Sometimes fearful dogs need more than training to help them cope with life. If you have spent some time training your fearful Golden with no real progress, you may want to consult a veterinary behaviorist. Fears and phobias are not simple problems, and there is no definite way to treat any one situation. Veterinary behaviorists specialize in the more extreme and unusual behavior problems. After evaluating your Golden, a behaviorist may decide that he would benefit from a course of behavioral drugs to help calm him down and make him more receptive to behavioral modification.

Don't be afraid of behavioral medication. Most dogs only need to be on it for a period of time during the retraining process. If conventional veterinary drugs are not an option for you, you may want to consider consulting with a veterinary homeopath. Homeopathy can offer alternatives that may not have as many side effects or be a better fit for your dog's situation. Explore all of your options before you commit to one. This way, you can be sure that the treatment you are offering your dog is right for him and will do the most good.