September 21, 2026, 10:15 am | Read time: 9 minutes
Many dog owners mean well but can still harm their pets. Dog psychologist Marc Ebersbach explains in an interview which everyday behaviors overwhelm dogs, why fear is often mistaken for obedience, and how owners can recognize when their dog is suffering.
Marc Ebersbach has been working for years with dogs considered aggressive, anxious, or difficult to train. In his new book, “Last Resort: Dog Psychologist,” he explains why many behavioral problems are misunderstood and why some training methods can even create new issues. In the PETBOOK interview, the dog psychologist discusses where violence against dogs begins, why obedience doesn’t automatically mean a dog has learned, and what mistakes many owners unknowingly make.
“Violence doesn’t begin where humans label it as violence”
Many people immediately think of hitting when it comes to violence against dogs. Where does violence actually begin in your view?
“Violence doesn’t begin where humans label it as violence. It begins where the dog experiences it as violence. In the dog community, there are many opinions on this. But opinions don’t matter to a dog’s nervous system. It only decides: Can I still cognitively process a situation, or am I already emotionally overwhelmed?
Many confuse obedience with learning. A dog can suppress behavior and still not have learned anything. Real learning only occurs when the nervous system is still receptive.
This is where many people lack understanding. The daily leash jerk, constantly pulling the dog back, or scolding while the dog has already lost internal control during a dog encounter–all of this is violence to me.
However, setting boundaries for a dog or teaching behavior is not violence if it is done in a way that the dog can understand and process. And that doesn’t mean dog training must consist solely of positive motivation with treats.”
How much violence is behind leash jerking
What everyday behaviors cross this line without owners noticing?
“In my observation, leash jerking is the most common form of violence dogs experience in everyday life–especially when they are already completely overwhelmed.
Just last week, I observed a man who wanted to go into a restaurant with friends and his terrier. The restaurant was at a busy intersection. When the owner opened the door for the group, the situation was visibly too much for the terrier, and he pulled forward. Instead of helping him, the owner yanked the collar so hard that the small dog flew through the air. I spoke to him about it. His reaction: complete ignorance.
Many dogs repeatedly find themselves in situations that emotionally overwhelm them. They pull forward not out of disobedience but because their nervous system only knows flight. Jerking the leash at this moment punishes not disobedience but overwhelm.
It’s like someone with a severe fear of flying screaming during heavy turbulence–and I would slap them for it.”
“Psychological violence can severely harm a dog”
Can psychological violence also harm a dog? How does it show?
“Psychological violence can severely harm a dog. Some owners are unpredictable or constantly stressed and take out their tension on the dog. Others neglect him: The dog is alone for eight to twelve hours, with only a short obligatory walk in the morning and evening–nothing more.
Many of these dogs develop avoidance behavior, appear depressed, or show stereotypical behaviors like constant paw licking. Others destroy furniture or objects and are then punished for it. A dog’s nervous system finds many ways to make psychological stress visible.
But psychological violence can also come from professional dog trainers. A trainer might teach clients that a dog should never make decisions independently. For example, it must learn to lie on its spot for hours. And even outside of this exercise, the dog can’t do anything without its human: not play, not eat, nothing. It should learn that every resource comes from the human. To me, that’s psychological violence.”
Why fear is not a guide
Where is the line between consistent training and intimidation?
“Consistency doesn’t mean strictness. Consistency means predictability. A well-guided dog experiences security and orientation. An intimidated dog experiences insecurity and arbitrariness. It never knows when its human will get loud, jerk the leash, or emotionally explode.
I can set boundaries for a dog. I can also challenge it. But it must not obey out of fear of me. The crucial question is: Does the dog follow me because it trusts me–or because it fears me? One is leadership. The other is intimidation.”
What are the consequences for a dog if it regularly fears its human?
“A dog can often only relax outside if its human provides security. If this human becomes a threat, a vicious cycle begins.
The dog is already tense or overwhelmed by the external stimulus and must simultaneously fear its human’s reaction. This further increases its internal stress.
A trainer once proudly explained on social media that he only had to hold a water bottle threateningly in front of his dog’s nose, and the dog would remain calm during a dog encounter. In reality, he’s saying something else: He has to threaten his dog constantly to keep it calm.
