Empowering Shy and Fearful Dogs
Cautious Canines
Private Training for Shy, Fearful & Anxious Dogs in Adelaide
Does your dog bark and back away from people or dogs, hide behind you, freeze or become overwhelmed in unfamiliar situations?
The Cautious Canines Program provides gentle, reward-based support for shy, fearful, anxious and easily overwhelmed dogs across Adelaide’s southern suburbs and Adelaide Hills.
We focus on helping your dog feel safer, build confidence and develop better ways to cope with the situations they find difficult — without forcing them into interactions or overwhelming them.
Is Cautious Canines Right for Your Dog?
Cautious Canines is designed for dogs who respond to stressful or unfamiliar situations by avoiding, retreating, freezing or trying to create more distance.
Your dog may:
✔ Bark and back away from people or dogs
✔ Hide behind you or avoid interaction
✔ Freeze, retreat or try to escape when worried
✔ Startle easily
✔ Feel nervous about visitors
✔ Struggle in new or unfamiliar environments
✔ Lack confidence around people or other dogs
✔ Become easily overwhelmed
These dogs aren’t being difficult — their behaviour is often communicating that they don’t feel safe or comfortable in that situation.
Is Your Dog More Reactive Than Fearful?
Fearful and reactive behaviour can sometimes look similar, particularly when barking or growling is involved.
Cautious Canines is generally best suited to dogs who are more likely to avoid, retreat, freeze or shut down when worried.
If your dog is more likely to bark and lunge towards triggers, become highly aroused or frustrated, or display more explosive behaviour, our Feisty Fido behaviour program may be more appropriate.
Is Handling, Grooming or Vet Care the Main Problem?
If your dog is primarily worried about grooming, nail trims, vet visits, handling or restraint, our Cooperative Care Program may be a better fit.
Cooperative Care specifically focuses on helping dogs feel safer and more comfortable during care procedures and is available through both private training and small-group classes.
Still unsure? Get in touch before booking and we can help you choose the most appropriate program for your dog.
Choose Your Cautious Canines Program
Both programs begin with a comprehensive 2-hour in-home consultation where we take the time to understand your dog, the situations they find difficult and your goals.
We’ll discuss practical management strategies, begin appropriate training and develop a personalised written training plan for your dog.
Both programs also include a “Nervous Dog” bandana, relevant training resources and support between sessions.
The main difference is the amount of follow-up support included.
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Cautious Canines Comprehensive
More Time & Ongoing Support
The Comprehensive Program is ideal for dogs and families who would benefit from more time to build confidence gradually and additional opportunities for coaching as training progresses.
Four follow-up sessions give us more opportunities to work at your dog’s pace, build on their progress, troubleshoot challenges and adjust the training as their confidence develops.
Includes:
1 × 2-hour initial consultation
4 × 60-minute follow-up sessions
Personalised written training plan
“Nervous Dog” bandana
Relevant training materials and resources
Support between sessions
Investment: $975
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Cautious Canines Standard
Personalised Support With Follow-Up Coaching
The Standard Program provides a comprehensive assessment and personalised training plan, followed by two sessions to help you put the plan into practice and gradually build your dog’s confidence.
During your follow-up sessions, we can review progress, troubleshoot challenges and adjust the training to suit how your dog is responding.
If you’d like more time and more opportunities for ongoing coaching as your dog progresses, our Comprehensive Program includes two additional follow-up sessions.
Includes:
1 × 2-hour initial consultation
2 × 60-minute follow-up sessions
Personalised written training plan
“Nervous Dog” bandana
Relevant training materials and resources
Support between sessions
Investment: $665
Our Approach to Fearful Dog Training
Fearful dogs don’t need to be forced to “face their fears” or pushed into overwhelming situations in the hope they’ll simply get used to them.
Instead, we focus on creating conditions where your dog feels safe enough to learn.
Depending on your dog’s individual needs, training may include:
✔ Building confidence through positive experiences
✔ Helping your dog feel safer around triggers
✔ Reducing stress and emotional overwhelm
✔ Teaching calm engagement and disengagement
✔ Gradual exposure at a level your dog can cope with
✔ Practical management to reduce unnecessary stress
✔ Learning to read and respond to your dog’s body language
✔ Reward-based behaviour modification
We work at your dog’s pace, carefully adjusting the environment and training setup to help them remain comfortable enough to learn.
Rather than simply trying to stop behaviours such as barking or avoidance, we look at why the behaviour is happening and how we can help your dog feel differently about the situation.
Cautious Canines Success Stories
“After 3 sessions with Lena, and us reinforcing the things we have learnt, Belle has responded to all the training and her anxiety has reduced. We highly recommend Lena and her Cautious Canines Program.”
— Therese and Belle“We have had the pleasure of working with Lena across two entirely different circumstances – private classes for an anxious dog and puppy college with our newest addition. Her depth of knowledge, experience and dedication to her craft is a cut above the rest.”
— Abby, Teddy, and Alby“We are amazed at how quickly the Cautious Canines program has already helped — not just Charley, but our whole family. We are all more relaxed, happier, and less reactive, and now feel like we finally understand what we can do to help him.”
— Meryl and CharleyFearful & Anxious Dog Training FAQs
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Yes. While every dog is different, training can help fearful dogs develop greater confidence and learn more comfortable ways of coping with situations they currently find difficult.
We’ll also give you practical management strategies to reduce unnecessary stress while gradually working on your dog’s individual fears.
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Yes. Fear of unfamiliar people is something we can work on through Cautious Canines.
Training is tailored to your individual dog and may involve management, reading their body language, creating appropriate distance and gradually building more positive experiences around people.
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Potentially. Barking can be driven by fear as well as frustration or other emotions.
If your dog tends to bark while retreating, hiding, avoiding interaction or trying to increase distance, Cautious Canines may be appropriate.
If your dog tends to lunge towards people or dogs and becomes highly aroused or difficult to disengage, our Feisty Fido program may be a better fit.
If you’re unsure, please contact us before booking.
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Yes. If your dog is fearful or avoidant around other dogs, we can work on helping them feel safer and more confident at an appropriate distance.
If your dog displays significant barking, lunging or reactive behaviour towards other dogs, please contact us first so we can determine whether Cautious Canines or Feisty Fido is the better option.
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No. We don’t force dogs into interactions or deliberately overwhelm them.
Training is carefully structured around what your dog can cope with, with the aim of building confidence and positive experiences gradually.
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Cautious Canines is a private dog training program available across our service area in Adelaide’s southern suburbs and Adelaide Hills.
Beginning in your dog’s home environment also allows us to learn more about their behaviour, routines and individual needs.
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Some dogs experiencing significant fear or anxiety may benefit from veterinary assessment alongside behaviour modification.
Where appropriate, we may recommend speaking with your veterinarian or working collaboratively with your dog’s veterinary team as part of their overall support.
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If your dog’s main difficulty relates to handling, grooming, nail trims or veterinary procedures, our Cooperative Care Program is generally the more appropriate service.
Help Your Dog Feel Safer in the World
Living with a fearful dog can be challenging, particularly when everyday situations that seem simple to us feel overwhelming to them.
With patient, individualised support, we can help you better understand your dog, reduce unnecessary stress and gradually build their confidence in the situations that matter to your family.