What to do if the puppy is afraid of everything. Correction of cowardly behavior in dogs and puppies or how to stop being afraid of people. How to deal with a fearful dog

Many, having bought a clumsy tailed creature, are aware that they are entrusting themselves with a serious responsibility. Realizing that the pet will need care, proper maintenance, and good feeding, few owners think about the equally important aspect of raising a normal, adequate dog. About her psychological development. Due to this lack of attention to an important component proper education A variety of problems and questions arise. Owners often ask, “Why is my dog ​​afraid of dogs?” Let's take a closer look at where the roots of this problem come from and how to deal with it.

Animal psychologists claim that we ourselves are largely to blame for the psychological disorders of our four-legged friends. More precisely, of course, our way of life. By taking a puppy into the family, we make him a member of the “pack”; instinctively he behaves as an animal should, doing or not doing something. But there is no one else like him in the family. And the kid has no idea how to communicate with his own kind. When the animal grows up, being prone to aggression, it will attack all the dogs it sees on its way. If the pet is not a leader, it may grow into a cowardly dog. Your animal is afraid of dogs even if it was once brutally bitten, if you punished it too much for approaching another pet.

The baby can show fear in different ways: shy away, hide under objects, tuck his tail and lower his ears, even whine pitifully. If you have an adult at home big dog which the puppy is afraid of, he may continue to “cry” all the time. “How to stop a dog from whining?” the owners ask under such circumstances. As soon as the baby stops being afraid, he will stop whining; your task is to eliminate his fear of his adult brother. This is done through gradual habituation. Being close to animals, the owner should often bring them together in one place so that they sniff each other. Manifestations of aggression, even minimal ones, on the part of a large pet must be strictly suppressed.

If a puppy shy away from small or adult dogs on a walk, it’s easy to help. You need it for him. Preferably close in age and size. By playing with them during walks, the dog will understand that there is nothing scary about other puppies, on the contrary, they are very interesting.

If the adult situation is more complicated, it is also possible to solve the problem. It is necessary to gradually accustom her to the company of four-legged human friends. It is necessary that these are different pets, so that your animal does not get used to only one specific one. Take your dog for walks on a leash. Do not react to manifestations of cowardice, remain calm and calm. Praise for courage, but for any aggression you must punish - a jerk with the leash, a stern shout of “Ugh!”

By the way, when solving the problem of where to buy a dog, remember that when purchasing it from random people, you are taking a risk. Your shaggy friend may not be the breed you dreamed of, or even a mixed breed. There is nothing wrong with this if your dog, for example, guards the garden. You don't need any special qualities from this pet, just to bark. But what if you introduce a dog into a home, into a family with children? Crossbred blood in itself causes mental instability, and if the relatives of your new four-legged friend- Alabai, guarding the sheep herds, serious and aggressive dogs? But you wanted a Labrador for your child. Each breed of dog should be used for its intended purpose; it is not for nothing that it has been bred for decades. So be careful, buy a purebred animal from trusted professional breeders. This way, you won’t have an unexpected problem like “my dog ​​is afraid of dogs” or, on the contrary, “my dog ​​hates all the animals in the area.”

Fear is a natural reaction of living beings to imaginary and real threats to their lives. And while a person can comprehend unrealistic threats and overcome himself, this is difficult for dogs. Many pet owners know this. They wonder how to teach their students not to be afraid of noise, other dogs, or people. What methods can you use to make your dog bolder? Let's try to understand the issue.

Causes of dog fear

Only the very strong fear nothing when they compete with the weak. In general, fear and anxiety are inherent in all living beings to one degree or another.

In the process of evolution, man deliberately developed in domestic animals the absence of fear and the trait of infantilism. This is what distinguishes dogs from wild animals.

Experts state that there are two main reasons for fear in dogs:

1. Their incorrect breeding and genetically determined consolidation of negative traits. In other words, a coward begets a coward. For this reason, breeders should select studs who have a strong nervous system. Such parents pass on the same genes to their children.
2. Wrong upbringing. This may be either its absence, or a conflict of mutual understanding between the pupil and the owner.

