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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Charger did not become affectionate because a tube of cheese magically fixed him. The stray dog first needed time, distance, predictable visits and the freedom to decide when people could come closer. At Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, staff member Tierney Sain paired that low-pressure routine with treats, toys and conversation. After days of gradual progress, Charger became social enough to travel to the Sanctuary and was later adopted as Chance.
His story, reported by Best Friends Animal Society in March 2020, is an adoption success story—not proof that squeeze cheese cures aggression. It shows how patient relationship-building can help one fearful dog, while veterinary behavior guidance explains why gradual desensitization and counterconditioning are safer than forcing contact.
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Charger’s starting point: a stray who would not let people in
Charger had been living on the streets with another dog, Agatha, before both were taken to an animal-control facility near Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Agatha was comparatively friendly. Charger was not. Staff could not simply walk into his run; his fear and defensiveness made ordinary handling difficult.
Calling him “angry” can obscure what the behavior meant. Barking, retreating, stiffening or threatening displays may be attempts to create distance when a dog feels unsafe. The feature does not present a formal behavioral diagnosis, and the account should not be treated as one. It describes a dog who did not yet trust people and needed interactions arranged around his comfort.
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A familiar person, repeated good experiences
Dogtown team lead Tierney Sain began spending hours with Charger over several days. She brought treats and toys, talked to him and let him observe her without demanding contact. The aim was to make her visits predictable and to associate a person’s presence with things Charger valued.
That consistency mattered more than any single snack. Charger had many opportunities to learn that Sain would not rush, corner or force him. Agatha’s friendlier behavior also gave him a social example as he watched another dog remain comfortable around people.
How the staff closed the distance without forcing it
The progress described by Best Friends came in small increments. At first, staff tossed treats from a distance while Charger stayed away. They then placed the treats gradually closer, allowing him to choose whether to approach. Once he could eat from their hands, they entered the shared yard only a few steps at a time.
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Charger eventually sniffed the visitors and initiated play. After about a week of this work, he was ready to travel to the Sanctuary, where the feature reports that he became relaxed and sociable. The sequence is important: food was used inside a broader plan of predictable, voluntary contact, not as a shortcut around fear.
| Stage in Charger’s story | What people did | What indicated progress |
|---|---|---|
| Initial visits | Stayed at a distance, talked, and brought treats and toys. | Charger could observe without people entering his run. |
| Closer rewards | Tossed treats, then moved them incrementally nearer. | He chose to reduce the gap to get the reward. |
| Hand-feeding | Advanced only after he was comfortable eating nearby. | He accepted food from a person’s hand. |
| Shared yard | Entered only a few steps at a time. | Charger sniffed visitors and began play. |
| Sanctuary transition | Moved him after roughly a week of work. | The feature reports a relaxed, sociable dog at the Sanctuary. |
What squeeze cheese did—and did not—do
Squeeze cheese was one convenient, high-value reward in the account. A soft, appealing food can help a dog notice that a person or situation predicts something good. That is a learning process, not a chemical calming effect and not a guarantee that a dog will tolerate handling.
The story does not identify a brand, recipe, portion size or dietary suitability for every dog. Cheese can be unsuitable for dogs with food allergies, digestive problems or diets that require tight calorie control. Ask your veterinarian before adding a new treat, and keep any reward small enough that it does not displace a balanced diet.
Veterinary guidance gives a similar example in a specific context: for a small or finicky dog during veterinary-visit training, VCA’s desensitization guidance says squeeze cheese on a wooden spoon may be tried as a soft reward. That example is not a universal recommendation to feed cheese, and it is not a treatment for aggression.
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The behavior principles behind the story
Desensitization means keeping the challenge manageable
Systematic desensitization breaks a frightening situation into components and presents them at an intensity the dog can handle. For a person-shy dog, that might mean seeing a person across a room before coping with a person standing nearby. Distance, movement, eye contact, sound and access to a confined space can each change the challenge.
The handler watches the dog rather than following a fixed timetable. If the dog becomes aroused or reactive, the stimulus is reduced: increase distance, stop moving closer or end the session. Progress is measured by the dog’s ability to remain engaged and recover, not by how close a person can get on a particular day.
