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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
John-Paul Flintoff

Paw things: how to help your anxious dog

‘Dogs today are living in an “epidemic of fear” that started in the pandemic’: John-Paul Flintoff.
‘Dogs today are living in an epidemic of fear that started in the pandemic’: John-Paul Flintoff. Photograph: Dan Burn-Forti

When children get scared, we can explain that there are no sharks under the bed. Dogs, when they’re fearful, are harder to reason with. You may not realise how distressing this can be – and I don’t only mean for the dog.

My own miniature schnauzer, Peanut, became fearful this year. Her case may not be as bad as many others, but she’s my dog and I want to help her. So I called the animal behavioural scientist Dr Zazie Todd, author of Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog.

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