by Timmy Duncan

Created on: September 28, 2010

Dealing with a fearful dog is no easy task. Whether the dog has been traumatized or merely not socialized enough, fear is a powerful force and it is not one that is easy to break. Fear can turn a sweet natured animal into a ferocious beast, growling and snarling to keep the object of the fear at a safe distance. It can also reduce your dog to a cowering, whimpering mess in a matter of seconds. There are many different stages of fear and rehabilitating fearful dogs may not always be the easiest task, but it is by no means impossible.

Fear in dogs is sometimes related to lack of proper socialization when the dog is young. The best way to deal with this is to avoid it in the first place, but you don’t always get that chance. Sometimes you might adopt an older dog who was improperly socialized. Once the problem exists, it must be corrected through the process of socialization. If the dog is already fearful of something, say nail clippers – that’s a pretty common one – you must gradually introduce the object or source of fear and show the dog that there is nothing to be afraid of. Sometimes this means very gradually moving the object closer to the dog for longer and longer increments until you get close enough to touch the dog. Try not to force the dog too much at first or you run the risk of solidifying the fear.

One of the ways that legendary dog trainer, Cesar Milan helps fearful dogs is through exercise. The point is to redirect their energy away from the thing they are afraid of that channel that energy into physical activity. Once the energy is exhausted, the dog will usually tolerate the subject of their fear. In some cases, where a dog is afraid of a vacuum cleaner, for example, Cesar will place the dog on a treadmill and run the vacuum around them. The dog is so focused on doing what they need to do that they will often ignore the vacuum long enough to be desensitized by it.

If gradually exposing your fearful dog to the thing they are afraid of is not working and the dog is not improving, it may be time to seek professional help. There are plenty of trainers and behaviorists available to help you work through some of these fears with your dog. Trying to force it on your own might actually make the situation worse, which is the last thing you want. Seek help immediately if the problem does not improve.  

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