#dog fears

[dogdaz]

DogDaz Zoo: Scaredy Bear

Hi. Bearnard here. Mom says that I always look like a ‘deer in the headlights.’ I am not really sure what that means but it can’t be good. I guess it is because I am a little nervous most of the time – OK all the time! Well, people I don’t know make me nervous. Dogs, other than my sister, Jolie, make me nervous. The FedEx person, the Mail Person, the Doordash person, actually almost any person I…

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[dogdaz]

Monday Mischief: Leave My Bed Alone!

Monday Mischief: Leave My Bed Alone!

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[tagantweb]

10 Common Dog Fears and Phobias

Many dogs suffer from fears and phobias. These phobias can have  a spread  of causes, including  a scarcity of early socialization oe a negative past experience. Signs of fear in dogs include cowering, trembling, drooling, barking, destructive behavior, and, in some cases, aggression. Is your dog fearful?  have you ever  determined why?  study   a number of   the foremost  common dog fears and phobias so  you'll  help your dog.

   01. Fear of Thunder :    Astraphobia, fear of thunder,  is extremely  common in dogs. The degree of this fear can differ from dog to dog. Some  may  have  a light  fear of thunder.  during this  case, a dog may tremble slightly  otherwise you may notice flattened ears, wide eyes, and a tucked tail during a thunderstorm. Other dogs may have a more severe phobia which leads them  to cover , become destructive,  or maybe  lose control of their bowels or bladder.

   Dogs with astraphobia may or  might not  be  scared of  other loud noises. Many dogs have a general noise phobia. They become fearful  once they  hear thunder, fireworks, loud music, trucks driving down the road, and so on.    02. Fear of Fireworks :    Another common dog phobia  is that the  fear of fireworks.  almost like  the fear of thunderstorms, the loud and unpredictable sounds  and lightweight  displays of fireworks make many dogs tremble in fear. This fear may even cause a dog to run away and become lost.  for a few  dogs, slowly getting them  wont to  the sound of fireworks can eliminate the phobia. In other cases,  you'll   got to  use management techniques. Dogs with a severe fireworks phobia  may have  to be treated with anti-anxiety medications or sedatives.    03. Fear of Being Left Alone (Separation Anxiety) :    The fear of being left home alone is  mentioned  as separation anxiety. Dogs  that suffer from separation anxiety tend to exhibit destructive behavior as soon as their owners leave the house. Other symptoms include excessive barking and housebreaking accidents when left alone.    A change  within the  dog owner's behavior may help ease a dog's fears.  just by  making changes to their habits before leaving the house and staying low key  once they  leave and return home, dog owners can alleviate  a number of  a dog's anxiety. Desensitization,  the method  of slowly getting the dog  wont to  being left home alone,  also can  be beneficial to dogs  affected by  separation anxiety.    Sometimes, training a dog  to remain   during a  crate while the owner is away  can also  help. If separation anxiety is severe, sometimes medication for the animal is warranted.    04. Fear of the Veterinarian :    It's somewhat common for dogs to be  scared of   getting to  the veterinarian. A dog's first exposure to  getting to the vet usually involves strange smells, being handled in new ways, being restrained, and getting vaccinations. It's no wonder dogs can easily become  scared of   a visit  to the vet.    If there  are not any  other phobias involved, fear of the vet  could also be   addressed   just by  bringing a dog to the vet for  a couple of  social visits  that do not  involve an examination. Offer  many  praise and treats if your dog remains calm.    05. Fear of Riding  within the  Car :    Some dogs are  scared of  riding  within the  car. This fear  is usually   thanks to   a scarcity  of early exposure to car rides.  it's going to  also develop after negative experiences with riding  within the  car,  like  getting car sick, riding  within the  car to be left at a shelter, or only going for a car ride for a visit to the veterinarian. It's possible  to beat  your dog's fear of riding  within the  car by using treats and praise to slowly lure your dog into the car  then  working up to taking rides in small steps.  confirm  the destination  may be a  happy place,  wish to  the dog park or for a walk, and not too  distant .    06. Fear of  rising  and Down Stairs :    A dog owner  might not  realize his dog  features a  fear of  rising  and down stairs until his dog puts on the breaks as they approach  a group  of steps. This phobia  is nearly  always  thanks to   a scarcity  of early socialization and exposure. A dog who isn't exposed to steps as a young puppy may develop a fear of  rising  and down them when he encounters a stairway later in life. Some dogs can overcome this fear if  you switch   rising  and down steps into a game. Other dogs  may have   to find out  to navigate stairs, literally, step by step.  this may  take time  and many  of positive reinforcement.    Older dogs may become reluctant to use stairs if  they need  arthritis or other mobility issues so  make certain  to rule out medical issues for this behavior. If a dog has had  a nasty   subside   the steps   within the  past,  this might   even be  a  explanation for  the fear.    07. Fear of Men :  it's going to  surprise people  to find out  that  it's  fairly common for dogs to be  scared of  men. In some cases, this fear can stem from being abused by  a person . However,  it's  more commonly  thanks to  lack of socialization. Dogs that  haven't  spent much time around men  could also be   scared of  their deeper voices, larger builds, and even facial hair.    Dogs who are  scared of  men should be slowly desensitized to men  during a  non-threatening manner.  confine  mind that a fearful dog may growl, snap, or bite someone as a  results of  this fear. Carefully expose your dog to men from a distance.  confirm   the lads  know  to not  make eye contact or  attempt to  approach your dog. It can take time for your dog  to urge  over this fear.    08. Fear of Strangers :    A fear of strangers  is analogous  to a fear of men, but  during this  case, a dog  could also be   scared of  anyone he doesn't know.  this will  be a difficult problem  to beat  because it's impossible  to show  your dog  to simply accept  every possible new person.  it is vital   to permit  your dog to approach new people in his own time. Forcing a fearful dog  to simply accept  a stranger could push a dog to become aggressive.    09. Fear  of youngsters  :    Dogs develop a fear  of youngsters  for several reasons.  most ordinarily ,  it's   thanks to   a scarcity  of early exposure to children.  many of us  will get dogs before becoming parents. Unless you bring a puppy into a household with children, your dog  might not  get  the chance  to socialize with them. Try your best  to show  your dog to kids of all ages  ranging from  puppyhood.    Dogs  scared of  children may have had negative experiences with children. While a child's intentions  could also be  good, a dog may interpret overtures of affection as a threat. Some dogs  might not  understand a child's noises or jerky, uncoordinated movements, or their small size. Dog owners who are  handling  a dog with a fear  of youngsters  should consult a dog trainer or behaviorist  to figure  on this phobia.    10. Fear of Specific Objects :    Some dogs develop a fear of  a specific  object: the  vacuum , holiday decorations, a child's toy, construction equipment, and more.  fairly often   this sort  of fear  isn't   an enormous  deal, as many objects can simply be  removed  of sight. In certain cases, however, it  are often  problematic.  as an example , if your dog refuses  to steer  past a statue outside your  apartment house  or if he turns into a trembling, anxiety-stricken mess  whenever   you would like  to vacuum the carpet.  during this  case,  you'll   got to  slowly introduce your dog  to things   he's   scared of   during a  positive, happy manner.

