Don't ignore the fear, but instead help them with your support and strength. You can stand by your dog's side, touch him—even with your hand just resting on his shoulder—or move him away from the object of his fear. Equally as important is to focus on being unworried yourself.
Avoid reassuring your dog as this will only worsen the behaviour, your dog may think there is a reason to be nervous. If the subtle signs of nervous behaviour go unnoticed or are ignored then these will develop into more obvious behavioural signs.
Unfortunately some dog trainers – including famous ones – have spread the idea that you should not comfort a fearful dog because it will reinforce the fear and make things worse. This is a myth. In fact, you are a secure base for your dog – meaning your presence can help them in a stressful situation.
Dogs learn from positive association. The best way to help a shy or fearful dog gain confidence is to expose them to what frightens them at a low intensity. Pair this exposure with something positive, like a tasty treat.
Because they are social animals, dogs hate being left alone. The most common of dog fears is separation anxiety. There are always exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, a dog wants to be with her pack, be it you, your family, another dog, a cat, or even a bird.
Each fear period will last roughly 2-3 weeks. The first fear period occurs relatively early in a dog's life, when puppies are between 8-11 weeks old. The second fear period, which also lasts roughly 2-3 weeks, will occur less predictably between the ages of 6-14 months.
If a dog is afraid of you, they might cower or hide.
Remember, a dog that doesn't like you might actually just be kind of scared of you — and this fear can manifest itself in physical ways. "If the dog is fearful, he may cower or crouch, pull back his ears, tuck his tail, hide, or tremble," Sueda told Insider.
Cuddling a fearful dog reduces their stress, but in doing so teaches him or her that coming to their owner is a good strategy to cope with loud noises. In other words, giving attention doesn't reinforce the fear, but does reinforce the coping strategy of seeking attention.
When You Shouldn't Ignore Your Dog's Bad Behavior. There are some behaviors you don't want to ignore, such as puppy nipping or pulling on leash. Any behavior that feels good to your dog, is naturally calming (such as licking or chewing), or is fun to do is not likely to go away when ignored.
The 'Rule of Three' means that you can gauge the time it might take for your dog to fully acclimate to his home in threes: three days, three weeks, and three months. Think of your new dog's first 3 days as their time to decompress as they transition from a shelter or foster home into your home.
A common reason for fear in dogs is a lack of positive exposure to new people, animals and environments during the critical fear period of the puppy socialization process.
What signs might my dog show when afraid? Dogs that are frightened may display fight (aggression), flight (attempts to avoid or flee the situations), freeze (remain motionless), fidget or fret (small nervous movements) responses when afraid.
There are many reasons why dogs become fearful. It could be neglect, abuse, lack of proper socialization with humans and/or other animals, pushed too much at an early age, physical trauma, pain, emotional trauma, any trauma at a critical period of puppyhood, etc. Sometimes we know the reasons, but oftentimes we don't.
Fear Aggression
A fearful dog may become aggressive if cornered or trapped. When animals and people are afraid of something, they prefer to get away from that thing. This is called the flight response. But if escaping isn't an option, most animals will switch to a fight response.
A dog might have had a bad experience with a certain place, sound, type of person, or object. If the experience was scary enough, they'll probably be scared of it next time they see it. Some dogs are also genetically predisposed to being more fearful. Certain breeds are known for being jumpy, suspicious, or timid.
A different set of chemicals is released when you feel hatred or resentment towards someone and your dog can sense that too! Be careful – if they know you don't like someone, they may try to protect you from them which could result in some bad behavioural changes in your pooch.
Dogs often engage in destructive behavior when feeling neglected, like excessive digging, chewing and scratching. Another way they might express their feelings of frustration are through barking and howling fits, particularly at night.
Some reasons dogs don't come when called include distraction, confusion, or fear. Gradual training and positivity are ways to help build a reliable recall so your dog will come when called.
The reasons your dog may not be listening might be medical in nature, but most often, if your dog will not come to you or ignores you completely, it is because of a training or a behavioral issue. Once you feel you have ruled out potential illness, training and conditioning your dog will improve his recall ability.