Fearful Dogs

Fearful dogs have to be handled with much care and patience and owners have a big responsibility to make sure that they feel safe and don’t hurt those that might invade their space. The following page outlines some ways to deal with fearful dogs and the steps one can take to get them comfortable with the things or people they fear.

The Dog

Dogs can become fearful of something or someone for a number of reasons. The most common is lack of socialization. Failing to expose the dog to various animals, people, and environments during the first 12 weeks of the dog’s life can make them overly cautious of new things. Also dogs that have been physically abused will be scared of the things associated with the abuse. These dogs will tend to show their fear in different ways. Many will act aggressively and bark, snap, and lunge usually because they think they have no other alternative. Many will show fear in a more submissive manner such as cringing, whining, urinating, defecating, or crying as if they were being hurt. The body language of a fearful dog usually includes lowered head, tucked tail, ears laid back, trembling, and pacing; recognizing these signs and making sure that the dog is not further stress is vital. When training, it is equally important to know when enough is enough, if the dog is becoming too stressed then he can’t learn effectively so when you see signs of stress such as constant yawning or scratching consider taking a break.

Every dog will have a different fear threshold. A threshold is the point at which a dog will begin to react negatively because of the amount or proximity of that which the dog fears. For example, let’s say a dog is scared of men, but won’t necessarily start barking until the man gets within 10 ft of the dog. In this case the fear threshold is at 10 ft, anything farther away than that will be below the threshold and allows the dog to be handled efficiently. To correctly desensitize and countercondition a dog, he has to be below the threshold, if the dog starts to react negatively then we must take a step back and proceed more slowly.

Lastly, be sure to check with your vet and make certain that the fearful behaviors aren’t caused by a medical condition. If fearful responses appear all of a sudden without an obvious reason then suspect a medical condition. If a dog starts becoming blind or deaf, things start to startle him easier so it would be wise to get a veterinarian’s opinion for ways to reduce these kinds of fears. Also hormonal imbalances can cause erratic behaviors ranging from aggression to fear; tests can be given to determine what the problem is and what to do. Medication to relieve anxiety can be used for cases in which the dog is literally unmanageable. However the medication will not cure the dog by itself. It is advisable to use medication in order to be able to countercondition and desensitize, always talk to your vet to decide what medication is appropriate for your specific case.  Anxiety vests are also available to help control dogs; they regulate the breathing rate and should help calm a dog to some degree.

The Owner 

Dealing with a fearful dog is not an easy thing nor is it something that can be fixed overnight. Owners of fearful dogs must have more than average patience in order to properly handle them. At times it may seem like no progress has been made or that none will ever be made but in time little by little some degree of progress will be made. Losing patience won’t do anything but put you many steps behind, it helps to be understanding and look at the world through the fearful dog’s perspective. Always stay relaxed, becoming stressed and frustrated will only make the dog uneasy.

Something that will help you, the owner, keep from becoming frustrated is taking a break. Yes the dog will need breaks but he won’t be the only one. At times it is beneficial to go take a walk, do a hobby, or go online to a forum and rant a bit. Chances are that the people around you won’t fully understand the hard work that you are putting forth towards fixing this problem, so talking to other dog lovers online or other owners of fearful dogs will help you air it out and get some useful ideas. Check out the Forum Directory to find some sites that can help you get in touch with other dog owners.

One thing that we cannot forget is that the bond between the owner must be established before trying to cure the dog’s fear. This in itself might take some time but without a strong bond the dog will lack a sense of security and will have trouble calming down and learning from new experiences. You can establish a strong bond with your dog feeding him tidbits every now and then and if possible, playing game whenever the chance arises. The treats you feed should be of high value, meaning that they aren’t something the pooch gets every day; you can use little pieces of hotdog, cheese, or ham. Protecting the pooch from other things or people also factors in to bond building; make sure to warn others that your dog is currently in training and not to get near; this way you avoid stressing the pooch more than is needed. A great tip for keeping people away from your dog is to put a vest on him that says something to the effect of “In Training: Please do not distract”. To maintain a strong bond we have to make sure that we are not unpredictable, that we don’t lose our patience and that we don’t use aversive training techniques. Always remember that the progress should be on the dog’s terms, never rush the dog into a situation for which he is not ready.