Sometimes in adult dogs, fear arises after insults or physical punishments inflicted on them. For example, a dog that has been beaten with a stick will be afraid of the stick.

Weaning the dog from being afraid of noise sounds

If your pupil is afraid of fireworks or loud noises, then to eliminate the fear you will need a collar and leash. For example, before the fireworks start, the dog must be wearing a collar and on a leash. The dog should sit near the leg after the command you give. As soon as the sky bursts into fireworks and the dog tries to run away somewhere in panic, hold him and repeat the “sit” command. The dog must perform it until the fireworks are over. Practice dog endurance.

When the fireworks show suddenly catches you and your dog, and the dog is not wearing a collar or leash, you need to quickly call him with the command “come to me.” But it is advisable to have time to put the equipment on the dog. After all, the effect of surprise can make the dog run away. If your pupil obediently followed the command and overcame himself, then be sure to praise him and give him a treat.

Separately, it is worth dwelling on training the dog to shoot shots.

This can be done using firecrackers. First, walk the dog, let him spend a lot of energy. Then take him to a deserted place. Make him sit down. Attach the leash. Light the firecracker. Throw it at a distance of ten meters. The dog must be in place at this time. If he gets up, command “sit.” The second and third attempts to stand up must also be stopped. Be sure to praise for obedience and patience. You need to repeat the training with 4-5 firecrackers. You need to practice training 2-3 times a week. In this case, it is advisable to change the terrain.

How to stop being afraid of other dogs

This can happen if you choose the wrong puppy. When choosing from 3-5 dogs in a litter, initially observe them and take the bravest, most active, and decisive one. And since your puppy turned out to be a little different and grew up cowardly, then the deficiency should be eradicated.

First, try to find him friends of the same weight category and age. They will find it faster mutual language. The longer your pet communicates with its own kind, the less fear it will have towards other dogs.

If you see that your puppy is cowardly, then organize his first walks in the private sector. As a rule, there are a lot of dogs in the yards. First, with a collar and leash, walk in that area for 10-15 minutes. Let the dog hear the barking. Is he starting to break out? Give the command "near". Repeat walks in the private sector daily. Soon the dog will get used to the fact that dogs bark in different ways and that such noise will accompany him constantly. He will stop responding to it. Further, when meeting dogs, he will associate them with already familiar sounds. The pupil will not show fear of brothers who will be even larger in size.

But the dog’s fear of people is a more serious problem. And in this case, it is better to entrust its elimination to an experienced dog handler.

At the training ground for a short time The dog will be taught to be afraid of people.

A dog, as you know, is a man’s friend, whose main characteristics desired by most are affection and the ability to protect the owner.

This has been the case since ancient times, now a dog can not only be a devoted and faithful guard, but also require special care and attention decorative pet. But all breeds must have the absence of fear and fear of people, because fear is the first step of aggression.

Causes of a dog's fear of people

Reasons why dogs become afraid different people can be roughly divided into two groups.

The first group of reasons combines past life experiences and negative associations of the dog. For example, if a puppy was beaten by people, it is natural that this dog will be afraid of people, first of all, as sources of threat to its life.

If this dog has a weak type of nervous system, it will try as much as possible to avoid the company of people. If the animal has a strong nervous system, it may display pronounced aggression towards humans as a response.

The second group of reasons will be related to features of the nervous system and the worldview and education of this dog.

Quite often there are cases when in the past the dog has not accepted any inconvenience from people, but is still afraid of them. First of all, such a phenomenon will be characteristic of artificially bred decorative dogs small size. Such a dog will acutely feel its inferiority in front of the outside world and people who are much larger than it in size and therefore pose a danger.

If a dog was raised in conditions where it constantly sees only one owner and very rarely any other people, and moreover, the animal has a weak type of nervous system, most likely all this will lead to the fact that people other than its owner , the dog will be extremely afraid.