Short-term, the before-and-after effect may impress. Long-term, the actual problem remains–often it even intensifies.
Many of these dogs develop new behavioral problems over time. Their owners then believe the dog is a hopeless case. In all my work, I have never encountered a hopeless case–but I have seen people using completely wrong methods.”
When calm turns into agitation and aggression
Are there signs that owners can recognize that their dog is suffering from their handling?
“Yes. You should be particularly attentive if a dog suddenly changes.
It withdraws, startles more easily, ducks at human movements, avoids eye contact, or reacts noticeably sensitively to its human’s voice and body language.
Newly developed noise fears, constant paw licking, increased avoidance behavior, or refusal to leave the house can also be indicators.
Often, there’s no conscious harshness behind it. It’s often the owner’s hectic pace, lack of clarity, or constant tension that permanently burdens the dog. These dogs often become more agitated, aggressive, or suddenly appear unusually quiet and compliant.
A good example is leash training. Many dogs walk close to their owner as desired after training but move stiffly, tensely, and unnaturally. Proper leash training always includes a relaxed, natural gait.
Overall, I currently observe an overvaluation of the “calm dog” in the dog community. Calmness is often confused with relaxation. However, calmness can also mean withdrawal or learned helplessness. From the outside, both look similar–for the dog, it’s a significant difference.”
Dog Trainer: “Raising Dogs Without Punishment? Difficult.”
What Does a Dog Psychologist Actually Do?
Loud measures or less punishment? – these are the training trends on social media
Which training methods or current trends do you view particularly critically, even though they are still widespread?
“I currently observe a clear return to punitive methods. I am particularly critical of the use of startling stimuli, such as metal bowls or other sudden stimuli meant to immediately interrupt behavior. This often looks spectacular on social media. The dog stops immediately. But not because it has learned something, but because it is startled.
Such videos generate millions of views. However, no one films the same dog a few months later when it suddenly develops a fear of noises, no longer dares to go outside, or loses its bond with the owner.
At the same time, the purely positive scene has sometimes ideologically exaggerated the discussion. Claiming that every severe behavioral problem can be solved solely through positive motivation doesn’t help the affected dogs either.
This is precisely what many trainers use to justify harsh punishments. They say, “The treat throwers don’t solve such cases at all.” And they are often right. But the hardliners are not the solution either; they are part of the problem. Here, the wrong people criticize because they often lack any understanding of what their methods trigger in a dog’s nervous system and how dangerous that can end.
Between these extremes, many excellent trainers work. But differentiation is quiet on social media. Extremes are loud. The loudest are often mistaken for the best.
That’s why it was time for a book that clarifies and presents methods that have proven effective even in very challenging cases–without harming the dog. “
“Can my dog even do what I’m currently expecting of him?”
What advice would you give to dog owners who want to train their dog without unintentionally causing psychological or physical harm?
“Don’t just pay attention to your dog’s external behavior. First, ask yourself: Can my dog even do what I’m currently expecting of him? Is his nervous system still capable of learning under stress, or is he already so stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed that he is hardly reachable for human instructions?
Many dogs have an inherently overloaded nervous system and can’t learn at all right now. Others struggle to cope with the nervous strain of a specific stimulus. These are often the dogs whose owners say, “Up to a certain point, I could still walk past the other dog, then he ran over my feet.” The tension was too great because the dog hadn’t yet learned to handle it.
Good behavior training consists of three phases: First, the nervous system is relieved. Then the dog learns to regulate the stress of the specific stimulus. Only then is the visible behavior addressed. In my book, I explain how I solve cases with this concept that others have already given up on and which methods are suitable for one’s own dog.
Many owners go in circles because they skip this initial relief for the dog. But you can’t install new programs on a full hard drive. This also applies to dogs.
Only when the nervous system is receptive again does it make sense to work on orientation, alternative behavior, and, if necessary, appropriate corrections.
This takes some time. But the patience is worth it. Be critical of trainers who promise conspicuously quick successes. Those who sell solutions too quickly often only sell new problems.”