***It's OK to reassure a fearful dog

An oft-repeated statement amongst the dog owner community is that it is wrong to reassure a fearful dog because you will only be reinforcing the dog‘s fear. However this isn’t true. The thing about fear is that it isn’t a behavior it’s an emotion, and that the behaviors that accompany it are mostly involuntary. For the longest time it has been known that it is very difficult to influence emotion and involuntary behaviors through reinforcement or punishment. Therefore one can hardly expect to make a dog more fearful or act more scared by trying to reassure him.

As with everything it is important to have balance. Reassuring a dog is ok but excessive coddling can be counterproductive. A pat on the shoulder and a few whispered words of encouragement won’t hurt anyone and it will probably make you feel better too. Fear cannot be encouraged through reinforcement but conversely it cannot be lessened through reassuring either. If the encouraging will make you feel better though, ultimately it may make your dog feel better too. One might think; if reinforcing or punishment doesn’t increase or lessen fear then how do we train the dog not to fear something/someone? Remember that much of the training that will be described below will be carried out below the fear threshold, so it is still possible to mold behavior before the dog is too fearful to learn. For more information on the subject please visit Patricia McConnell’s Blog and Fearfuldogs.com.

The Technique

The methods that we use for training a fearful dog will determine how much progress is made and how fast. Unless everything else has failed, avoid using aversive and dominance training techniques. These, for the most part, will only make matters worse and will negatively affect your relationship with your dog. Also, methods such as positive punishment (aversive) and negative reinforcement training techniques don’t work is because the majority of the time the correction is attributed to the trigger (the thing or person that causes the fearful reaction).

Some of the best techniques one can use on a fearful dog are those that reward and distract. Rewarding methods such as positive reinforcement, reward good behaviors and help attribute positive things to the objects that scare the pooch. Sometimes we may think that if we show the pooch that nothing bad will happen that this will teach the pooch that an object or person is ok, however this usually isn’t enough for a fearful dog; there needs to be a reinforcer, something positive. Techniques that distract and reward such as classical conditioning, counterconditioning, and desensitization reward the dog for doing something else instead of inappropriate behaviors such barking or fleeing and in the long run conditions the dog to perform those alternate behaviors instead of the unacceptable ones. 

One technique that is sometimes advocated for fearful dogs is a method called flooding. This technique involves exposing the dog to what he fears at close. This causes the dog to shut down (out of fear) and no longer outwardly exhibit fearful behaviors such as barking. The problem with this is that shutting down teaches the dog nothing. The misunderstanding occurs because some will interpret the shutting down as being ‘cured’ which is most definitely not the case. The high levels of stress only inhibits the learning capabilities of the dog so nothing productive come from stressing the dog to the point of paralyzing them with fear. Avoid this technique and those that advocate it.

For more information on different training methods visit the Training Techniques Page.

Specific Fears

The following are a list of some common fears dogs exhibit and what can be done to condition a dog to no longer react in a negative manner.

Fear of Thunder or Fireworks

While both thunder and fireworks make really loud noise can be frightening for the dog, there are other reasons why each one can be fearful in their own respect. When we have thunder there are usually many other changes that we, as humans, do not notice. There are changes in atmospheric pressure, air becomes electrically charged, and possibly changes in humidity. In the wild these changes will tell animals that it is time to seek shelter, a main reason why some dogs will hide under the bed or some other secluded area. We cannot really treat this aspect of the fear or cautious behavior because it’s simply natural. However what we can treat is the fearful reaction to the sudden and loud booming noise, as will be discussed next. Fireworks obviously work differently but can be scarier to dogs in a sense. At least thunder comes with some warnings such as the atmospheric changes, but what about fireworks? There is no warning. Not only that, but the noise isn’t limited to booming (like thunder) but rather ranges from whistling to whizzing, the variety of which can be enough to startle the pooch. Why some dogs react the way they do and others don’t is still not clear, possibly different hearing abilities or the breed itself was bred to be more or less cautious of sounds. If your dog is fearful of loud booming noises such as thunder, try the following methods.

