Are You Correcting Aggression or Punishing Fear: Insights from Canine Behaviorist Will Bangura

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Unlock the secrets to transforming your dog's behavior with insights from Will Bangura, a certified canine behaviorist and owner of Phoenix Dog Training. Learn how fear, anxiety, and stress are often the hidden drivers behind severe fears, phobias, aggression, and reactivity in dogs. Will explains why addressing these underlying emotional issues is crucial for lasting change, cautioning against the temporary fixes offered by uncertified trainers. This episode promises to equip you with science-based strategies that build a positive and trusting relationship with your furry companion.

Join us as Will shares his expertise, offering real-world examples and professional advice for pet parents eager to rebuild trust and ensure their dogs feel safe and calm. Discover why punishment-based methods often fall short and how effective behavior modification goes beyond mere obedience training. Explore the pitfalls of quick fixes and understand why your dog needs a certified professional to guide you toward a better tomorrow. If you're ready to embark on a journey to genuinely help your dog, this conversation is essential listening.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, I'm Will Bangura, a certified canine behaviorist
and the owner of Phoenix DogTraining.
I specialize in helping dogsthat have severe fears, phobias,
aggression and reactivity, andI'm here to share with you some
critical information that couldmake a huge difference for you
and your dog.
If you're listening to this,you likely have a dog that is

(00:26):
showing signs of aggression orreactivity.
Maybe your dog's barking,lunging, growling, or maybe it's
even biting.
It's important to understandthat these outward behaviors are
just symptoms.
The real problem lies beneaththe surface, in your dog's
underlying emotional state.
Aggression is often driven byfear, stress or anxiety.

(00:49):
No animal goes into fight orflight unless they perceive
something as a threat, and theredoesn't have to be a real
threat.
This is why the right approachto training matters so much.
True behavior modificationaddresses the root cause of the
problem your dog's underlyingemotional state and the way that

(01:11):
they perceive triggers likepeople, other dogs or specific
situations.
When we change how your dogfeels about these triggers, the
aggressive behavior goes away.
There's no need for it whenyour dog doesn't feel that
there's a threat.
Unfortunately, many uneducated,uncertified trainers, who have

(01:33):
really good intentions, rely onpunishment-based methods using
shock or prong collars to merelysuppress the outward behavior.
While this may stop thebehavior temporarily, it doesn't
solve the underlying problem.
In fact, it often makes thingsworse by adding additional fear,

(01:54):
stress and even damaging thebond and trust between you and
your dog.
Then there's the allure ofsending your dog away to a board
and train program for one week,two weeks, three or maybe even
four weeks.
While that may sound convenient, aggression and reactivity

(02:14):
can't be resolved in just a fewweeks.
These are complex issues thatrequire time, patience and
expertise require time, patienceand expertise.
Many pet parents I work withhave tried these quick fixes
only to see the aggressionreturn time and time again
within weeks because the rootcause wasn't addressed.

(02:36):
To truly help your dog, you needa professional who understands
behavior modification, not justobedience training.
A certified canine behavioristfocuses on science-based methods
to change your dog's underlyingemotional response to triggers.
This leads to long-lasting,reliable change without causing

(03:02):
fear or pain.
Many uneducated trainers withthe best of intentions think
that they're correctingaggression, when in fact all
they're doing is punishing fear.
If you're ready to help yourdog and rebuild trust, choose a
professional with the rightexpertise.

(03:22):
Together we can create lastingchange and help your dog to feel
calm and feel safe.
Contact me today to scheduleyour initial behavior
consultation and start yourdog's journey towards a better
tomorrow.