By PIA SILVANI
Afraid? Everyone knows what it feels like. We’ve all been there at one point in our lives.
Whether it’s dropping 100 feet in the air after hitting a pocket of turbulence, standing up
on stage speaking to 500 people or stepping into a snake pit. We all feel it differently,
depending on the situation. But, how do dogs feel fear and can they “get over it?” We’ll
never really know HOW they “feel” it, but fear-related problems can often be treated with
great success. However, if the triggers are not identified and you attempt the “oh, get over
it treatment plan” the problem can be exacerbated.
Fear is a response to something the dog perceives as being threatening. It has
physiological, emotional and behavioral components. Fears can result from a genetic
predisposition, early trauma, lack of early socialization, or a combination of all three.
The level of fear varies according to the situation, the dog’s genetic makeup and your
dog's past history.
There are varying degrees of fear as well, from mild anxiety to extreme phobias. Anxiety is
the anticipation of a danger or threat. Anxiety can be associated with many different types
of triggers (possibly unknown to you and not clearly visible). Some dogs might become
anxious when the barometric pressure begins to drop, when an owner picks up her keys
to leave in the morning, when family members begin to have a heated debate that
typically results in arguments. Some anxious dogs will compulsively lick their paws to the
point of discoloration, bite their nails to the point of bleeding, or gnaw and lick at
themselves causing lick granulomas.
Phobic behaviors (usually associated with thunder, loud noises, separation) are typically
out of proportion to the situation. For example, when a dog is fearful (not phobic) of
something (a person, an object, another dog, children, etc.) the dog has some options.
He can avoid what is frightening him by running away or, if on lead with no escape, he
may bark and lunge in an attempt to keep what has frightened him at bay. When a dog is
exhibiting a phobic behavior, he typically can not function and may actually do harm to
himself or his surroundings (self-mutilate, claw or chew his way out of a crate, scratch or
bite at door moldings or walls to escape). Basically, when the dog is exhibiting a phobic
behavior, he is in a panicked state.
The following are some fairly common misconceptions about fearful dogs. Knowing what
ISN’T true about frightened dogs, can provide a better understanding of why your
frightened friend is reacting the way he is.
“He’ll grow out of it.” Dogs do not grow out of their fears as they age. However, in the case
of mild fears, they sometimes can habituate to them-meaning that the fearful response
stops because after repeated exposure the cause of the fear no longer has any effect on
them.
“He must have been mistreated.” While this might be true, in most cases it is not. Dogs
who have not been well socialized often exhibit behaviors like cowering, ducking or
backing away when unfamiliar people attempt to pet them. On the surface, it may look as
if the dog avoids the hands because he has been mistreated by them previously. In
actuality, he may simply have no experience at all. Socialization involves taking the dog to
a variety of places and providing pleasant experiences with people besides those he
sees every day.
“Must be a result of trauma.” Some dogs are innately predisposed to be afraid of certain
stimulus, like thunder, for example. There need not have been any early trauma related to
this.
“Punish him so he stops this silly behavior.” Punishing a fearful dog for behaviors that
are inappropriate (i.e. growling or lunging at people) will NOT help. If anything, it does
more harm than good. If you punish your dog for growling because he is afraid, he will
probably stop growling, but it won’t change his emotional state.
“He’s mad at us for leaving him alone all day.” A dog is not mad at being left alone, but he
may feel anxious about it. That anxiety can cause him to engage in destructive activities in
your absence. However, if you return home hours later and punish the dog for what he’s
done, it will actually increase his anxiety level! While he may cower and “act guilty” in
response to the punishment, he will make absolutely no connection with the act of
destruction and your punishment.
“Don’t pet him when he is afraid or you will reinforce his fears.” For many years, everyone
including trainers believed this, based on the concept that the petting was rewarding the
dog for the fearful behavior. It’s since been proven to be untrue. If anything, the comforting
touch may help them relax, knowing a had a friend is close to help them get through it.
The good news is that treatment of fear does not necessarily require knowledge of how
or why the fear developed in the first place. Even though you may not know a lot about
your dog’s past history, you can take steps to help alleviate his fears. Treatment, though,
DOES require identifying what triggers the fearful or phobic behavior.
For treatment to be successful, a dog must reach a point where the fear-related stimulus
is presented to him and he no longer feels fearful. If your dog is fearful of other dogs,
taking him to a dog park with 50 dogs running loose shouldn’t be the first option. Slowly
exposing him to one social dog at a time to help him relax around dogs should be the
first step. St. Hubert’s uses this method of training in our Feisty Fidos course. We attempt
to help the dogs relax through massage. Other dogs are kept at a distance. Gradually, we
bring the dogs closer and closer to each other, always making sure they are as relaxed
as possible, with the ultimate goal of saying hello and exhibiting good canine etiquette
as opposed to barking, growling, lunging or carrying on.
As you can see, working with fearful dogs can be quite complex especially when a dog is
exhibiting phobic behaviors. Sometimes, the fears may also in-volve physiological
causes or be so extreme that they require the use of medication. Speaking with a
professional in the field enable you to pursue the best course of action to help your
companion relax and enjoy life.
