How To Know If Your Dog Is Afraid
The fact that our dogs cannot communicate with us through verbal language does not mean that we cannot know what is happening to them. Their gestures and attitudes tell us a lot about their emotions and feelings. In this article, we will explain how to know if your dog is afraid.
What are dogs afraid of?
There are many situations that dogs can be afraid of, although this will depend a lot on the dog’s personality and the environment in which it is raised. The most common situations are the following:
- Fear of firecrackers.
- Trauma of the past.
- Having been abandoned.
- Visits to the vet.
- Routine changes.
Even if your dog does not go through any of these situations or has only been through them once, fear is a latent sensation. For example, as far as past traumas are concerned, they could be related to a blow received, abuse, being locked up or even seeing your master very sick.
However, your dog may be afraid even when he hasn’t been through any of these situations. To prevent this from happening, experts recommend early socialization, starting as puppies, so that they learn about their surroundings and feel comfortable.
For a good socialization you need to start respecting the timing of imprinting, that is to separate the puppy from the mother and siblings at the right time. Therefore, it will be necessary to allow him to interact with other pets and with people in order to adapt in the simplest and least traumatic way to the new environment.
Sometimes the mistake is made of avoiding noises to prevent the puppy from waking up, a mistake many make with children as well. However, in both cases, experts recommend leading a normal life, so that the puppy adapts to everyday noises such as toilet flushing, vacuuming or cooking. This will allow them to get used to you and your life and not be fearful.
How to know if your dog is afraid
Although every dog reacts differently when afraid, there are unmistakable signs that all dogs have in common. The most frequent are:
- Hide in a safe place.
- Tremble.
- Rattle.
- Excessive salivation.
- Pee.
- Tail between the legs.
- Try to escape.
- Panic.
In addition to these, some dogs exhibit aggressive behavior, shaggy fur, dilated pupils, or repeated yawning. Others, in the attempt to escape, have hurt themselves. However, experts cannot say precisely whether they do it voluntarily or involuntarily.
There are those who say that the tail is one of the most tangible signs when a dog is afraid. This is because the movements of the tail express deep emotions. It is believed that they move it to the right to show happiness and to the left to show negative emotions, in this case fear.
What to do when a dog is afraid
First of all you need to stay calm, as if your pet senses your nervousness, his condition may worsen and he may even be aggressive. Therefore, keep calm and show him that nothing is happening.
Also, don’t try to pick it up or pet it, because the dog may understand that its attitude is justified and that it is doing well. Rather, if you suffer from seeing him afraid, try to speak to him softly and let him come to you without forcing him. Once he is able, take him to his bed next to you and let him rest.
Keep in mind that fears and phobias are two different things: fears can be “healed” with love, while phobias are something innate that comes from the mind and therefore require specialized medical care.
We are all afraid of something in life. If your dog is afraid, don’t scold or laugh at him: supporting him will be a crucial step in overcoming his fears. Remember that it is always a being dependent on you who must learn to manage his emotions at certain times.
