A Few Myths About Fearful Dogs

I’ve spent a lot of hours in a few different animal shelters and witnessed a lot of dogs displaying fearful behaviors. These behaviors however aren’t just seen in shelters but also in homes where I run across these common myths that I’d love to dispel.

Myth #1 - Dogs will get over their fear(s) or grow out of them

If your dog is afraid of something, they will likely continue to be afraid—or get much worse—if you don’t do something about it. People are not aware that developmentally, dogs experience a fear period between 8-11 weeks of age and a second one between 6 - 14 months. During these periods, dogs may be at risk of developing fears; with the 2nd period pet parents might find their dog being concerned about something that hadn’t triggered them in the past. Pet parents may inadvertently exacerbate the situation by not understanding their dog’s body language and misinterpreting their behaviors.

Myth #2 - Just let your dog face what they fear and they will get over it

Throwing them in the deep end to force them to face their fears is called “flooding”. It doesn’t help, and it’s likely to make things worse. Instead, protect your dog from things they are scared of. The way to resolve those fears involves gradual exposure and helping your dog feel safe and secure.

Myth #3 - If you comfort them this only rewards them to keep misbehaving

For a long time, some trainers falsely said that you should not comfort a fearful dog. This isn’t true. As the pet parent, it’s our job to protect them from fearful events and be their advocate; if your dog is fearful and wants comfort then by all means provide them comfort in stressful situations. It’s important to watch their body language and what they are communicating as not all dogs want this, and recognize that comfort alone will likely not be enough to resolve the situation.

Myth #4 - It’s important that my dog learns commands and he needs to earn his treat

With fearful dogs, I prioritize steps to help them feel safe and secure, and learning cues for other life skills may take a back seat. I’ve seen pet parents unknowingly add more stress by having the dog come to them to get a treat which may or may not include performing a requested behavior. If a dog is displaying signals that they are not comfortable around the human, then training sessions are unlikely to be fun and maybe counterproductive. Often the dog wants the treat but must approach the scary human in order to get it. Remember Myths #1 & 2, just by repeating this scenario where a fearful dog must approach the scary human is not the effective or efficient way to reduce their fears and help them feel more secure. Getting treats should be fun, training should also be fun so let’s not put our furry friends in this kind of predicament.

Myth #5 - My dog lunges and growls when he sees people he doesn’t know, I need to make sure he knows shouldn’t do those behaviors

A dog reacting to a trigger by lunging and growling is typically trying to communicate, “help, I don’t feel safe, comfortable, and am concerned”. You don’t need to use harsh methods because the dog has behavior issues. Although harsh methods may suppress a behavior momentarily, there is a risk that the dog’s behavior will worsen. Studies show that aversive methods like shock and prong collars, leash “corrections,” yelling at the dog, and other harsh methods have risks that include increased aggression, anxiety, fear, pessimism, and stress, and a worse relationship with the people in the dog’s life. The American Veterinary Society on Animal Behavior’s updated position statement states there is no role for aversive training practices.

So what can we do if our dog is fearful?

The best place to start is by understanding their communication and what they are trying to say via their body language. What are some body language signals dogs give to communicate that they may be fearful or at a minimum not comfortable? Does lip licking or yawning come to mind? How about whale-eye or a stiffer body? If you’d like to grow your knowledge of dog body language check out resources like Lily Chin’s Doggie Language A Dog Lover’s Guide to Understanding Your Best Friend or this Youtube video that focuses on dog behaviors that communicate fear or discomfort.