Dogs are fearful of all kinds of bizarre and wonderful things from the sound of falling leaves to folk wearing hats or men with beards.
But as entertaining as some of their fears seem, living with a fearful dog is not very easy. While many people spend our time making an attempt to calm our dogs over exhuberance down, owners of fearful dogs use their time trying hard to coax their dog out from under the furniture and build their confidence.
Some owners can only walk their dog after it's dark because their dog is frightened of seeing other dogs; other owners can't invite pals and family into their home as the dog is so scared of folk and yet others owners who can't get their dog to go out of the house without shaking with fear.
The things that make your dog afraid can also contribute to other behavior issues such as fear aggression, unnecessary barking, destructive behaviour and other conditions like separation anxiety in dogs.
Top Dog Fears
Noises appear to lead to the most fears and there are numerous dogs who are afraid of thunder, typhoons and fireworks. Big noises are perhaps most understandable to us, but similarly you'll find dogs who are terrified of noises eg the telphone ringing, the vacuum cleaner, or the door chime.
People can also be a big source of fear amongst dogs, with some dogs focusing on men or children to be terrified of, and others being terrified of particlular things about people, like beards or hats or particular voices. I heard about a dog that would start barking ferociously at the sound of a popular newsreaders voice, but at no others.
Places can also make dogs afraid, starting from wide open spaces all the way down to developing fears about peeing in their own favorite rear yard spot.
Many of their fears are tough to understand, particularly when a dog suddenly is fearful of a place they have been using for years without worry. On a forum just recently a dog owner was saying how her dog was all of a sudden afraid of being downstairs and would rush upstairs at every opportunity and spend her time looking anxiously back down the steps. She would only come down when desperate to pee or when offered a walk and then would run down the stairs and out the door as quick as she could.
3 things That Help a Fearful Dog
It's important to stay calm yourself when handling a dogs fears because if they pick up on our own stress it will give them more reason to be fearful.
Do not make too much fuss of your dog while they are in a panic state either as it can heighten their feelings. Treat them in an agreeable but straightforward way like there's little for them to fret about at all.
Learn the way to use desenstisation training to gently expose them to the things they fear in a controlled way and use lots of treats and praise.
But as entertaining as some of their fears seem, living with a fearful dog is not very easy. While many people spend our time making an attempt to calm our dogs over exhuberance down, owners of fearful dogs use their time trying hard to coax their dog out from under the furniture and build their confidence.
Some owners can only walk their dog after it's dark because their dog is frightened of seeing other dogs; other owners can't invite pals and family into their home as the dog is so scared of folk and yet others owners who can't get their dog to go out of the house without shaking with fear.
The things that make your dog afraid can also contribute to other behavior issues such as fear aggression, unnecessary barking, destructive behaviour and other conditions like separation anxiety in dogs.
Top Dog Fears
Noises appear to lead to the most fears and there are numerous dogs who are afraid of thunder, typhoons and fireworks. Big noises are perhaps most understandable to us, but similarly you'll find dogs who are terrified of noises eg the telphone ringing, the vacuum cleaner, or the door chime.
People can also be a big source of fear amongst dogs, with some dogs focusing on men or children to be terrified of, and others being terrified of particlular things about people, like beards or hats or particular voices. I heard about a dog that would start barking ferociously at the sound of a popular newsreaders voice, but at no others.
Places can also make dogs afraid, starting from wide open spaces all the way down to developing fears about peeing in their own favorite rear yard spot.
Many of their fears are tough to understand, particularly when a dog suddenly is fearful of a place they have been using for years without worry. On a forum just recently a dog owner was saying how her dog was all of a sudden afraid of being downstairs and would rush upstairs at every opportunity and spend her time looking anxiously back down the steps. She would only come down when desperate to pee or when offered a walk and then would run down the stairs and out the door as quick as she could.
3 things That Help a Fearful Dog
It's important to stay calm yourself when handling a dogs fears because if they pick up on our own stress it will give them more reason to be fearful.
Do not make too much fuss of your dog while they are in a panic state either as it can heighten their feelings. Treat them in an agreeable but straightforward way like there's little for them to fret about at all.
Learn the way to use desenstisation training to gently expose them to the things they fear in a controlled way and use lots of treats and praise.
About the Author:
Author Venice Marriott is a writer, dog owner and runs a website which provides help and information for dog owners dealing with dog anxiety. Get more information about dog fears and the symptoms of separation anxiety in dogs when you visit the site.
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