Counterconditioning + Desensitization (CCDS)

Get a recording or the noise your dog is fearful of, for thunder it might be somewhat easier as these can be found where soothing music CD’s are sold that include sounds such as rainforest noises or waterfall. However if you are unable to find one then try and get a recording of it on a sound recorder or a video camera from a real thunderstorm or the internet.

Next step is to play that sound recording at a very low volume. Note the dog’s reaction, if nothing happens give your dog a tasty treat. Allow the recording to keep playing and do something with your dog, a game of fetch, tug o war, or a game of chase, all the meanwhile giving him a tidbit or two. After a couple minutes increase the volume slightly and note the reaction of your dog. If still nothing happens continue playing and rewarding good behavior. If you keep doing this eventually there will be a point where the noise will start to make the dog nervous, this is where you’ve reached the threshold. Now if you can get your dog to continue playing with you, then that’s great! Keep on playing and rewarding good behavior. If the dog would rather run away then turn the volume down a little bit and continue these steps at a slower pace.

In the end, the volume will be all the way up and the dog should be able to play without a problem. Although it may take a while to reach this point, continue with lots of patience and do this every day but slightly increase the pace every time (if dog’s progress is satisfactory). The reason for increasing the pace is so that you can build up to the loudest noise quicker because thunder storms don’t always start out at low volume. Also don’t forget to take breaks if you notice that your dog is getting too stressed.

*The advice given above can be used for noises from fireworks, airplanes, etc.

Countercondition

If what frightens your dog is upon you (e.g. you are in the middle of a thunder storm) and if your dog is manageable then you can try to countercondition. Make sure that all windows are closed so that a minimal sound gets through and put on the radio or TV on high volume, if possible. Play a game with your dog as if nothing is happening, and make sure to be relaxed and have an air of confidence. If your pooch is doing well, give him a treat every now and then. Slowly turn down the volumes of the TV or radio and continue playing and rewarding. If any negative behaviors appear, turn back up the volume of the TV/radio. Continue until you can turn off anything you had on without a problem occurring to your dog.

*The advice given above can be used for noises from fireworks, airplanes, etc.

Medication, Stress vests, Aromatherapy

Many look down upon using medication to deal with this problem. While it might be useless to use medication in the long term without trying to train the dog not to be scared anymore, one should never overlook the aid that medication can give. Anxiolytic drugs (drugs that relieve anxiety) can make extremely frightened dogs more controllable during thunderstorms or fireworks so that the owner can desensitize and countercondition properly. Then slowly we wean the dog off the drug and allow him to deal with the sound by himself, all the while the owner continues CCDS. As said before, never give over the counter drugs without first consulting a vet.

Vests can have a soothing effect on a dog that is not as scared as one that would need drugs. Their grip on the dog’s body regulates breathing and helps calm some dogs down. Aromatherapy can have a soothing effect on your dog too, if this is something that might appeal to you look for fragrances that help sooth fear. Also using diffusers such as the DAP might be worth a try too. Remember no one thing works on all dogs; it’s up to you to find out the combinations that work well with your dog.

