Dogs exhibiting anxiety, fear, or reactive behaviors often display what seem to be exaggerated or unpredictable responses. According to a 2024 review, many of these reactions may stem from adverse early experiences (AEE) or trauma, even if that trauma is undocumented or poorly understood.
The paper introduces the potential for a trauma-informed care (TIC) framework to be applied to dogs, drawing on parallels from human psychological care. In human health, TIC recognizes how past trauma shapes future stress responses and emphasizes empathy, non-triggering environments, and support over discipline. The authors suggest this approach can be adapted to canine behavior management, especially for shelter dogs, foster dogs, or pets referred for behavioral problems.
TIC for dogs involves recognizing trauma-based responses rather than labeling behavior as ‘bad’ or disobedient. It encourages veterinarians, behaviorists, and caregivers to understand that problem behaviors may be coping mechanisms developed from earlier suffering. As such, evaluations and treatments must be carefully tailored to avoid re-traumatization, using supportive environments and gradual, respectful training.
The authors argue that protecting puppies from AEE, improving caregiver education, and offering empathy-based assessments can enhance canine welfare and reduce the risk of anxiety disorders. They also stress the importance of training handlers to consider a dog’s ‘window of tolerance’—how much stress a dog can handle before becoming dysregulated.
This trauma-informed framework could represent a major step forward in canine mental health care, shifting the narrative from blame to understanding.
Source: Claire Lorraine Corridan, S. E. Dawson, S. Mullan, Animals, January 31, 2024.