How to choose the right methods to wean your dog from being afraid of people

There are several ways to wean an animal from reacting to a person in this way. In order to choose the one that will help, you must understand that all dogs are different.

Animals differ from each other in the type of nervous system (individuals with a dark color are usually choleric or sanguine, those with a light color are most likely representatives of melancholic or phlegmatic people), characteristics of upbringing and the reasons that caused fear of people.

Based on these differences, you need to choose a method of dealing with the dog’s fearfulness.

Ways to eradicate a dog's fear of people

There will be one for absolutely all dogs effective method eradicating fear with the help of correct and competent behavior of the owner.

Initially, the owner himself will need to boldly behave with other people without fear or fear, approach them on walks with the dog, talk, invite guests into the house so that the dog can see them, thereby showing it that such behavior is natural and there is nothing wrong with it No.

Every dog ​​tries to copy the actions of its owner; it is no coincidence that it is said that pets are similar to their owners.

Thus, if the animal sees that the owner behaves boldly and fearlessly with other people, his fear of society will gradually disappear. But this method will only help ideally if the owner takes the place of leader in the dog’s mind.

It often happens that a dog is afraid of people because it has retained negative associative experience with a specific person. For example, she was repeatedly offended by a man in a hat - after this the dog may begin to fear all people in a hat.

In this case, again, if there is a situation where the owner is the leader, his appearance in a hat, combined with treating the animal with some kind of delicacy, can gradually correct the situation.

Fear of people associated with past negative experiences with humans can be corrected if the owner walks the dog in crowded places as often as possible.

Don't forget, dogs are very trainable animals. If a dog is restless or aggressive towards other people, the owner should often bring it to a crowded place and use commands to force it to sit or lie quietly. Very soon, the dog will develop unconditioned reflex and in crowded places she will behave calmly, gradually the fear of humans will recede.

Representatives of small ornamental breeds Those who are afraid of people because of a feeling of their own inferiority are also easy to train.

It is enough to record on a medium the sounds of loud human speech, laughter, steps and let the dog listen more often. At first she will tense up, look for dangerous sources of sounds, then she will gradually calm down and get used to the sounds made by people. And when she actually meets a person, she will behave much calmer.

But the most important thing in the fight against dog fearfulness is establishing strong, harmonious relationships with the owner.

A dog should not be afraid of its owner, it should only respect him and recognize him as its leader. A person keeping a dog must form a similar perception of his image in the dog in the following ways:

1. The person must enter the house first.
2. Monitor important activities for the dog: food, sleep, walking schedule.
3. Stop the animal from trying to move into a prohibited area, such as a bed. This should be done firmly, but gently, and under no circumstances should you hit the dog.
4. Do not allow your dog to bite you, even in play. In this case, you need to scare away the animal with a sharp sound.
5. Reward the dog after any positive actions.

And there are people who are afraid of their shadow, let alone dogs, and there are such people among them. Why are they so fearful? There could be many reasons. One of them - genetic predisposition. If you come to a breeder to pick up a puppy and see that its mother is fearful and hid, and the puppy you like doesn’t come into your arms, choose another dog. Or even better, take a puppy from another litter. Unfortunately, if such fear exists at 2-4 months. it will remain in the future.

There are other cases when you are 2 months old. you take a completely cheerful puppy, and a month later you take him outside and discover that he is afraid of passers-by, passing cyclists and cars. Here you are already to blame, since The puppy needs to be socialized until it is 3 months old. take it outside and show everything. His nervous system at this age it will be easier to adapt, especially in the city.

It happens that a pet’s fearfulness is associated with stress, for example, a large stray dog ​​rushed at him on the street and greatly frightened him. Fear needs to be treated. The owner should experience peace of mind. You can’t immediately grab your pet in your arms and violently calm it down; it will become even more ostentatiously afraid. Teach your pet a few main commands, for example, “Come to me!” or “Sit!” If you need to quickly switch attention from objects that cause fear to something else, you command and ensure that the dog obeys.