Scared of People

 The most common reason a dog will be scared of a person or people is because they lack the proper socialization or because of abuse. Sometimes the fear may only be directed as certain people such as only men, children, etc. It is in these circumstances where it would be best to make sure that other people know that you are working on your dog to solve a fear problem so that they don’t push the dog’s limits. For no reason should a dog ever be forced to greet someone, this would be considered flooding. Also a fearful dog should never be cornered; they should always have a clear method of escaping. Many bite incidents occur because someone will corner a dog and having no other option in his mind, the dog will bite. A good tip outlined in fearfuldogs.com is that it would be beneficial to associate really good things with the pooch’s name, since interaction with others will sooner or later involve the usage of the dog’s name, it would be great that the dog expect good things when he hears his name instead of cringing. To do this, call the dog’s name and if he turns his attention to you, then give a small reward. Keep doing this over and over again until he excitedly turns to you when you call. The following sections describe some ways to introduce others to your dog.

Fear of strangers in general

Gather a group of friends that the dog doesn’t know and go to a park. Have them stand at a distance doing something not paying attention to the dog. Start at a distance where your dog feels comfortable and play a game or simply walk around, praising the dog if he doesn’t react negatively. Slowly close the distance between the strangers and the dog and continue praising if the pooch doesn’t show signs of being scared or aggressive. If any problems arise then take a few steps back without saying a word and progress a bit more slowly. Do this until you can stand next to your friends without a problem. In this case counterconditioning will go a long ways for you. While you are getting near your friends have your dog do tricks that will force him to ignore the others so that he doesn’t feel so stressed. A couple of obedience tricks will do, or an even more reassuring command is “Watch Me”, and having the dog turns his attention towards you instead of focusing so much on the others.

Once you are near enough to your group of friends allow the dog to investigate the others if he wishes to do so. Your friends shouldn’t draw much or any attention to the dog; no direct eye contact, no speaking to the dog and no petting especially petting on the head as this can be particularly frightening for a dog. Once the pooch is more comfortable they can start to offer really tasty treats and speak to the dog in a whisper. While you don’t want anybody to make sudden movements its best not to act too hesitant as this can put even a non-fearful dog on edge. Moving really slowly might make it seems like you are waiting for the dog to get in range so that you can catch or hurt it. The best is to move slowly but confidently. If the dog will allows it, a pat on the chest or shoulder might be welcomed. And lastly, while a smile can be a good sign for us humans, in some cases a smile can actually scare a dog. Teeth baring, after all, is a threatening sign in certain situations.

You as the owner have to do some things too. Make sure not to talk to the other person as this can distract the dog. Also as mentioned before, it will help your dog if you keep calmed and composed. If the dog comes back to you for attention or protection, ignore the pooch. While it is ok to reassure a dog in some fearful moments, it is best to teach him that there is nothing to fear and that the attention will come from the other people and not you, at least not at that moment. If all goes well, keep doing this and vary the people a bit. Once you have a different group of people start again from square one and note any changes in your dog.

*The advice outlined above can be used for general fears, such as fear of all men, or only children, and fear of strangers at home.

Note: If you notice that your dog is only afraid of random people, that some he’ll greet happily while others will usually terrify him then try to figure out what those individuals have in common. Sometimes a dog will be scared of a person because of what they are wearing, what they smell, or maybe a way they act. In Patricia McConnell’s book, The Other End of the Leash, she recounts how a dog only acted fearful towards people that smelled like pizza! So try to figure out what it is that scares your dog and work your way from there.

Fears of specific people living at home

There have been instances that a dog becomes fearful on a specific individual at home, sometimes this person can be someone that has been absent for a long time. Again, a slow introduction is key to begin getting the dog accustomed to the person. Let any interaction be on the dog’s terms, no forcing and no cornering. Allow the dog to sniff that person and if possible have them offer the dog a tasty treat very discreetly so as to avoid scaring the dog. Some of the things that were prohibited above apply in this case too: no petting on the head, no direct eye contact, and no sudden or hesitant movements.

