Our approach with Tanner focused on truly rehabilitating, therefore getting rid of, his resource guarding and aggressive behaviors, rather than simply “managing” his problems or avoiding his “triggers”, which we believe only contains and avoids the problem, not solve it.

Our initial priority was allowing Tanner to decompress in his new environment and get settled in. From there, Tanner was able to grow increasingly comfortable, trust us, and from there show his true colors, i.e. his severe behavioral problems.

Throughout his rehabilitation process, we focused heavily on waking up Tanner’s rather dormant play instincts, which is an all too common problem in the pet dog population. But in turn, waking up that side of Tanner would heavily build his much-needed confidence, emotional fulfillment, relationship-building, and help develop a consistent positive daily outlet. Rather than viewing Tanner's behavior problems as any sort of disobedience or misbehavior, we simply approached it as information about his current emotional state, learning history, and unmet needs.

As Tanner developed stronger stress resilience and a clearer understanding of how to successfully navigate everyday situations, we gradually exposed him to the scenarios that had historically triggered his resource guarding and aggressive behaviors. These exposures were conducted strategically and at a pace that allowed Tanner to remain as successful as possible, while learning new positive responses to previous struggles.

A lot of attention was put on handling exercises/tactile stimulation and situations involving physical interaction, because being picked up and manipulated had become significant reasons for his aggression. Through clearly defined leadership, previously built trust, and a vast amount of positive experiences, Tanner learned that these interactions like cleaning his ears, brushing his teeth, wiping his feet, etc. no longer needed to be met with defensive or aggressive behavior.

Over time, these new habits, emotional states, and prosocial behaviors replaced his old behavior issues. The goal was not simply to prevent his aggression or bites, but to help Tanner become a dog who no longer felt the need to use aggression in the first place.

By the end of his rehabilitation, Tanner was able to safely participate in everyday family life with significantly improved emotional fulfillment, confidence in himself, and socially acceptable behavior.