Anxiety can cripple a dog’s ability to interact in ways you could have never imagined and before you know it; your canine friend will be avoiding everything in sight. The big question is; are you able to help them conquer fear?

Fear Factor Symptoms

Dogs are susceptible to things that threaten their happiness, existence, and well-being. In fact, they are usually able to sense unfamiliarity in the surrounding long before you do, thus, exhibit fear traits such as the following:

• Tucking the tail
• Growling
• Trembling
• Shrinking
• Recoil into a passive mode and try to escape
• Cringing
• Lunging
• Running away
• Barking
• Inactivity
• An attempt to hide
• Scratching surfaces
• Destructive behaviour
• Salivating excessively

Predispositions

Well, knowing cause what predisposes your dog to fear is a step in the right direction. Thus, causes of anxiety in dogs include the following:

• Lack of exposure/socialization
• Loneliness, also known as separation anxiety
• Health conditions and physical injury
• Past traumatic experiences and harassment. If your dog was maltreated in the past, he or she is likely to exhibit traits of fear
• Weather changes and phenomena such as thunderstorms and lightning
• Age-related fear
• Fear of other dogs

Approaches that will help your pet conquer fear

Desensitization towards fear factor

If it is thunder and lightning that makes your dog coil his tail and cringe in fear, desensitizing him towards such phenomena is a magic wand. Play an audio CD of thunder. It is important to pace the sound tuning from low to loud until he is at ease.

Keep Tabs on your Body language

Dogs learn through imitation (allelomimetic behaviour).They are always very keen on your reaction towards certain things that make them growl. If you are calm, they will most likely exhibit the same reaction.

Pet reaction patterns to different stimuli

Taking note of how your dog reacts in crowded places will save you from stress. If he or she becomes aggressive, it time to hold tightly to the harness/leash. If he remains calm, then it's a thump up.

Socialisation/Exposure

Some dogs do not entertain strangers and it because they spend their days in the kennel. Lunging or trying hiding thus becomes common reactions towards fear. Socializing your dog with the surrounding will help them cope with strangers.

Teach your dog commands

Teaching your dog certain commands and making sure they understand gestures that beckon upon their calm behaviour will help them conquer anxiety. It should be the first step towards helping them conquer fear.

The Bottom Line

Anxiety is not healthy for your pet. In worse situations, it can be a cause for missing dogs. Knowing how to help pets conquer their surrounding will help boost their self-esteem towards other dogs, natural phenomenon, and people.

Author bio: Amanda Wilson is a college student with a passion for writing, a freelance writer at WriteMyPaper123. Of an artistic nature, she finds inspiration in travelling around the country, reading books in order to develop some brand new theory and gaining any type experience thanks to curiosity.