Hunden er full av nysgjerrighet og livsglede, men den kan også være redd for ting. Alle hunder har en egen personlighet. Enkelte hunder er engstelige fra naturens side, og enkelte redde hunder er mer utsatt for det enn andre.
Hunden føler seg vanligvis tryggest når den er sammen med deg, men i likhet med alle andre dyr kan den være noe som kan utgjøre en trussel, selv om du vet at alt er i orden. I slike tilfeller kan hunden reagere med en “fight or flight”-reaksjon. Dette betyr at den enten vil forsøke å skremme bort trusselen, eller vil rømme fra den.
Fight or flight”-instinktet er naturlig, men noen ganger det føre til at hunden overreagerer. Du kan ikke alltid være der for å holde den engstelige hunden din med selskap, så det er bedre for den hvis du kan hjelpe den med å utvikle emosjonell selvstendighet og selvtillit. Les våre tips om hvordan du hjelper den til å takle vanlig frykt og engstelse.
Your dog is full of curiosity and fun, but they might be frightened of things too – after all, every dog has a different personality. Some dogs are fearful by nature, and some scared dogs are more predisposed to it than others.
Dogs are naturally curious and inquisitive so they generally interact enthusiastically with the world around them but they may be times or situations where they become wary or frightened.
Every dog has a different personality depending on their breed, type, past experiences and their individual nature. Each dog is different – just like us – and while there are some real canine extroverts out there, there can also be dogs who are more worried about things around them or that they may encounter.
The more we take time to understand our dog’s unique personality, the better we can predict when they may behave fearfully, and know how to support them.
Most behaviour problems have their roots in fear – even aggression. It’s not the only cause but it is a major one and if you think of the common canine issues, often you will find that the original cause is the dog feeling worried, scared or frightened.
- Dog to dog aggression – fear of strange dogs.
- Aggression to people – fear of unknown people.
There are other common problems that arise from fear that people don’t often think of, such as hyperactivity, reactivity and not paying attention when away from home. A common complaint of many owners in a dog training class is “He’s perfect at home but he just won’t listen to me here”. That’s often because at home they are confident and relaxed but in a class situation with different surroundings, other dogs and strange people, they are much more worried.
Your dog usually feels at their safest when they’re with you in a familiar environment but like any other animals dogs may be cautious of things that they suspect could pose a threat, new places or situations, or anything out of the ordinary (or that they’ve had a bad experience with in the past). We might know that its fine and totally safe but we often forget that our dogs don’t always know that.
When our dogs are scared, they have a variety of ways they can behave – and some of them aren’t obvious. In some cases, they might respond with a ‘fight or flight’ reaction – which means they’ll either try to scare the threat away, or run away from it or find ways to avoid it.
The ‘fight or flight’ instinct is a natural one, but sometimes it can cause dogs to overreact. While you can take steps to help your dog in these situations, it’s far better and less stressful for you both if you help build your dog’s confidence and ability to cope in new situations – or else be able to recognise situations that may make your dog feel worried or scared and take steps to avoid them.
Read our tips for helping them deal with common fears and anxieties and put your canine companion on the path to happiness.
Signs of fear in dogs may include:
- Pacing.
- Panting.
- Shaking/trembling.
- Inability to settle.
- Attempting to hide.
- Lack of appetite (including being unable to take a treat).
- Being too distracted for you to get their attention.
- Salivation.
- Yawning.
- Licking lips.
- Whale eye (showing whites of eyes).
- Lifting a paw.
- Lowered body language.
- Hyperactivity.
- Goofy behaviour (getting the zoomies, scratching etc).
- Loss of toilet training.
- Reactivity.
- Growling.
- Aggression.
If you notice any of these signs of anxiety in dogs in response to certain stimuli or situations, it may be that your dog or puppy is fearful or anxious. If you think this is the case, contact an accredited experienced behaviourist for more help.
Dog fears and phobias: fireworks and other loud noises
A fear of fireworks in dogs, or of other loud noises, is quite common especially around bonfire night and new year when they’re very loud and unpredictable!
While we know fireworks are nothing to worry about, their effects can be devastating for some dogs. If not treated promptly, mild worry can escalate into a serious phobia of loud noises, and, in the worst cases, anything your dog has come to associate with fireworks, such as the approach of dusk.
If your dog is scared of fireworks, there’s no need for you to cancel your firework plans, though – just follow a few tips that will help your Fireworks Night, Diwali or New Year’s Eve celebration go smoothly.
Purina Editorial Team
