Fear in dogs can be simple (for example, he doesn’t like loud noises) or complex (for example, her life functioning is impaired by extreme shyness or anxiety, or endangered by fear biting). While some adopted dogs are vivacious and outgoing, many are fearful, and that fear can be the result of any number of complex interactions of genetics, personality, and life experience.
Unraveling the source of your dog’s fear can be helpful, but in many cases, you’ll never know why your Golden Retriever quakes uncontrollably at the first rumble of thunder or why your Chihuahua hightails it out of the room at the sight of any man but rushes to greet your girlfriends. What’s most important is to determine the type of fear your dog is experiencing and to address it in a way that will help you and your dog to maintain a happy and safe relationship.
How do you know if your dog is afraid? Dogs exhibit certain telltale behaviors when experiencing fear.
Quaking, Shaking, Shivering, and Crying
What’s more pathetic than a dog quaking with fear at the slightest rumble of thunder, shivering with anxiety at the approach of a stranger, or whining and crying all night long when he can’t sleep glued to your side? These involuntary physical responses to fear are common in dogs and a sure sign that your dog is afraid of something in his immediate environment. They can be clues to help you determine what exactly causes your dog to be afraid.
Making Headway
If your dog is too submissive and fearful, avoid petting him on the head. Towering over your dog and bringing your hand down over his head, even as an affectionate gesture (in your mind) is an intimidating and dominant gesture in the mind of your fearful dog. To help build your dog’s confidence and ensure him that you are his benevolent buddy, especially in situations where he is likely to submissively urinate or become particularly anxious, get down low and approach your dog from the front (not from above). Pet him under his chin or on his forechest rather than on the top of his head.
Submissive Urination
Many fearful dogs are overly submissive when afraid and will urinate … all over shoes, the carpet or the couch. My adopted dog, Sally, was housetrained from the day I brought her home from the animal shelter, but she submissively urinates whenever a man, such as my father or boyfriend, enters the house without me. My father takes it personally, but submissive urination is a natural behavior in dogs. Your dog is telling the source of fear—even if it is a person the dog knows and loves--"Yes, you are bigger and stronger and I am definitely not challenging your authority!"
Your submissive urinater needs more self-confidence in general, but in particular, making less ado about the event that causes the urination can solve the problem.
Fear Biting
Fear biting is a dangerous behavior common to dogs who are unsocialized, or who feel cornered when faced with something fearful. If a small child backs a dog into a corner or the dog otherwise believes he can’t escape, he may bite as a last resort. Some dogs bite before trying to flee, as a survival mechanism, even if their survival isn’t actually at risk. Dogs react out of instinct and fear biting is a natural instinct in dogs.
Any breed of dog is a potential fear biter. The tendency to bite is based on the dog’s feelings of security at the moment, his history of socialization, whether he was taught bite inhibition at a young age, and potentially other factors.
Sometimes fear biting is something that just happens when a normally confident dog feels cornered, but if your dog is a regular fear biter, you need to get professional help from an animal behaviorist or trainer specializing in fear biting immediately.
From Your Outta Control Adopted Dog, Published by TFH Publications. Used with Permission.