A good way to start getting a dog more confident with someone is to have that specific person control all the dog’s resources. This helps the dog create a positive association with that person. Have this person set out the dog’s food and water all the time. Tidbit or scraps should be given to the dog through this person too. If the pooch absolutely adores walks then having the other person take the dog out for walks will speed up their progress. If for some reason the dog is too fearful to go out on walk with this person then instead what you could do is take the pooch out yourself accompanied by the other family member. Occasionally you can hand the lead over and have them two walk a bit further ahead.

When the dog is ready the last resource, which is attention, should also be controlled by the person that the dog fears. A game of chase is easy to initiate or if the dog loves a specific toy that can be used too. These are probably one of the most effective ways to get a dog more comfortable with someone that is going to live in the same house.

Medication could be of some help if the dog is too fearful or aggressive to handle. As with the sound phobias it is important to continue training and slowly wean the dog off the drugs.

Fear of inanimate objects

Sometimes dogs may be scared of things such as bicycles, cars, garbage bags, crates, vacuums…the list is endless. Fear directed at these things is usually because of the novelty of it or because of a previous bad experience. It is vital that, from the beginning of training and on, there are no more bad experiences with that object, this includes flooding. The following methods, whichever you find more effective, should be practice a couple times a day and preferably over the course of a few weeks depending on how your dog progresses.

Playing a game

If your dog loves to play fetch then here is an ideal exercise for you! Start by placing the object that your dog fears at some distance away (in this exercise we’ll use a bicycle as an example). Now play your regular game of fetch but always throw your dog’s toy towards the bicycle. At first don’t throw it near the bicycle, but progressively allow the toy to land nearer to the bicycle all the while you give your dog some encouragement as he approaches the bicycle and a treat when he returns. If done correctly (meaning not too quickly) the dog should have no problem getting near the bicycle.

A variation of this but that helps the dog associate the object with a treat is tossing a treat near the object the dog fears. For the sake of being clean, in this case it would better to use dry foods so that they don’t collect dirt or to do this inside the house on a cleaned floor if possible (obviously won’t if the fear causing object is a car!).

This exercise can be considered a first step because a stationary object probably isn’t the same as when it’s being operated (e.g. a vacuum turned on, someone riding a bicycle, etc). However it does help to lower some suspicion that the dog may have.

Walking by

This exercise will involve the use of counterconditioning and a treat given at the correct time and works effectively with dogs that like going on walks. Start by taking your pooch out on a walk. Nonchalantly walk by the object, if your dog shows some hesitation say “Watch Me!”, keep walking but at the same time give your dog a high value treat. A few minutes later try again and note the reaction of your dog, if your dog is still hesitant ask him to watch you and give him a treat. It may be possible that after a few times of doing this your dog will automatically watch you, if he does then reward and continue walking. If there is little to no reaction give some praise and a treat every now and then. You can also close the distance between you two and the fear causing object if you think your dog is ready.

As mentioned before, this is only a first step because the object in question is not being operated and most likely isn’t as scary as it would should someone be using it. But once again, it does help the dog know that the object itself won’t spring out and grab him.

Counterconditioning

Here is where you want to start training your dog not to be scared when an object he fears is being used. This may include to someone riding a bicycle, a turned on vacuum or car, a garbage bad flapping in the wind, etc. We’ll continue using the example of a bicycle.

Have someone you know ride the bicycle at a distance from you and your dog. Play a game of chase, fetch, or tug o war where you are and slowly close the distance between you and the one riding the bike. As you start getting closely occasionally feed your pooch a tidbit. Once you get really close ask your friend to stop, ask your dog to watch you, feed him a treat and then have the one riding the bike offer your pooch a treat too (usually easier if that person is someone your dog knows).

Keep doing this over and over until your dog has no problem with the bicycle. Remember to issue the “Watch Me” command when you notice your dog is starting to get nervous and eyeing the object cautiously.

