Dog Obedience Training: Preventing Fear Aggression in Dogs

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Dog Obedience Training: Preventing Fear Aggression in Dogs

Fear aggression is a major worry among dog bites, resulting from various causes. Dogs, like humans, can be born with an anxiety disorder, and the dog’s surroundings, life experience, and breed inclinations all play a role. This can result in scared puppies and adult dogs reacting aggressively to frightening occurrences.

Poor socialization risks developing many forms of violence and other behavioral issues later. 

Puppies who haven’t had enough exposure to other dogs and ordinary events in their environment, such as noises, different types of people (including youngsters), and circumstances (car trips, veterinary appointments, and so on), may develop fears of some or all of these things. 

Puppies have a relatively brief window for socialization—usually between 8 and 14 weeks, but this might differ by a few weeks, depending on the dog. After that window has closed, extra training and positive reinforcement are required to help dogs become acclimated to frightening situations.

Over time, fear and aggression can escalate and become more extreme. If the terrifying thing is still present, owners may fail to identify the early warning indications of fear in their dog, which causes the dog’s behavior to worsen. 

Punishing them with severe physical or verbal reprimands would only worsen the behavior. If they are penalized for more subtle indicators like growling, they may stop growling but escalate to a more serious behavior like biting.

Fear Aggression Signs

Fearful dogs play by licking or gnawing, sniffing, licking, and yawning. Growls coupled with whines are common vocalizations. Body language includes showing the whites of the eyes in an exaggerated sideways stare, shaking, lunging, or jumping on their owner.

Most typical canines can endure being one dog length and a half (their length) away from a frightened or unfamiliar environment before becoming uncomfortable. 

The sensitivity distance of a fearful puppy may be significantly larger, and they may begin to display signs of nervousness or aggression from a far distance. As the terrifying event approaches, their actions may become more aggressive.

How to Deal with Fear-Induced Aggression

Fearful puppies may always be fearful, and striving to help them become more comfortable necessitates various strategies. If your dog exhibits signs of fear, you should seek help from dog training classes straight away from a behaviorist. 

As much as possible, avoid situations that cause your dog to become fearful or aggressive.

If your dog is terrified of strangers or specific persons, don’t stare at it and ask visitors not to. Strong eye contact communicates dominance and heightens the intimidation factor.

Keep track of the distance the fearful puppy becomes anxious, and try to stay outside that range as much as possible.

  • Never force your dog into a scary scenario. Always leave an exit route open. Many terrified dogs may bite as a last resort, but they are more likely to bite if they are out of control and unable to flee.
  • Do not touch its collar or reach down to pet its head. These activities may appear dangerous and heighten a dog’s apprehension, leading to a bite. Instead, if you can safely approach the dog, pet it on the sides or chest.
  • Create a safe spot away from humans, other pets, and noise where your dog can go freely and be placed to escape scary circumstances. Toys, rewards, relaxing pheromone diffusers, and dim lighting can all be used to make the safe zone more appealing. Allow your dog to settle into its safe space ahead of time if you foresee a frightening circumstance.
  • A behaviorist will suggest dog obedience training methods for dealing with your dog’s specific phobias. They may use a head halter and a basket muzzle to assist with training while keeping your dog and everyone else safe. These tools must be used correctly, and your dog must be trained to wear them gradually so that the experience is enjoyable and stress-free.

Conclusion 

Their instinctual “fight or flight” response kicks in when dogs are afraid of something. Different dogs react to fear differently; some will try to flee, hide, or freeze, while others will snarl, bark, and bite. You can also read through the best dog training blogs for more tips. 

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