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Counterconditioning changes the emotional association
Counterconditioning pairs the trigger with something the dog enjoys, such as a small soft treat. Over repeated, successful sessions, the person or setting can become a predictor of good outcomes instead of an automatic signal of danger. In Charger’s case, Sain’s calm presence, conversation, toys and food worked together as repeated positive experiences.
These concepts come from veterinary behavior guidance for fear-related responses, including avoidance, growling, snapping and biting at veterinary visits. They provide a framework for arranging safe learning; they do not diagnose why a particular dog reacts or replace an individualized treatment plan.
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Charger’s handlers worked in a controlled shelter setting with staff who could manage the environment. A household, public park or stray-dog encounter may be very different. Do not copy the hand-feeding or approach steps simply because they worked in this one story.
- Prevent an unsafe approach. Use doors, gates, leashes, distance and barriers so the dog cannot be cornered and people cannot be bitten. Children and visitors should not be asked to test the dog’s tolerance.
- Identify a starting distance. Begin far enough away that the dog can notice the person or situation while still able to orient to the handler, take a reward and move normally.
- Offer, do not pressure. Deliver a small reward without luring the dog into a position that removes its escape route. Let the dog decide whether to come closer.
- Watch early stress signals. Yawning, lip licking, lifting a paw or looking away can precede more obvious reactions. If these signs appear, make the task easier rather than insisting on another repetition.
- Change one variable at a time. Reduce distance, add movement or increase duration only after the dog is consistently comfortable at the current level.
- Stop before the dog tips over threshold. A quiet end after a successful repetition is more useful than pushing until barking, lunging or snapping occurs.
- Get qualified help for threatening behavior. A veterinarian or qualified veterinary behavior professional can assess medical contributors, bite risk and a treatment plan suited to the dog and household.
The feature specifically cautions that feeding a dog who is barking and lunging through a fence is generally not a good idea. A barrier can create intense frustration, and a person reaching toward it may be bitten. In that situation, increase distance and seek professional guidance instead of offering food through the fence.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Signs that the session is too difficult
A dog does not need to bite before the exercise has gone too far. Subtle signs such as repeated yawning, licking, a raised paw, turning the head away, freezing, scanning or refusing a normally appealing treat indicate that the dog may be struggling. More obvious signals include barking, growling, lunging, snapping or trying to flee.
When a dog is already highly aroused, food may not be enough to make learning possible. Move away, create a barrier or end the interaction. Punishment, forced greetings and attempts to “show who is boss” can increase fear and risk. VCA’s guidance warns against labeling fear-based aggression as dominance; the emotional cause and safety problem need to be addressed instead.
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Marisa Patelli met Charger while volunteering and applied to adopt him. During an overnight visit, she later recounted becoming lost on a hike as daylight faded. In her account to Best Friends, the dog approached while she was distressed and tugged her toward a familiar area near the trailhead. She adopted him and renamed him Chance.
Patelli described Chance as a close companion who helped her through difficult days. That is her personal experience, not clinical evidence that the dog treated post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or any other condition. The emotional bond is part of the adoption story, while the observable behavior change described by the feature rests on sustained care, gradual exposure and a relationship built over time.
What this case can teach adopters and foster carers
- Expect uneven progress. A dog may approach one person and avoid another, or manage a quiet room but struggle outdoors. Success in one setting does not prove readiness everywhere.
- Value choice. Allowing a dog to retreat and re-approach gives useful information about its comfort. Blocking escape can turn hesitation into a defensive reaction.
- Use the whole environment. Calm voices, predictable routines, suitable toys, distance and a safe resting area can matter as much as the treat.
- Record what works. Note the distance, trigger, reward and body language at each session so everyone handling the dog follows the same plan.
- Plan for professional transitions. Shelter staff, foster carers, adopters and veterinarians should share the dog’s known triggers and successful calming strategies before changing the routine.
The practical verdict
Charger became Chance through repeated experiences in which people approached carefully, rewards arrived without coercion and he was allowed to progress at his own pace. Squeeze cheese helped make some of those encounters worthwhile, but it was not the cause or cure by itself. For another dog—especially one that is barking, lunging or has bitten—the safest next step is controlled distance and professional behavioral advice, not an improvised hand-feeding experiment.
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