Worried About Your Anxious Dog? We Asked an Expert How to Help Him Feel Better

It's tempting to become fixated on what we see as "problem" behavior with our dogs, channeling our energies into "fixing" them. "Instead of looking at what we don't want dogs to do, work on what we do want them to do," Nichols says. Try strengthening their basic training with positive reinforcement. Knowing the basics helps all dogs, fearful or not, get through life. And while it may not be addressing stress behaviors directly, it may help prevent anxiety in the future and give dogs tools for coping with everyday life.