There’s a common belief that asserts the most effective way to get rid of your fears is to face them head on. But is the same true for our dogs and should we be making a fearful dog confront their fears?

If your dog is scared of people for example, should you be ensuring they come across masses of folks everyday in the hope they will get used to them or learn to be brave? What about a dog afraid of fireworks, should you take them to a display each year to get them use to intense noises?

The way in which we tackle the issue of dog fears is vital, as we risk compounding the fears and making our dogs even more anxious if we take the wrong approach.

A Productive Approach to Helping a Fearful Dog

All evidence suggests that encouraging or forcing a dog to tackle their fears is not a productive one, neither is it sensible. Some dogs coming face to face with an worrying experience will lash out with fear aggression. Imagine the consequences if that was a child they were frightened of. Infact repeated exposure to a fear is more likely to increase the anxiousness each time they experience it.

Naturally, we can’t protect our dogs from everything they’re fearful about. We are not able to stop thunderstorms; or folk coming to the house or having to leave our dogs home alone now and then. Nor can we ignore the problem because that won’t make it go away either, so what can we do?

The Simple Way to Help When Your Dog is Afraid

When your dog is showing fear, the way you react is essential as they will often be looking to see what you do in the situation. If you show anxiety, it’ll confirm that they are right to feel this way. So it is particularly important that you stay calm and show your dog this is nothing to be scared about.

Avoid comforting your dog too much or making a huge fuss of them when they show fear as this is not very helpful for your dog. Either your dog could see this as a reward for their anxious behavior and it’ll encourage them to continue to behave in this manner; or it’ll confirm that they are right to be afraid.

Now that doesn’t suggest if your dog wants to curl up with you during a thunderstorm that you shouldn’t let them, just that you need to stay calm, not make an enormous fuss of them and act like there is little for them to be fearful of.

How to Help Your Dog Get Over Their Fears

There are 3 ways that you can help in cutting dog fears. The first is to use desensitisation training which involves exposing your dog to their fear at an intensity they can deal with and in tiny incremental steps continuously increase their exposure, using treats and praise to aid the technique.

The second is for you to find out how to show your dog you are the pack leader as this is thought to be very beneficial for anxious dogs, especially for those affected by separation anxiety. The 3rd is to ask your vet about the use of medicine for really extreme cases, although you’ll still have to use training alongside it.

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 helping a fearful dog face fears when you visit the site.

Dogs are afraid of all sorts of unusual and wonderful things from the sound of falling leaves to folks wearing hats or men with beards.

But as entertaining as some of their fears seem, living alongside a fearful dog is not easy. While many of us spend our time attempting to calm our dogs over exhuberance down, owners of fearful dogs use their time trying to coax their dog out from under the furniture and build their confidence.

Some owners can only walk their dog after it is dark because their dog is frightened of seeing other dogs; other owners can’t invite friends 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 encourage other behaviour issues such as fear aggression, too much barking, destructive behaviour and other conditions such as separation anxiety in dogs.

Top Dog Fears

Noises appear to cause the most fears and there are plenty of dogs who are terrified of thunder, storms and fireworks. Big noises are maybe most understandable to us, but similarly you will find dogs who are scared of noises eg the telphone ringing, the vacuum cleaner, or the doorbell.

People may also be a big source of fear amongst dogs, with some dogs focusing on men or youngsters to be scared of, and others being terrified of particlular things about folk, like beards or hats or particular voices. I heard of a dog that would start barking ferociously at the sound of a popular newsreaders voice, but at no others.

Places can also make dogs fearful, from big open spaces right down to developing fears about peeing in their own favourite backyard spot.

Many of their fears are tough to understand, particularly when a dog all of a sudden is afraid of a place they have been using for years without worry. On a forum lately a dog owner was discussing how her dog was all of a sudden afraid of being downstairs and would dash upstairs at every opportunity and spend her time looking anxiously back down the stairway. She would only come down when she had to urinate or when called for a walk and then would skid down the stairs and out the door as quick as she could.

3 things That Help a Fearful Dog

It is important to stay calm yourself when coping with a dogs fears because if they pick up on our own stress it’ll give them more reason to be scared.

Do not make too much fuss of your dog while they are in a panic state either as it can increase their feelings. Treat them in a friendly but normal way like there isn’t anything for them to stress about at all.

Learn how to use desenstisation training to carefully introduce them to the things they fear in a controlled way and use masses of treats and praise.

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.

Do you have a shy or fearful dog?  He’s probably very attached to you, but is leery of strangers.  Your pet may even go so far as to growl and snap at unfamiliar people or dogs who get too close.  People may say he’s a “one-person dog.”

It’s important to work on training your shy dog before his behavior escalates to fear aggression in dogs.  This type of aggressive dog behavior is characterized at first by growling at people he doesn’t know, and can quickly progress to snapping and biting.

Why Is My Dog Shy?

Sometimes a dog is shy or fearful of strangers due to a bad experience somewhere along the line.  Some cases are due to genetics.  But most cases of shyness in dogs are caused by one thing; neglecting to socialize a puppy in his first few months of life.  It’s also very important not to stop socializing your dog too soon, as many dogs go through a shy period around six months of age.

Are You Teaching Your Dog To Be Shy?

Speaking softly and reassuringly to your fearful dog in an attempt to calm him down is a mistake.First, you’re reinforcing the hiding, growling, or snapping behavior by rewarding him with your praise and attention.

Second, listen to the sound of your voice when you’re reassuring your dog.It sounds like a dog’s whimper to your canine’s ears.Your dog understands the sound of your voice, even though he doesn’t understand your words.Since your dog thnks you’re whimpering at him, the result is that he becomes even more nervous about the stranger.

Training Your Shy Dog

Socializing your dog when he’s a puppy is the best way to prevent your canine from becoming a shy dog.  He needs to be exposed to a wide variety of people, places, and dogs so that he can learn through experience that there’s nothing to be scared of.

If your canine friend is already a shy adult, socializing your dog is still possible.  It takes longer, and you’ll need lots of patience, but  it can be done.

The important thing to remember with training your shy dog is not to rush him.  If you try to force him into socializing with unfamiliar people or dogs, all you’ll do is reinforce his belief that these things are scary.  Plus he may feel that he has no choice but to defend himself, which leads to aggressive dog behavior.

It’s never a good idea to let a stranger come up to your dog and attempt to pet him.Allow your dog to make the first move.  If he doesn’t want to, that’s fine.  If he’s hiding, don’t try to coax him out, as he’ll think you’re praising him for hiding out.

Ignore your dog when he acts shy or scared around strange people or dogs.  Keep him on his leash, and don’t let him get close enough to start displaying fear aggression in dogs.  Let him hang back and check out the situation from a distance.  When he’s ready, he’ll get closer on his own to the stranger.  This is when you praise him lavishly.

A Good Dog Training Course Can Work Wonders With A Shy Dog

You can see how easy it is to give your dog the wrong idea.  The fact is that dogs just don’t think like people do.  Understanding how your dog thinks is crucial to training shy dog properly.

Investing in a good dog training course is essential.  You’ll want to find out what other dog owners who have used the course think of it.Learn if other dog owners who have used the course are satisfied with it by reading testimonials.

If you’re struggling with a shy or fearful dog, just click on any link in this article to learn more about a dog training course that includes a free consultation with an experienced dog trainer.