Afraid? Everyone knows what it feels like. We’ve all been there at one point in our lives.
Whether it’s dropping 100 feet in the air after hitting a pocket of turbulence, standing up
on stage speaking to 500 people or stepping into a snake pit. We all feel it differently,
depending on the situation. But, how do dogs feel fear and can they “get over it?” We’ll
never really know HOW they “feel” it, but fear-related problems can often be treated with
great success. However, if the triggers are not identified and you attempt the “oh, get over
it treatment plan” the problem can be exacerbated.
Fear is a response to something the dog perceives as being threatening. It has
physiological, emotional and behavioral components. Fears can result from a genetic
predisposition, early trauma, lack of early socialization, or a combination of all three.
The level of fear varies according to the situation, the dog’s genetic makeup and your
dog's past history.
There are varying degrees of fear as well, from mild anxiety to extreme phobias. Anxiety is
the anticipation of a danger or threat. Anxiety can be associated with many different types
of triggers (possibly unknown to you and not clearly visible). Some dogs might become
anxious when the barometric pressure begins to drop, when an owner picks up her keys
to leave in the morning, when family members begin to have a heated debate that
typically results in arguments. Some anxious dogs will compulsively lick their paws to the
point of discoloration, bite their nails to the point of bleeding, or gnaw and lick at
themselves causing lick granulomas.
Phobic behaviors (usually associated with thunder, loud noises, separation) are typically
out of proportion to the situation. For example, when a dog is fearful (not phobic) of
something (a person, an object, another dog, children, etc.) the dog has some options.
He can avoid what is frightening him by running away or, if on lead with no escape, he
may bark and lunge in an attempt to keep what has frightened him at bay. When a dog is
exhibiting a phobic behavior, he typically can not function and may actually do harm to
himself or his surroundings (self-mutilate, claw or chew his way out of a crate, scratch or
bite at door moldings or walls to escape). Basically, when the dog is exhibiting a phobic
behavior, he is in a panicked state.
The following are some fairly common misconceptions about fearful dogs. Knowing what
ISN’T true about frightened dogs, can provide a better understanding of why your
frightened friend is reacting the way he is.
“He’ll grow out of it.” Dogs do not grow out of their fears as they age. However, in the case
of mild fears, they sometimes can habituate to them-meaning that the fearful response
stops because after repeated exposure the cause of the fear no longer has any effect on
them.
“He must have been mistreated.” While this might be true, in most cases it is not. Dogs
who have not been well socialized often exhibit behaviors like cowering, ducking or
backing away when unfamiliar people attempt to pet them. On the surface, it may look as
if the dog avoids the hands because he has been mistreated by them previously. In
actuality, he may simply have no experience at all. Socialization involves taking the dog to
a variety of places and providing pleasant experiences with people besides those he
sees every day.
“Must be a result of trauma.” Some dogs are innately predisposed to be afraid of certain
stimulus, like thunder, for example. There need not have been any early trauma related to
this.
“Punish him so he stops this silly behavior.” Punishing a fearful dog for behaviors that
are inappropriate (i.e. growling or lunging at people) will NOT help. If anything, it does
more harm than good. If you punish your dog for growling because he is afraid, he will
probably stop growling, but it won’t change his emotional state.
“He’s mad at us for leaving him alone all day.” A dog is not mad at being left alone, but he
may feel anxious about it. That anxiety can cause him to engage in destructive activities in
your absence. However, if you return home hours later and punish the dog for what he’s
done, it will actually increase his anxiety level! While he may cower and “act guilty” in
response to the punishment, he will make absolutely no connection with the act of
destruction and your punishment.
“Don’t pet him when he is afraid or you will reinforce his fears.” For many years, everyone
including trainers believed this, based on the concept that the petting was rewarding the
dog for the fearful behavior. It’s since been proven to be untrue. If anything, the comforting
touch may help them relax, knowing a had a friend is close to help them get through it.
The good news is that treatment of fear does not necessarily require knowledge of how
or why the fear developed in the first place. Even though you may not know a lot about
your dog’s past history, you can take steps to help alleviate his fears. Treatment, though,
DOES require identifying what triggers the fearful or phobic behavior.
For treatment to be successful, a dog must reach a point where the fear-related stimulus
is presented to him and he no longer feels fearful. If your dog is fearful of other dogs,
taking him to a dog park with 50 dogs running loose shouldn’t be the first option. Slowly
exposing him to one social dog at a time to help him relax around dogs should be the
first step. St. Hubert’s uses this method of training in our Feisty Fidos course. We attempt
to help the dogs relax through massage. Other dogs are kept at a distance. Gradually, we
bring the dogs closer and closer to each other, always making sure they are as relaxed
as possible, with the ultimate goal of saying hello and exhibiting good canine etiquette
as opposed to barking, growling, lunging or carrying on.
As you can see, working with fearful dogs can be quite complex especially when a dog is
exhibiting phobic behaviors. Sometimes, the fears may also in-volve physiological
causes or be so extreme that they require the use of medication. Speaking with a
professional in the field enable you to pursue the best course of action to help your
companion relax and enjoy life.
| The FEAR FACTOR: Overcoming Anxiety & Phobias |
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