[therescuemama]

Confessions of an imperfect dog mom...Snoopy's big day!

Confessions of an imperfect dog mom…Snoopy’s big day!

The first day I picked up Snoopy from our local Humane Society, despite his broken leg, he seemed a typical rambunctious and happy puppy….until I loaded him in my car.  He began to howl (like really loud), squirm and was clearly very agitated.  If he wasn’t harnessed in a car seat it would have been chaos.  He calmed back down when we got out of the car.  I ended up taking him to the vet within a…

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[k9carfence-blog]

5 Ways to Help Fearful or Anxious Dogs

If you have a dog who is shy, anxious or fearful, you know how challenging it can be to help him feel relaxed and comfortable. You want to reassure your dog and protect him from the world, but at the same time, you know he’s got to learn to stand on his own four paws. And you definitely don’t want to inadvertently exacerbate his fears by acting in nervous anticipation of a fearful reaction. What’s a dog parent to do? Here are five ways to help.

1. Always go at your dog’s pace. Monitor carefully for signs of stress so you’ll know whether to proceed. Dogs give stress signals such as lip licking, yawning, and turning away, among others. If you’re not sure what your dog’s signals are, have someone videotape your dog around the fear trigger. Play it back, in slow motion if possible, and watch for signals that your dog is becoming nervous. If your dog becomes too anxious when you are working on modifying his fear response, back off and reassess the program.

2. Desensitization means exposing your dog to the scary thing in a gradual, systematic way. If your dog were afraid of the toaster, you could feed treats at a distance while another person works the toaster lever. As your dog becomes more comfortable, move closer. Never force your dog to confront the trigger in a way that is overwhelming. If you do, you could not only end up making things worse, but you could lose your dog’s trust.

3. If your dog’s fear has a specific trigger, you might be able to use classical conditioning, meaning pairing the scary thing with something your dog truly loves. For example, a fear of people could mean that every time you pass a stranger, your dog gets a steady stream of hot dog bits until the person has passed. The idea is to condition an emotional response so that your dog will automatically have a good feeling when seeing a new person.

Want to know the other two ways to help a fearful dog? Click here to read the article from Modern Dog Magazine.

PS – Does your dog get anxious in the car? Learn how the K9 CarFence can help calm their nerves – and keep them safe!