If your pup is scared of you, the last thing you want to do is yell, scold or punish it. A puppy is scared of you, of ocurse, especially if they were adopted by you has no logical reason at all to be afraid. If you’re starting to feel frustrated or stressed with the situation, remember that you can always seek professional help. Be Patient. This means that if the father and mother have a fearful temperament, their puppies are highly likely to inherit it and have fear problems. It could be a small issue, or it could be a deeper one that requires a more complex solution. Every dog is different, and much like humans, each dog will adapt to their environment and learn at their... 2. Puppy is still afraid of me: What about those techniques? My Puppy Dog is Scared of Me Dog anxiety can be a very tricky thing. Similarly, I know of a puppy that was unintentionally scared by one of my student’s relatives. He forced himself on the puppy, and when the puppy backed away, he then chased after the puppy and further forced himself of the puppy. If your puppy was weaned too early then this can cause socialization issues. If all goes well for a period of time, you may consider delivering the food closer to the puppy. That is, that he had a bad experience and related it to you. If you have a puppy that needs to be cared for by one person that the puppy does not feel comfortable with, it can be a challenge and could compromise the progress. When you think about it, why would the puppy want select to be this way? After completing our one of of our programs, you'll not only be on your way to having and enjoying a well-renewed relationship with your dog, but you'll view dog training in way that you've never imagined! Whereas, a puppy that does not have the best genes will probably overreact to the noise, and can take very, vey long to bounce back. Last update: Nov 25, 2020 1 answer. If your dog is a rescue dog then our dog is naturally going to be a little bit nervous. location = 'https://www.dedicateddogtraining.com/thank-you-request-speedy-quote/'; This has to do with negative experiences endured by the puppy in the environemnt it was raised in. If you take the time to make yourself accessible and the puppy does not show interest….oh well, just ago about your business when you have to. The how and when of fear periods also depends on the individual puppy, so you may or may not see it in your puppy as described. In many cases, being afraid of men can be traced to a lack of socialization with men when the dog was a puppy. So, what can you do about it? Fearful puppies come in all breeds, sizes and have their owne physical mannerisms. Environmental is the second reason a puppy can be fearful. When a young small dog is scared or goes through a traumatic experience as a puppy, it could later growl, bark or behave in other aggressive manners towards any large dogs that it comes across. Your dog may be scared of you simply because he lacks self-confidence. Puppies can freak out at the sight of a people either in uniform, with long hair, or wearing a hat. By comforting a fearful dog, you are rewarding what it’s doing in that moment: being scared. Just reading your post scares the crap out of me, so I don’t blame your dog for being afraid of you. The most important thing that you can do to help to relax your dog is to be patient. Just thing about the dreaded and long polite phone conversation you had when you had to call your aunt on her birthday once a year (it was a struggle), now you are able to send a quick text “Happy Birthday!” or even better “HB.” Done deal, right? A few things to keep in mind when trying to make your puppy feel more comfortable is: Again, back to the easier said than done. The same can be true of puppy-mill dogs like those from pet stores. And to add, we don’t know how long it will take either. To our dogs, affection is a reward. Albeit, the above information is easier said than done. More often than we’d like to believe a fearful puppy is representative of “genetics” and “environmental.” To begin with, the puppy is born with less than optimal genetics (weak nerves). No furtive movements in front of the puppy. document.addEventListener( 'wpcf7mailsent', function( event ) { If your dog is scared of specific triggers — or even if they seem to be scared of everything — there are steps you can take to help them gain confidence. This can certainly be the case, but with a lot of dog anxiety, the … In a home that has more than one person, it is often likely that the puppy will gravitate towards someone in the home and feel more comfortable; many times, this is a female or a conservative person. Everywhere we turn. The first fear phase comes when the puppy is just 2-3 months of age. They can’t help being afraid. Human nature, especially these days is to do as much as we can do as fast as we can do it. So how do we cope with this behavior and make progress? Don’t push him too hard. Because a scared puppy is more than just having a puppy that doesn’t want to come to you; there is a spill over affect that leads to: ….this all takes a toll, on both your scared puppy and your family. If not, using a crate to help with potty training may be another option. The good news: dogs … Dogs may react fearfully to certain people because of the way they were socialized as puppies. What To Do When Your Dog is Scared of You 1. If this is the case then a few simple exercises can help to calm and socialize your puppy properly as well. Puppy Pads: Are They a Long-Term Solution? Some examples are as follows: ” They can be filled with treats to keep a frightened dog’s attention.”