Cowardly dogs have this thing where fear can cause aggression. For example, a child once pulled your pet by the tail and now he is terrified of small children. You are leading him on a leash, and a baby rushes past with a squeal and a puppy or an adult male or female, defending himself, grabs the child’s leg. The mother is in shock, screaming at you, and you don’t know what to do, because the worst thing—the bite—has already happened.

To avoid such dramatic situations, you need to start socialization before 3 months. and do not take even the best cowardly puppy into your home. It is difficult to live with him in society, because everywhere you need to be among people, for example, go to the market, walk through a busy park on a Sunday, visit a veterinarian, etc.

What to do if the problem is not solved?

Even though you have a coward, try not to compare your pet with more prosperous ones. Treat him condescendingly, lovingly. Let him feel that he is still the most beloved for you.

Socialize him gradually. Take a walk in the park, where people and owners with pets occasionally pass by. Train him fun games: Bring a stick, rubber ball, ring and other items. Let him feel brave and dexterous.

There are very purposeful owners who hire an instructor and work with the dog on their own, learning commands. If time passes and he is still a coward, there is nothing you can do, such a character. You are his only friend, so play together so that he lives next to you happy dog. There is no need to constantly train him. It won't help.

Try in Everyday life Avoid irritants that cause stress in your pet. For example, he is afraid of the noise of a working vacuum cleaner; when you are cleaning, lock it in the back room. Not all dogs are so shy that this cannot be corrected by training with a dog handler, self-training and gradual socialization. Yes, sometimes it takes a year or more, but positive results There is.

You are human and it is in your power to be happy in your life together with your pet, forgiving its shortcomings.

A dog is always a responsibility.

Usually, the owners relax where they can take their pet with them. For example, at a camp site in their city in a forested area near a lake, and some go wild on weekends to fish and sunbathe on the beach. Don't forget a big umbrella. It will create shade for your pet and protect it from heat stroke.

Socializing a pet that is afraid of people

How to deal with a fearful dog:

1. Remember that during times of fear you should not feel sorry for your pet, nor should you scold it. He becomes disoriented and will continue to be afraid next time, in the hope that he will be pitied.
2. You are a strong master leader and remain calm. Pretend that you are not afraid of anything, let the dog take an example from you.
3. Socialize your dog gradually. First, meet new people.

New acquaintances can come to visit you at home or invite old friends for walks. At the same time, do not focus on your pet. Don’t let him start to show cowardice and think that this is what is necessary, since there are guests in the house or an old acquaintance with you on a walk.

When the dog gets used to a person, you can ask him to talk to him affectionately, and then bring your hand to his muzzle (hold your palm up), let him sniff and carefully try to stroke him. Gradually begin to communicate with other people, then walk with your dog on a leash in the company of its old acquaintances. If you adopted a dog from a shelter, which is noble, but he is very shy, then even a year may not be enough for him to get used to it and begin to trust people.

A good way of socialization when you take a puppy into a home where there is an older dog. On the street, you and then your friend pet the older dog. The younger one will observe that he likes it and sooner or later he will allow himself to be stroked. The main thing is that the dog is among people every day. Isolation will lead to more more fear in front of a person.

Every day 2-4 times or even more, take your pet for walks among people. Start walking in less crowded areas and gradually move to busier ones. Like the fruit of your long life psychological work by correcting behavior, you will soon be able to walk with him even around the market, looking at and choosing goods.

When your pet gets comfortable in a city or village, even take him to exhibitions, even if only as a guest. There he will see many relatives.

In dogs different reaction, some will hide out of fear, while others will attack unfamiliar passers-by. Then wear a muzzle for walks and teach commands that will stop your pet’s unwanted actions. Go to classes with a dog trainer.

Teaching the dog the “give” command
How to choose and raise a dog to protect a private area
Training the dog to stand
The dog is your sports partner
Stopping a dog from barking at home
We teach the dog the command “Fu!”

