The dog is afraid of people - why and what to do?

The content of the article

1 Why is the dog afraid of man?
2 How to teach a puppy not to be afraid of people?
3 What if an adult dog is afraid of people?
4 Video: what to do if the dog is afraid of people?

Each person, dreaming of a dog, represents how he will feed her, take her out for a walk, meet new friends - people and other animals. But everything is not always so perfect. Often, a dog that has not been properly trained and educated can be afraid of people or behave aggressively near outsiders. This gives the owner a serious discomfort. A person cannot even go with an animal to the park or to the nature, cannot take a pet with him to rest, not to mention exhibitions and other events with a large number of strangers. That is why the fear of a stranger for the owner of the dog is not just a peculiarity of the nature of the animal, but a real gap in education that needs to be addressed.

Why is the dog afraid of man?

To protect yourself, your pet and other people, to save the dog from excessive fear and aggression, it is necessary to understand the reason for the unusual behavior of the animal.

Negative experience. A dog can shun a person if it knows that people can bring pain and suffering. As a rule, this occurs in adult dogs, which came to you not from very good conditions. If the previous owners mistreated the animal, beat it or used other forms of physical and moral violence, it is not surprising that the dog will be afraid of all people. For him, man is a potential danger. It often happens that children play unceremoniously with a puppy, bringing pain and discomfort. From this point on, the animal begins to negatively treat all children around.

Lack of socialization. A puppy, just like a child, must be trained and educated, inculcated in him with the skills of socialization. From an early age, a dog should be brought into the community of people and other dogs, so that the animal is not afraid and acquainted with the surrounding personalities. If the dog grew up locked up and did not see anyone except the owner in life, naturally, the baby will be afraid - this is the normal behavior of any animal.
Attitude and reaction of the host. Often the person himself is to blame for the fact that his pet is afraid of people. Of course, some animal alertness is the place to be, but the confident and fearless voice of the owner is able to suppress these doubts.If a person is angry, seeing the behavior of his dog, if he begins to scream and swear, shows aggression, the dog may be frightened even more - both for himself and for the owner.
Character traits. Like a person, a dog may be different, with its own individual characteristics of character. Breeders are aware of this, so puppies are distinguished at a very early age. Clap your hands tightly before brood monthly puppies - they will scatter in all directions from the loud sound. But after a while curiosity will prevail and the bravest will come to the person again to learn about the source of the sound. The first matched puppies are considered the strongest and most fearless. But those puppies that never come to you or fit the most recent ones are considered the most fearful and cowardly. A dog with a similar character does not suit every owner, however, such animals are valued highly enough. Thoughtful and cautious dogs make good search dogs.

In addition, zoopsychologists argue that fears can be idiopathic, that is, not having a cause. A dog may be afraid of a certain smell, a person with a special timbre of voice,tall men, etc. Getting rid of such gratuitous fears is the hardest.

the dog is afraid of other dogs - why and what to do?

How to teach a puppy not to be afraid of people?

When a young dog is 3-4 months old, it should be displayed on people, and this should be done gradually. You should not immediately go to a large-scale event with a large number of people. At first it may be a small, uncrowded park, then an ordinary street. So, gradually, the dog learns and accepts that there may be other people and dogs around. From the same age, a dog should be taught to such commands as “Fu”, “Place”, “Stand”, “Quiet”, etc. All of them will help you correct inappropriate behavior of the animal in the future.

You can invite pets with their masters to your place or visit them yourself. Remember that you need to choose a well-educated "friend" who behaves correctly, often these are older dogs that are friendly. Your pet will understand that aggression is not the main quality, you can not only defend yourself, but also play together.

What if an adult dog is afraid of people?

It often happens that an adult dog is afraid of a person, who is already quite difficult to raise because of his age.But do not despair - the correct behavior will help you correct the reaction of the animal. Indeed, often the wrong attitude of the owner is the cause of alertness and fear of the dog.

Zoopsychologists claim that dogs, like humans, have their own character. As a rule, puppies are divided into active fidget and focused lazy people. The first show their fear with the help of aggression - they start attacking, show grin, sometimes even bite. The second - run away and hide. In each case, you need to act differently. Whatever the nature of your pet, it can not be pitied or scolded - this is one of the main human mistakes. Remember that the behavior of the dog depends on your reaction. The pet is constantly looking at the person, because he is the "leader" of their pack. If you are constantly balanced and calm, the animal will understand that there is no threat, there is nothing to fear.

For example, the dog saw a stranger and began to actively run away. First, you do not need to forcibly hold the dog near yourself - give him the opportunity to move away to a safe distance. If the dog is running without looking back and does not even stop, give the command "Stand".You do not need to say "To me", because the pet will not be able to overcome fear and return to you. Then you need to slowly and confidently approach the dog, stroke and calm her in an even voice. Here it is very important to find a balance. On the one hand, you must let the dog know that there is nothing to fear, it is important to calm the pet. On the other hand, one should not praise and excessively pity the dog, otherwise it will think that such behavior is acceptable. Next, you need to fasten the collar to the leash, give the command "Near" and continue the walk, distracting the animal with games. Time after time the dog will understand that running away is an undesirable action. After a few months of stubborn upbringing and testimony of his own example of calm, the dog will no longer be frightened and behave cautiously.

Much more difficult is the case with aggressive dogs, which at any imaginary danger begin to bite and attack. Such dogs bring serious trouble not only to their owner, but also to other people. Such behavior must be stopped immediately - wearing muzzles, holding the leash with force, and in some cases giving the pet to a dog specialist for re-education.After all, an adequate behavior of a dog is a pledge of a peaceful and peaceful life of its owner.