Afraid of Other Dogs

To help in this case of fear you will need people that have dogs that will be least likely to be affected by your dog’s fearful behavior. It is important to assess the reactions of your dog and make sure we choose a dog whose behavior will not make your dog’s fear worse. Also as an owner you have to take the necessary precautionary measure to make sure that no dogs get hurt in the process. If this means the use of muzzles then so be it. While the following section will provide some useful tips, remember that it’s always best to have a professional evaluation as they can help you in your particular case.

The Submissive Fearful Dog

Fearful dog’s behavior that includes cringing, urinating, whining, or any other submissive behavior will benefit greatly from interaction with smaller, non-energetic, and non dominating dogs. Usually the smaller and younger, the less menacing they will appear to your pooch and the easier it will be to show him that there is nothing to be scared of.

As with all other exercises, we want to avoid making this meeting brusque, so we should start out at a distance. Play a game, feed tidbits, and talk to your dog to communicate that nothing is wrong. Slowly close the distance between the two dogs and when your dog isn’t tense have them meet.

How the dogs meet is essential. Don’t force a dog to meet head to head, as this is usually not the way dogs do it. Approach from an angle and do so calmly. Having a tight hold on the leash is likely to put your dog on edge, allow enough slack in the leash to avoid stress and also gives your dog the feeling that he has an escape route should he need one. Keep in mind your own body language, if you are holding in your breath, intently seeing what’s going on, you aren’t relaxed and chances are that neither is your dog. Take deep breaths and allow the dogs to greet each other.

Reward good behavior with treats and back up and countercondition when you see fearful behaviors. 

If your dog warms up to the other pooch continue play sessions regularly and continue to do things that will help create positive associations. Slowly progress to associations with bigger dogs and later more energetic ones. Puppies are always great because they simply want to play and may not always be concerned with dominance issues; however they can be a bit too rowdy sometimes so it just depends on your dog. If your dog is still too fearful to interact, start from the approach but take it easier. Small doses of anxiolytic drugs might come in handy in these cases too.

Aggressive Fearful Dogs

Those whose fearful behavior include lunging, barking, or other aggressive type behavior are best assisted by calm and well composed dogs, dogs that won’t bark back, and are well socialized. In these cases it might be in your interest to get a muzzle to make sure that no biting occurs.

There are only some minor changes when dealing with these kinds of fearful dogs and the submissive ones. Approach should be done the same; slowly, rewarding good behavior, and counterconditioning. Make sure that growling, barking, and lunging are stop before moving a bit closer. In these cases the Watch Me command and simple obedience tricks such as Sit or Lay may come in very handy.

When the two dogs are meeting your body language is more important that it is with submissive fearful dogs, the slightest mistake in movement can lead to a lot of barking and lunging, that’s why it’s recommended to get a muzzle. Remember, breath. Don’t pull on the leash give its lots of slack and relax. A meeting between two dogs needs to be just right. The dogs shouldn’t be forced to look into each other’s eyes, shouldn’t approach head to head, and they shouldn’t be pulled or pushed when they are sniffing each other.

If both dogs like to walk, something that can go a longs ways for fearful aggressive dogs is simply continuing your walk. Both the other owner and you should encourage your dog to walk and usually they will be just fine. If you plan on using this idea regularly feed tidbits. Anxiety drugs can be used for the dogs that simply cannot control themselves and keep lunging; slowly they should be weaned off the drugs and should learn to socialize with dogs themselves.

End Note: The list of things our dogs can be scared of goes on and on, so unfortunately I’m unable to put a solution to all of them, that would need a website all of its own. However I’m sure that you noticed a pattern between all the solutions to these common fears (to the point where it was repetitive!). 1) Approach slowly 2) Associate fear causing object with good things 3) Countercondition if the dog becomes afraid “Watch Me” 4) Take a step back if it’s too much 5) Watch your own body language 6) Repeat 1-5. Molding these steps to any situation will help you tackle it, whether the fear is of stairs or getting in the car; all it takes is a little ingenuity and lots of patience. You know your dog better than anyone else, so try something that will work specifically for your dog. Best of wishes!

 -Steven L

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