It is difficult to deal with a scared dog, they tend to get very nervous around strange people, places and sounds. Dogs become fearful or scared because they have not been properly socialized since they were puppies. A dog only has a very short window for socialization. Ideally, socialization should begin when the pups are 25 days old. Although the eyes and ears are not yet open, they can still feel and smell. This is when the breeder should encourage people to come and hold the puppies, touching them, examining their paws, ears and private parts. Being touched by strangers and strange smells will help puppies like being touched by strangers and they won’t be as scared or scared. You will want to do this frequently because at the age of 12 weeks this critical first stage of socialization will end and the next phase will begin. If puppies are not socialized at all during the time they are 25 days old and 60 days old, they will begin to show shyness and fear of strangers, especially men and young children.
By the time they reach 6 months of age, they may show signs of shyness or aggression towards strangers. Loud noises such as thunder can cause them to shake and hide under the bed, and if they feel threatened they may even bite someone or another dog. If you are reading this and have a 3 or 4 month old puppy that hasn’t seen anyone outside of your close family circle, you need to act now, get help from someone who understands dogs, and deal with this now, before things happen. get difficult. really bad.
Between the ages of 6 to 16 months is when problems will really take root in your dog’s personality. In a perfect world, these pups would have been socialized from day 25 and being handled, fed, and trained by new people would be a regular activity, and you would never stop socializing your dog with new things. Exposure is key, if you live in a place where there are no trains, but like to walk in a park where a train goes by often, then you better make sure to socialize your pup at an early age so that he likes 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 train noise.
Many things can be done to help an adult dog deal with fear. You can train the dog in obedience and it can behave very well. But unfortunately, because socialization sets in between the ages of 25 days to 5 months, the dog will never be as confident as it could have been. This is not to say that the dog cannot be helped, he just has to make sure that he is always training his dog so that he gains confidence. Every training activity should be fun and exciting for your dog. So much fun, in fact, that they don’t even realize they’re being trained. He continues to introduce new things to his furry friend, just be sure to go very slowly, with baby steps.
Be sure to reward your dog every time he tackles new things with confidence. Never reward fearful behavior from him. To make sure you don’t buy or adopt a dog that hasn’t been properly socialized, you need to do your homework first. Check out breeders before you get your puppy. If they started socializing around 25 days and have been exposed to a wide range of people and noise before they were 8 weeks old, then this is the breeder you should buy your puppy from. Then you know that the puppy has a good social base and you can continue to help him grow socially when you bring him home.
If you are taking a dog out of the shelter, take some time to observe the dog. Is he shy and nervous, tucks his tail between his legs and tries to hide when people approach him? If the dog is doing these things your best bet is to look for a dog that is more eager to come to you all wagging and happy, this is a well socialized dog, at least with humans. You will need to ask the shelter questions about whether they are well socialized with other dogs or have problems with things like skateboards, bikes, etc. Sometimes dogs are afraid of objects and can transfer fear aggression to the owner.
If you have a scared and fearful dog, then do something today to help him. Get trained help and start building a bond with your dog that will help you gain confidence. Training doesn’t 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 are your imagination and creativity. It is your responsibility as a good dog owner to do what is necessary to ensure that your dog is happy and healthy. Do this for your dog and he will do anything for you.