Content
- Identify the attitudes of a fearful dog
- comfort and well-being
- the causes of your fear
- What should we do
Adopting a dog is a big responsibility, especially if the animal in question is suspicious or fearful. You must be clear that you must double your precautions as your behavior reflects insecurity and fear.
Among other things, you should know that you need patience and affection, something fundamental to treat this problem effectively. It is also important to find out how to treat and take care of him, as this is a very different education.
Find out in this article by PeritoAnimal what should you do with an adopted dog that is scared. Don't forget to comment and share your experiences so that others can also follow your tips and tricks.
Identify the attitudes of a fearful dog
You are likely to relate a fearful dog to certain body postures: tail low and ears back. However, it is important to mention that there are other gestures typical of dogs with fear. It is essential to understand and get to know them in order to identify the uncomfortable situations for him and start working from there.
Signs that tell us that a dog is scared:
- low tail
- tail between legs
- ears back
- very slanted ears
- curved body
- lie down
- hide
- cringe
- submission positions
- shake
- let your parts smell
- lick the mouth excessively
- urinate in uncomfortable situations
- agitated tail movements
- try to run away
- yawn excessively
- stay in a corner
It is also very important to understand that a scared dog and a submissive dog are not the same thing. Although they may share certain behaviors like lying down or letting themselves be snorted. A well-socialized dog could be submissive to people and other dogs in an attempt to bond.
comfort and well-being
The first thing will be transmit confidence to our dog all the time. You will never win if you reprimand him excessively or use inappropriate attitudes to communicate with him. You should try to get him to calm down and show positive and social attitudes.
It is very important to understand that some fear-related problems can persist throughout the dog's life, however, most of them can be resolved with patience and affection. Complying with the five animal welfare freedoms will be critical to getting to work.
Try to gain the animal's trust with positive reinforcement: congratulate him when he has social and positive attitudes using treats, petting and kind words. should never oblige you relating or doing certain things, let it arise naturally and spontaneously on the puppy's initiative. Otherwise, you risk causing him to suffer from anxiety, more fear and stress.
the causes of your fear
If you don't know the story of the dog you adopted, then it will take a while to identify what you're afraid of: if from other dogs, people, objects and even from the street. Must be patient at this stage to try to understand it.
- fear of people: If your dog is afraid of people, it is very likely that he has suffered some kind of abuse in the past. Especially in this case we must be very patient trying to gain your trust with treats, snacks, caresses and kind words. Never force him to interact with those he doesn't want to, let him begin to overcome his fear progressively. Rather than trying to force a situation, he can encourage his friends and family to meet with him to offer him small pieces of ham to start trusting people (including strangers).
- Fear of other dogs: Fear of other puppies is generally a cause of poor socialization in your puppyhood, although you may also have had a bad experience in the past. Find out why your puppy is afraid of other puppies in our article and how to treat and resolve it effectively and gradually.
- Fear of various objects: Whether due to lack of knowledge or lack of socialization, your dog may be afraid of certain objects that we include in our daily lives, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, garbage... there are many possibilities. The treatment will be very similar to the previous case, you should get your pet used to the presence of these objects while practicing, for example, basic training orders. In this way, you will begin to relax in his presence. Staying close to the cause of your fear with a positive, relaxed attitude is a sign that we are doing well (albeit only for a short time).
- Others: Your puppy may be afraid of other pets, environments or several things at the same time. Whatever it is, it can be treated effectively if you resort to an ethologist, a person similar to the psychologist but from the canine world. The expert is the one who can best help us to overcome this problem effectively.
What should we do
We generally explain what to do in each case. You must understand that with patience and care you can resolve your pet's fears, however, who can best help you is a professional.
Why? Sometimes, we as owners, do not notice some attitudes that the dog tries to share with us. Whether you are a dog educator or an ethologist, the professional knows dogs that have gone through very similar situations and will help you with knowledge. It will also provide you with suitable tips for working with it without your presence.
Do you have any tricks or advice to share with the PeritoAnimal community? Do you know the tips to have a healthy and happy dog? We explain everything! Do not hesitate to comment and send photos of your pet!