It’s not for nothing that many breeders call new owners parents. By adopting a puppy, you become a full-fledged senior member of the pack, at least during the first year of life. It is you who are obliged to teach him the wisdom of life and the rules of good manners; you must be there in grief, in fear, and in joy. Few potential owners consciously think about the possible phobias of their ward. It would seem that this is a puppy, he will understand everything and outgrow it, but this does not always happen. For example, if a puppy is afraid of other dogs, the phobia may develop into panicky cowardice or uncontrollable aggression. In turn, such behavior is assessed as inadequate; if the dog is excluded from breeding activities, it can pose a danger both to itself and to others.

Fear, fear, fear and even panic is the natural and only lever that restrains a living being from self-destruction. It is fear that holds back a male dog from fighting to the last drop of blood, a mother dog from conflicts with relatives, and your ward from playing in front of passing traffic. Natural fears are literally vital, think for yourself how many people would not live to be 15 years old without experiencing fear of heights. Watch the toddlers on the playground, three-year-olds climb the horizontal bars without fear, but schoolchildren are already assessing the risks. The same mechanism operates in dogs: being under the protection of their mother, babies are calm and completely confident in their safety. Going out to Big world, changing place of residence, meeting with strangers and animals, the pet begins to “grow” with fears.

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What to do if your promising puppy German Shepherd afraid of the Toy Terrier or even his deep sigh. What to do if a mongrel with an unknown history and an already assigned panic fear in front of your relatives? To begin with, it is worth finding out why the puppy is afraid, and then teaching the ward to treat the world around him adequately.

Socialization - general provisions and meaning

Usually, the concept of socialization is associated with raising a puppy, but this is a little wrong. The term reflects the ability of an individual to “join the team” and remain in it without creating resonance, most often conflict. A pet of any age can go through the socialization process, but puppies tolerate it more easily. A simple example is the “Mowgli children” raised in isolation from the world. How younger child, the easier it is to adapt to the human world. The main methods of socialization are:

• Find the right company for your pet– dogs of approximately the same size and temperament.

• Avoid aggressors and a large age gap.

• Regularly “pull” the puppy out of his comfort zone– change the place of walks, meet new people and dogs, but together with your own company.

• Distinguish aggression from hierarchy- an older member of the company can put a raging child in his place, but not put pressure on him every minute.

• Let your puppy deal with problems on his own and encourage success.

Common Mistakes

If a puppy is afraid of dogs on the street, and you protect him, you strengthen the fear. This is a titanic basis that needs to be accepted and understood:

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• A frightened baby flying towards you is caught in your arms with screams and moans, kisses, and after the frightened subject has left the perimeter, the baby returns to the ground - a fundamentally wrong tactic.

• When walking your dog, you avoid encounters with four-legged animals in every possible way.- the worst thing you can think of.

• Seeing your dog panic makes you worry yourself.– which also strengthens fears.

How to get out of sticky situations correctly? After all, by not reacting, you can impose on your child the idea that he is defenseless, and by going too far with concern, you can literally encourage panicky behavior. To begin with, understand you must remain calm, no matter what, even a full-fledged dog fight should not unsettle you. Further, it is worth understanding that a person who adequately assesses the situation can not only scare away the four-legged aggressor, but also kill him with his bare hands, so you should not doubt your abilities.

The only situation in which you should protect the puppy with yourself is a full-fledged attack by a dog or a pack of dogs; in other non-serious cases, the tactics are as follows:

• The baby runs towards you in fright– we grab the dog by the collar, lead him around, sit him down at the command “Nearby”, stroke the ward, holding him level with us. By switching attention, you can not only calm the dog, but also teach it self-control. The same tactics are used if the puppy is afraid of the barking of other dogs.

• The dog is frightened, intending to wriggle out of the collar– we grab the ward by the scruff of the neck, with a sharp jerk we sit him down and squeeze him between his knees. The dog's face should not be hidden behind your legs. We stroke the ward and confidently say: “I’m close!” After the pet has calmed down, he is rewarded.