. Instead of scolding it, reward it for good behavior, and you’ll quickly notice an improvement in its behavior. It's Not A Puppy Crate - It's A Puppy Den! This is why many pet owners invest so much time and money in selecting and purchasing a puppy from what appears to be a reputable breeder. Some of the behaviors that a scared puppy will exhibit are obvious signals that he's afraid of something. Note that this may also occur in large dogs. Usually, a sudden change in behavior is a red flag for most dog owners. The person that the dog fears should provide food, water and treats. Why is my dog acting scared? You can work with a dog trainer or a dog … When comparing two (2) puppies, one that was born with solid nerves and one with not so great genetics (weak nerves) the intepretation of the same event will solicit different responses. Sometimes puppies simply haven’t had time around humans and find them daunting. Why Isn't My Puppy Sleeping Through The Night? There might be something about you which reminds him of a bad time in his life. Sometimes we take home puppies that are energetic and overly confident. Socialization can be accomplished in a number of ways. Parks are good at well but you will want to make sure that when any introductions to other dogs occur that the puppy is leashed and supervised. Is My Puppy Aggressive Quiz: All On Dog Behavior. There must be a reason why your canine is scared of you and being loud and noisy won’t help the issue. If this is the case then it could just be a simple matter of time. When people say “my dog is scared of me,” they are likely seeing some of the behaviors or signs listed above and automatically assume that the dog is afraid of them. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. It's not unusual for grown dogs to develop a phobia of something they weren't exposed to during this period. For example, a dog won't go outdoors for a walk because he or she was scared by a loud noise. So if your dog is shy and scared, be patient. Remember, it is not a logical thing, it is a perceived one. Your dog should choose to approach a person, not the other way around. In some cases, as long a time as the pup was abused. Unfortunately, owning a puppy is sometimes what it is not cut out to be. If your dog seems to be scared of you, this post will show you a number of reasons why and what you can do about it. This has to do with negative experiences endured by the puppy in the environemnt it was raised in. The benefit of walking is that your dog is going to get used to seeing people and other dogs at the same time that you arre potty training them. Scared Dogs: Training a Fearful Dog. In this type of puppy training, our Long Island dog trainers are constantly touting slow and steady wins the race. Even a dog that has lived with a man can be fearful in the presence of unfamiliar men. Then gradually, if the puppy is showing some progress, stay at a distance while the puppy eats or drinks. Rescue dogs, Why is my puppy afraid of me? This is why some people tell their children to pet the dog from underneath after askign the owner if it is OK to pet their dog. It is a give and take thing! Gaining the trust of a dog takes time, just as how it works with humans. However, on occassion we sometimes inherit a puppy that is fearful of us, or of someone in the home. Of course, this fear can also follow from actual attacks from other dogs. Here are the most common reasons dogs are scared of their owners: Abusive treatment from previous owners, such as hitting and/or yelling. Common symptoms of a phobia include sudden anxious behavior or other signs of anxiety, like whining, shaking, etc. Your dog may be uncomfortable with your husband because she was not exposed to many men as a puppy, or maybe she wasn't exposed to men who look like your husband. They can then develop a phobia of that thing for a long time. Keep in mind that if the dog has been previously abused that it can take a very long time to build up trust. Having their own space and time alone, with less attention and less … If your dog is suddenly scared of something in the house, the best thing you can do is to try ‘re-training’ them. Have you accidentally stepped on his tail or harmed him in another way? Since dogs can’t … There are a number of reasons why your pup might be scared of you. A good example, the puppy that cowers down when someone gestures to pet them from above. If you are giving the dog the flower essences, this approach will allow the dog a space to orient himself in a new way as he is releasing a lot of his fears from the past. This can lead them to be slow to trust anyone. When this happens, the assumption is that the puppy was previously hit on the head and now is hand shy because of it. We need to exercise patients, we need to be overly patient. For example, if you just recently bought your dog home from a rescue then your dog likely hasn’t had a stable family life. Even if you treat them like royalty, they could be scared of you for other reasons. These include: Shaking; Panting; Hiding; Cowering 'Freezing' Whining Why is My Dog Afraid of Me? Assuming the puppy that is fearful goes to a dog trainer’s home, he or she will know how to properly desensitize the puppy as much as the puppy’s genetics will allow vs. going to a home where the puppy gets punished for this seemingly odd behavioral response. This is very uncommon. Puppy is still afraid of me: What about those techniques? VetFacebookInstagramFriend or Family MemberGoogleYahoo/BingYelpOther. It's not a good sign if your dog is not making eye contact with you. