By
Harley Harrington
It is difficult dealing with a scared dog, they tend to get very
nervous around strange people, places, and sounds. Dogs get fearful or
scared because they were not properly socialized from puppy-hood. A dog
only has a very short window for socialization. Ideally socialization
should begin when the pups are 25 days old. Even though the eyes and
ears are not open yet, they can still feel and smell.
It is now that the breeder should encourage people to come and hold the pups, touching them, examining the paws, ears, and private parts. Being handled by strangers and strange smells will help the pups to like being handled by strangers and will not be as fearful or scared. You will want to do this often because by the age of 12 weeks this first critical stage of socialization will end and the next phase begins. If puppies are not socialized at all during the time they are 25 days old and aged 60 days, they will begin to show shyness and fear of strangers especially men and small kids.
When they reach the 6 month age they might show signs of timidness or aggression toward strangers. Loud noises like thunder may send them shivering to hide under a bed, and if they feel threatened they might even bite someone or another dog. If you are reading this and you have a 3 or 4 month old pup who hasn't seen anyone outside your close family circle, you need to act now, get some help from someone who understands dogs and deal with this now, before things get real bad.
Between the ages of 6- 16 months is when the problems will really get engrained in your dog's personality. In a perfect world, these pups would have been socialized from day 25 straight through, and being handled, fed, and trained by new people would be a regular activity, and you would never stop socializing your dog to new things. Exposure is the key, if you live in a place where there are no trains, but you like to walk in a park where a train goes by often, then you better be sure to socialize your pup at an early age to like the sound of the train. If you don't, and you decide to take your 6 month old canine to the park to play, don't be surprised when he locks up and shuts down, the second he hears the noise of the train.
There is a lot that can be done to help an adult dog to deal with being scared. You can train the dog in obedience and he can be very well-behaved. But unfortunately because socialization is set between the ages of 25 days to 5 months, the dog will never be as confident as he could have been. This is not to say the dog can't be helped, you just need to make sure that you are always training your dog to build confidence. Every training activity needs to be fun and exciting for your dog. So much fun in fact that they don't even realize they are being trained. Continue to introduce your furry friend to new things, just be sure to go real slow, with tiny steps.
Make sure to reward your dog for every time he confronts new things with confidence. Never reward his scared behaviors. In order to be sure that you don't buy or adopt a dog who has not been properly socialized, you need to do your homework first. Check out the breeders before you get your puppy. If they started socialization around the 25 day mark, and have been exposed to a wide range of people and noises before they reach age 8 weeks, then this is the breeder you should buy your pup from. Then you know the pup has a good social foundation and you can continue to help your pup grow socially when you get him home.
If you are going to get a dog from the shelter, then take time to observe the dog. Is he shy and nervous, does he put his tail between his legs and try to hide when people approach him. If the dog is doing these things, it is best if you look for a dog who is more eager to come to you all wiggly and happy, this is a well socialized dog, at least toward humans. You will need to ask the shelter questions about if they are as well socialized to other dogs, or if they have issues with things like skate boards, bicycles, etc. Sometimes dogs get fearful of objects and can transfer fear aggression to the owner.
If you have a dog that's scared and fearful, then do something today to help him. Get some trained help, and begin to build a bond with your dog that will help them gain confidence. Training does not have to be a boring chore. In fact the most successful training is fun and exciting for both you and your dog. The only limits to the amount of fun you can have is your imagination and creativity. It is your responsibility as a good dog owner to do what is necessary to make sure your dog is as happy and healthy. Do this for your dog and he will do anything for you.
It is difficult dealing with a scared dog, they tend to get very
nervous around strange people, places, and sounds. Dogs get fearful or
scared because they were not properly socialized from puppy-hood. A dog
only has a very short window for socialization. Ideally socialization
should begin when the pups are 25 days old. Even though the eyes and
ears are not open yet, they can still feel and smell.It is now that the breeder should encourage people to come and hold the pups, touching them, examining the paws, ears, and private parts. Being handled by strangers and strange smells will help the pups to like being handled by strangers and will not be as fearful or scared. You will want to do this often because by the age of 12 weeks this first critical stage of socialization will end and the next phase begins. If puppies are not socialized at all during the time they are 25 days old and aged 60 days, they will begin to show shyness and fear of strangers especially men and small kids.
When they reach the 6 month age they might show signs of timidness or aggression toward strangers. Loud noises like thunder may send them shivering to hide under a bed, and if they feel threatened they might even bite someone or another dog. If you are reading this and you have a 3 or 4 month old pup who hasn't seen anyone outside your close family circle, you need to act now, get some help from someone who understands dogs and deal with this now, before things get real bad.
Between the ages of 6- 16 months is when the problems will really get engrained in your dog's personality. In a perfect world, these pups would have been socialized from day 25 straight through, and being handled, fed, and trained by new people would be a regular activity, and you would never stop socializing your dog to new things. Exposure is the key, if you live in a place where there are no trains, but you like to walk in a park where a train goes by often, then you better be sure to socialize your pup at an early age to like the sound of the train. If you don't, and you decide to take your 6 month old canine to the park to play, don't be surprised when he locks up and shuts down, the second he hears the noise of the train.
There is a lot that can be done to help an adult dog to deal with being scared. You can train the dog in obedience and he can be very well-behaved. But unfortunately because socialization is set between the ages of 25 days to 5 months, the dog will never be as confident as he could have been. This is not to say the dog can't be helped, you just need to make sure that you are always training your dog to build confidence. Every training activity needs to be fun and exciting for your dog. So much fun in fact that they don't even realize they are being trained. Continue to introduce your furry friend to new things, just be sure to go real slow, with tiny steps.
Make sure to reward your dog for every time he confronts new things with confidence. Never reward his scared behaviors. In order to be sure that you don't buy or adopt a dog who has not been properly socialized, you need to do your homework first. Check out the breeders before you get your puppy. If they started socialization around the 25 day mark, and have been exposed to a wide range of people and noises before they reach age 8 weeks, then this is the breeder you should buy your pup from. Then you know the pup has a good social foundation and you can continue to help your pup grow socially when you get him home.
If you are going to get a dog from the shelter, then take time to observe the dog. Is he shy and nervous, does he put his tail between his legs and try to hide when people approach him. If the dog is doing these things, it is best if you look for a dog who is more eager to come to you all wiggly and happy, this is a well socialized dog, at least toward humans. You will need to ask the shelter questions about if they are as well socialized to other dogs, or if they have issues with things like skate boards, bicycles, etc. Sometimes dogs get fearful of objects and can transfer fear aggression to the owner.
If you have a dog that's scared and fearful, then do something today to help him. Get some trained help, and begin to build a bond with your dog that will help them gain confidence. Training does not have to be a boring chore. In fact the most successful training is fun and exciting for both you and your dog. The only limits to the amount of fun you can have is your imagination and creativity. It is your responsibility as a good dog owner to do what is necessary to make sure your dog is as happy and healthy. Do this for your dog and he will do anything for you.
To learn more about what makes your dog tick, take a look at my
Dog Training Tips Community. You will find pictures, videos of the dogs I
work with and valuable informational articles designed to help you take
charge of your dog's behavior today. Understanding Scared Dogs
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