In this blog, we’ll learn what dogs are scared of, why they get scared, what causes fear anxiety in dogs, and how to calm down a scared dog.
Many common dog fears are obvious: fireworks, thunder, the hoover… these things are really loud and intimidating; no wonder dogs are scared of them! Thankfully, there are some tried-and-tested ways to help a scared dog out.
Why Is My Dog Scared All Of A Sudden?
Dogs can suddenly become scared in many situations, depending on their nature and past experiences.
Dogs express fear anxiety in many ways. When a dog is scared, they may:
- Shake
- Hide
- Cower/Put their tail between their legs
- Whine/Howl/Vocalize
- Bark
- Seem aggressive (fear reactivity)
It’s important to remember that fear is a defence mechanism that can serve your dog in dangerous situations, so we don’t want to eradicate the instinctive behaviour completely. But, if your dog’s reaction to a particular fear is causing them to pose a threat to other household members, or impacting their quality of life, we definitely need to try and help them with it.
Like people, dogs can develop phobias or experience sudden fear-anxiety responses to things that they find alarming. Humans usually don’t develop phobias until they have been exposed to a stimulus several times, but in dogs, just one bad experience can be enough to instill a phobia. Most dog phobias will develop at the onset of a pup’s maturity, between 12 and 36 months of age.
What Are Dogs Scared Of?
The most common fears and phobias dogs experience include:
Sound phobia; so, thunder, fireworks, hair driers, hoovers, etc. Herding breeds tend to be more affected by this type of phobia (e.g. Collies)
Situational phobia; separation anxiety, for example. This is when your dog doesn’t understand that you will be coming back and experiences intense anxiety as a result of you leaving the house without them.
Scared of strangers; rescued dogs most commonly experience a fear of people they don’t know—usually men or perhaps people who wear hats or sunglasses. This is often because they’ve had a negative experience or received abuse from someone dressed like this or from a certain sex.
Veterinarian phobia; In a similar way to human beings developing a fear of the dentist, your dog may fear going to the vet. This is because, even though the visit is in your dog’s best interest, it has been perceived as a stressful, negative experience to be feared by your dog. Your dog may associate attending the vet with feeling unwell, being in pain, car rides, and/or meeting strangers. feeling unwell, being in pain, car rides, and/or meeting strangers.
How To Calm Down A Scared Dog
First things first: Your dog is going to need you to extend your patience, kindness, and consistency with helpful, ethical training. Looking after a scared dog can be frustrating and tiring, but your dog’s phobia is not their fault, and shouting at them or losing control will only make the matter worse and stress your dog out more. It may even lead them to develop another fear, of you!
Ignoring the issue won’t help. Without careful handling, phobias in dogs can worsen over time. You should always chat with your vet if you’re struggling to manage your dog’s phobia, and obtain professional advice to help you support your scared pup.
You can manage your dog’s phobia at home with behaviour modification and obedience training. When a triggering situation happens, be mindful not to say “good dog” to them, as this can be perceived as a reward for this behaviour, as can petting. Try asking your dog to “sit” or “stay” when a situation is happening, and keep their focus on the task you’ve asked of them to help distract them from the trigger. This is usually more helpful with phobias where the dog is scared of a sound you can control (the hair dryer or hoover) or when they’re scared of strangers.
Alternatively, if your pup is anxious about the vet, fireworks, or thunder, simply placing a hand on it and applying light pressure can help calm it down, as opposed to petting. It will help them feel like you’re in control and will protect them.
Remember, it can take several weeks to train a dog into a new behaviour, so if their phobia is of a stimulus that occurs briefly or on rare occasions, like fireworks or thunder, you may not have the opportunity to train them out of it. If this is the case, you may need to consider using calming aids, anxiety medications or dog-safe essential oils to help your dog stay calm.
If choosing a commercial calming aid, look for one that specifically targets alleviating anxiety, with research-backed ingredients and no unnecessary additives. Some good ingredients to look out for include valerian root, ginger root powder, L-tryptophan (a natural amino acid), and organic chamomile.
Preparation can also be a massive help when dealing with a scared dog. If you know a thunderstorm is coming or a fireworks event is taking place (like New Year’s Eve or Bonfire Night), make sure you have all the resources you need to hand beforehand to help your dog manage their fear anxiety.
Sources
Author Burke, Anna “Common Fears And Phobias In Dogs And How To Help Treat Them” Jul 03. 2018, American Kennel Club https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/common-fears-and-phobias-in-dogs/“
Recognizing Abnormal Stress Response And Anxiety In Dogs” Pet Hub https://www.pethub.com/article/recognizing-abnormal-stress-and-anxiety-dogs
