Another Question For You!

“I’d always rather work with an aggressive dog than a fearful dog.” – Cesar Millan

Well I shouldn’t put that in quotes because I don’t know the exact words he used, but I heard his message loud and clear: he finds it easier to rehabilitate, calm, stabilize and retrain aggressive dogs (e.g. with dominance, possessiveness, or guarding tendencies) than fearful or anxious dogs.

Although sometimes the methods Cesar Millan uses are unconventional and controversial, I have utmost respect for him and know he has personally saved the lives of hundreds of dogs with life sentences, and given new life and hope to countless more dogs and humans indirectly through his teachings. But I don’t get the above sentiment.

My experience is exactly the opposite. I love dealing with fear/anxiety cases because when the dogs are shown a little consistency and rewarded for bold, relaxed, vulnerable behavior, they change so quickly their fear just melts away and calm happiness remains! Certain cases of aggression – like resource guarding and prey drive – I’ve found much more deeply innate and hard to crack.

Do you understand or relate to Cesar’s quotation above? Do you agree with it, or have any explanation of why he might think it or why it might be true? Any personal experiences related to dog aggression or fear/anxiety?

Let me know, I’d love to hear!