Written by Caitlin Balt-Helmrich
Imagine something that you’re afraid of – maybe spiders. Your family feel frustrated because every time you see a spider, you react by making a scene. Perhaps you try to run away or you shriek to show your displeasure. Your family decide to help you get used to spiders by taking you into a room filled with them.
When you react, they yell at you and force you to stay in the room. You freeze from fear, and they let you back outside with praise and congratulations about how “that wasn’t so bad”.
Next time you see a spider, you try your very best to not show your fear as you think your family may put you back in that room with all the spiders, so you close your eyes and walk as fast as you can past the spider. Your family feel proud about how well you’re coping, but inside your fear is still very real. One day, a spider runs across your hand, startling you. How do you think you’d react?
This is the scenario faced by nervous dogs on a daily basis when well-meaning owners force them into close proximity with something that they’re scared of, in the hopes that they’ll “get over their fear”. Unfortunately, this type of approach, known as flooding, can do some real, lasting damage to your pup’s mental well-being.
WHAT CAUSES FEAR?
Fear and nervousness in dogs can be a result of several factors. Genetics plays a big part as some dogs may simply be predisposed to certain triggers. Lack of exposure or socialisation can lead to dogs who are nervous of new things or experiences, as can once-off or more frequent traumatic experiences. Whatever the cause, and however “silly” the fear may seem to you, it’s important to understand that the fear is very real to your dog and needs to be treated as such.
How can you help a fearful dog?
Dogs, and in fact most animals, have several responses when they’re afraid or perceive that they’re in danger. This is commonly referred to as the “Fight or Flight” response but also includes “Freeze, Fool Around or Faint”. When a threat is detected, a dog may first choose to flee for safety, which might be accompanied by hiding away to avoid detection. If the dog can’t escape, they may try to fight off the threat. It’s better to bark and appear scary, in the hopes of deterring and creating distance between you and the threat.
Sometimes, the dog may respond by freezing. This is often accompanied by cowering.
The “fool around” response is an attempt to appease or distract the threat by, for example, rolling over to present an open belly, licking lips, or looking around to avoid appearing threatening. This is often accompanied by subtle signs of stress such as yawning, scratching, or avoiding eye contact.
In situations of extreme stress, it may happen that an animal faints as a way of the brain protecting itself from feeling the pain that might ensue.
The decision to respond with one of the strategies above is instantaneous and out of the conscious control of the dog. It’s not possible to try each strategy in the face of a threat. Dogs will often defer to a strategy that’s worked successfully in the past.
When a dog barks and lunges at other dogs, many owners feel as though their dog is protecting them, when it’s more likely that it’s fearful of whatever is approaching and is trying to keep itself safe. An owner might assume that a dog is feeling guilty when they hide away and avoid eye contact, but they are in fact indicating that they’re afraid of a potential punishment.
HOW CAN YOU HELP A NERVOUS DOG?
Once you’re able to recognise nervousness and fear in your dog, you can start helping it to feel more secure and confident.
1. Keep your distance
Keeping a big enough distance between your dog and whatever they’re scared of can help them feel at ease. With positive praise and rewards, you can gradually begin to decrease the distance between them and the trigger.
2. Avoid punishment
Punishing, intimidating or startling a dog for their response to something, no matter how mild you think the punishment is, will only give them more reason to be afraid and will lead to a breakdown in your bond.
3. Offer reassurance
Fear is an emotion, not a behaviour, and as such it’s not possible to “reinforce their fear”. If your dog is frightened, there’s no harm in comforting them, so long as they’re not nervous of contact. Reassurance can also be in the form of calm, upbeat praise.
4. Give time and space If a dog is nervous about being approached, or hesitant to approach you, let them take their time. Avoid hand-feeding treats or sticking your hand out to them to sniff, as this can force them closer to you than they’re comfortable with. Instead, drop treats on the floor near you but don’t be tempted to reach for the dog until they’re comfortable entering into your space. Make yourself smaller by crouching down, and avoid direct eye contact and sudden movements.
5. Make it positive!
Imagine that every time you saw a spider some way in the distance, you were reassured of your safety, not forced to approach, and given a reward of something that you love, you might come to be excited to see a spider (even if you aren’t ready to interact with one just yet!).
Over time and with the right approach, you can help your dog to realise that something that was scary now predicts that something good will happen (i.e. treats!), and they’ll be more optimistic about it in the future. If your dog’s having a difficult time learning to be less nervous and fearful, enlist the help of a qualified professional who can create a personalised approach.
