s distressing fears and phobias, like separation anxiety, noise phobia and social anxiety. Many owners of such dogs seek advice from friends, family, or the internet” says Dr. Nicholas Dodman, DACVB and CEO/President of the Center for Canine Behavior Studies.

In our study, owners sought professional help for 50% of fearful or anxious dogs. Nearly a quarter of the dogs were brought to a veterinarian for help: 15% of these dogs were diagnosed with a medical condition contributing to the dog's fearful or anxious issues. Overall, reward-based training, mental stimulation, and habituation were associated with increased odds of improvement. “Our study points such bewildered owners to the optimum approach for their dog’s condition: which professional to see, best behavior modification programs and techniques to employ to treat specific fears. Seek no more, this study details all the optimum approaches.” advises Dodman.

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research is an international journal that focuses on all aspects of veterinary behavioral medicine, with a particular emphasis on clinical applications and research. The abstract of the paper can be viewed here, at no cost: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787822000818

Contact:

Allie Tellier

Executive Director

allie@dogstudies.org

508-864-7857

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Center for Canine Behavior Studies, Inc. (CCBS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the well-being of dogs through research, education and support of canine behavior and the human-animal bond. The CCBS team, led by world-renowned Veterinary Behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman, discovers what behaviors lead to relinquishment and identifies ways to educate owners so that dogs and those who love them can live harmoniously. CCBS is a public nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization | EIN: 83-0908914