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. There are no shortcuts to this apporach either. Hang in there and keep those treats handy. A history of negative punishment training, which is … If someone else in the home is available that the puppy is not scared of, this may be your best choice. Thankfully, there are a few techniques that you can use in order to help build up the bond of trust so that your dog is no longer afraid of you. If this does not happen then you should also consider the possibility that your puppy may have been abused. Why is my dog afraid of me all of a sudden? You will want to do this with a puppy anyways, as their small bladders can only go 2 to 3 hours at a time without needing a bathroom break. The problem, humans are taught to solve problems by applying logic; however, communicating with a fearful puppy has nothing to do with logic, because it’s an emotional reaction. It is a response to their insecurities. If this is the case, don’t panic, you can still build a full and fulfilling bond of trust, it’s just going to take a little time. Making progress with your fearful puppy is not always easy. … He or she doesn’t have to push it in their face, they can just set it down and walk away in the beginning. How do you ignore a puppy when he has to eliminate but won’t let you handle him or bring him outside? Socialization can be accomplished in a number of ways. When a pup is young it learns from its mother and siblings how to socialize with other dogs and with humans and so early separation can cause anxiety issues and result in a scared puppy. Humans seem to be hardwired … We have a lot going on in our day to day. Signs Of A Scared Puppy. Instead of greeting the world with a confident walk and a wagging tail, a fearful dog might shy away from anything new, or worse yet, react preemptively to avoid a new situation altogether. So, your new best friend is cute, fuzzy, and apparently a bit of an insomniac.…, There is nothing quite like the bonding experience of sharing a hunt with your dog.…, A lot of people look for an “is my puppy aggressive” quiz, worrying about trust…. Becoming frustrated over a puppy that urninates when we get to close them, that refuses to go outside when with us when they need to releive themselves, that doesn’t come when called and is always shaking is not what we signed on for. Having a scared puppy is no easy task, even for the most experience puppy owners as well as dog trainers. Our biggest problem is trying to keep them off of us. You cannot explain to a dog why it shouldn’t be scared, or tell the dog that the frightening thing won’t hurt it or is going away soon — they do not have the cognitive abilities to understand those concepts. An example of this would be that he felt pain at the time that you caressed him and thought that you are the cause of that discomfort. There are still many other techniques that you can employ when trying to get your doggie used to you. It’s upsetting if your dog seems fearful of you for no reason. Fear reinforced by the owners Show him he can trust you to keep him safe. Some northern breeds like Siberian huskies, as well as larger breed dogs like German shepherds and Labrador retrievers, seem more prone to noise phobias like fearfulness during thunderstorms or fireworks. Sometimes when I’m working with one of my dog behavior clients, they will note that a behavior came out of nowhere. If your dog is scared of literally EVERYTHING, then you understand that life with a fearful dog can be limiting. A Fearful puppy is not a choice, or atleast one that is conscienciously made by your little furry guy. ), Do not raise your voice (even if not directed at the puppy, the puppy will not want to come to you), Try to make yourself accessible form a distance, if the pup comes, do not move allow the pup to investigate. Allow them to take care of all the neccessities, except for feeding them when possible. Once your puppy adjusts to the noises of the house and gets used to you then it might just relax on its own. Don’t overdo it, of course, as you don’t want your puppy to get fat, but your dog will definitely appreciate a treat or two while it is getting to know you. If your dog seems scared of an object or situation that didn’t bother them before, a good practice is desensitizing them to it. If you’re punching, kicking, and throwing your dog – then it’s time for you to take a break and work on your anger issues. So, why is my dog scared of me? Let the Dog Be. Using the scenario above which is a genetic response and recovery between two (2) dogs that possess different genetics, we can take it one step further in adding the environmental factor in. This is accomplished via our popular & proven Full immersion (dog boot camp) in most cases. Hurry up, Hurry up! Illness. Again – do not force the issue. These dogs are not treated with the same love and care in … Possible reasons why your dog is scared of you are that you were aggressive towards it, mistreatment by previous owners, it is unsure of its environment, or it’s ill or injured. Bringing a puppy into a senior dog’s home can cause any number of unforeseen behavioral issues in older dogs. And even with all the research, recommendations, experience, and past litters, there is no real gaurantee; many puppy owners are trying to stack the odds in their favor. Businesses now text, it is all about speed. Men can be more intimidating in a dog's eyes. My Dog is Suddenly Scared of Me. Get a “dog in training” vest to help deter people from asking to pet your pup. Most of the time, Dedicated Dog Training of Long Island is summoned to a multi-occupant residence whwre the puppy is fearful of one, two or three people but finds security in another person. For instance, you may have a … You will want to do this with a puppy anyways, as their small bladders can only go 2 to 3 hours at a time without needing a bathroom break. If your dog is afraid of strangers, don’t allow them to pet your dog. Over time the combination of treats, a relaxing atmosphere, playtime, and love will win out and your little one will no longer be scared of you. 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