Nicole Buck, founder and CEO of Buck’s Dog Training in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, rehabilitates behaviorally challenged dogs by applying patient, trust-building methods informed by her own childhood trauma. NJ dog trainer uses trauma to help abused dogs heal – WHYY

Buck described her work in an interview on “Morning Edition” with Jennifer Lynn of WHYY, saying she focuses on dogs that have been abandoned, abused, or starved and often show deep-seated anxiety. Her practice centers on gradual socialization and individualized care, and she frames her approach around empathy born of personal experience.

“It’s heartbreaking when you hear the stories of dogs being abandoned, being abused, tied up outside for literally years, being starved to death, never getting any human exposure,” said Nicole Buck, CEO of Buck’s Dog Training. The remark came during a conversation about the kinds of cases she sees and the patience required to bring fearful animals back to domestic life. Commonly, these dogs exhibit fear-based behaviors such as trembling, hiding, or destruction due to anxiety, which complicates their rehabilitation.

Buck described one rescue in which a dog had spent nearly all her life confined to a small pen and had almost no exposure to the outside world. “When she first came to me, I had to literally carry her up and down the stairs,” the trainer recalled, noting that slow, steady contact and repeated positive experiences allowed the dog to overcome basic fears such as walking through doorways and stepping onto hardwood floors. The long-term impact of a traumatic past can lead to persistent anxiety, hypervigilance, or even aggression, necessitating a trauma-informed approach. Mental Health Conditions | Mental Health | Research | HABRI

Her clients tend to be animals whose behavior reflects trauma rather than simple disobedience: Buck said anxiety can underlie fear-based or aggressive actions. “Some of the worst, believe it or not, are anxiety. So dogs will — especially when they’re fearful or aggressive — it’s due to anxiety, as opposed to just pure aggression,” she told WHYY’s Jennifer Lynn. Recognizing early signs of anxiety, such as sudden changes in behavior or attempts to escape, can help owners seek timely intervention. Anxiety & Depression in Dogs: Causes, Symptoms & How To Help

Buck runs Buck’s Dog Training as a practice devoted to behaviorally challenged animals, offering tailored programs aimed at restoring a dog’s comfort with people and with ordinary household cues. The outcome she highlights is straightforward: many dogs that arrive withdrawn, fearful, or poorly socialized can be rehabilitated with proper care and socialization.

The interview framed individual cases as part of a broader pattern: dogs subjected to neglect or abuse often retain a capacity to seek connection, but that impulse needs careful, consistent cultivation. Buck said animals with very limited human contact sometimes crave interaction the most and, once rehabilitated, become some of the most reliable companions.

Jennifer Lynn conducted the WHYY interview with Buck in a Q&A format that explored both specific examples and Buck’s larger philosophy. WHYY’s feature includes Buck’s descriptions of difficult cases and the small milestones — a first walk, a tentative approach to a person, a relaxed body posture — that signal progress. Anxious behavior: How to help your dog cope with unsettling situations

Buck continues her work from Mullica Hill, applying what she described as a trauma-informed, patient approach to animals that arrive frightened, underexposed to people, or bearing the effects of long-term neglect. In her telling, the moment a dog begins to show its true personality — when it allows a bit of mischief or playfulness — is the clearest sign that trust has been earned.

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