The dog is scared what to do. Correction of cowardly behavior in dogs and puppies or how to stop being afraid of people. A conscious approach to understanding the causes of a dog's shyness

From this article you will learn:

• Why does a dog bite?
• Should I pet a wagging dog?
• Dog psychology. How to suppress the psyche of a dog?
• Postures of submission. "Thugs" in the four-legged world.

Attacked by a dog living in our yard
She responded to the nickname Lucy kids ...

from a popular song

There is a widespread belief that the dog is ours. four-legged friend, but sometimes this friend turns out to be the most sworn enemy. In this chapter, we will cover all fears associated with a dog attack, all the truth and False associated with dog self-defense, with vulnerabilities, with prohibited, non-prohibited techniques, physical impact and psychological suppression of a four-legged monster, as well as a bunch of these monsters.

A few words about what a dog is not a wolf - it will not run into the forest. A dog is more dangerous than a wolf. A dog, unlike a wolf, has no fear of a person, it is not afraid of fire, often it is not afraid of loud claps. Feral dogs huddled in packs represent real danger for a person.

This means that dogs huddled in packs pose a mortal danger to humans, feral dogs ... and not only for children and drunks, the disabled and pensioners. A dog may well attack a living person.

Imagine a clear sunny day... You are walking in a forest park, at this time a dog approaches you, wagging its tail, or you approach a dog, which, when you appear, begins to wag its tail. What will you think? Nice dog, needs to be petted. You raise your hand in order to stroke the animal's fur, and at this moment it growls and clings to your hand. Shock. Panic. For what? Why?

Now I translate your actions from the point of view canine psychology. Tail in a dog- mood indicator, respectively, the higher the tail, the more dispersed the dog is. I draw your attention to the fact that not in a more iridescent, friendly, but in a more overclocked state. Those. a dog that is doing poorly, lowers its tail, or that is sad, sad, bored. A dog that is excited lifts its tail.

You saw the dog, the dog saw you. You are invading her territory, her personal space. The dog raises its tail, it is getting ready. At this moment, the two-legged raises his hand, "doesn't want to hit otherwise"- the dog thinks, and only for the purpose of self-defense: after all, he invaded his personal space, he hits you, he grabs your hand. Here is a story about a dog this is how it often happens. So, this is a word about what is not necessary, if you see that the dog is wagging its tail, climb to kiss and hug it, you do not need to try to pet it. There is a science of canine psychology, the so-called ethology, ethology like section zoopsychology.

So there is ethology, she is zoopsychology and her dog section, i.e. section on dog psychology different situations. So this is the one ethology in addition to the personal space of a dog, and even a person, because we, like a dog, have four limbs and one head, also distinguishes the so-called postures of submission. Postures of submission- these are the poses that the losing dog takes and the winning dog does not touch it. These are the poses on the back, with legs tucked in, with an open neck, with a stomach, lower abdomen. The same poses are recommended for a person to take at the time of a dog attack on him, i.e. lie on your back, spread your legs.

In fact, this pose of a woman is called "rape me". Lie on your back, spread your legs, arms, throw your throat up, and offer the dog to bite off what he likes the most.

Second option(this, apparently, is for homophiles): lie on your stomach, tuck your hands under you, i.e. You cannot resist: you are completely defenseless.

These poses can work with a dog with a healthy mind. With a dog with an unhealthy psyche, in fact, they are encountered as often as people with mental disorders. These poses may not work in a pack of hungry dogs who see you not as a rival, but as food, i.e. food. it is quite possible that you will just be eaten.

A good posture of submission, which ... or rather good posture, not obedience, but just a pose that I like - when passing by the dog, demonstrate to her with an open palm, put your hands down, spread them down and open your palms so that the dog sees that you have nothing in your hands, looking into her eyes. it soothing moment, the dog sees that you do not have weapons, sticks, you are safe. As a rule, the dog does not touch.

second moment, the practical one that really works is the psychological suppression of a predator or a group of predators. Everything is exactly the same as with two-legged: look into the eyes, preferably two in one, animal grin and powerful cry. The scream should be with an outburst, with amplification towards the end, animal in nature, powerful, loud. By the way, at the moment of a powerful, loud cry, the animal grin manifests itself. The attacking dog falls into a stupor because the biped has shown uncharacteristic behavior for it, showing its teeth, which it never did, and began to growl like a wild, crazy animal.

If we compare the average weight of a person (75 kg.) And the average weight of a dog (35 kg.), Then the difference is two times, i.e. it is tantamount to the fact that a bear would try to attack you. Scary? This is where the dog gets scared.. She gets frightened and runs away, a technique that has been tried and tested many times and is successful. Important condition: You must scream loudly, sharply and like an animal. Anything from: "A-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!". The cry must be worked out.

To be continued…

In the next issue you will learn:

• Combat stance. How to stand up so that the dog does not bite off the most valuable thing?
• What is a sausage for a dog, may be the most valuable for you.
• Step into the "mouth of the dragon" or how to avoid injury when bitten?
• How to break the neck of a fighting dog?
• The terrible truth about self-defense from a dog.
• What are the methods for dogs?

And there are people who are afraid of their shadow, to say nothing of dogs, and there are such people among them. Why are they so fearful? There may be many reasons. One of them - genetic predisposition. If you came to the breeder to take a puppy and you see that his mother is timid, she hid, and the puppy that you liked does not go to your hands, choose another dog. And even at all, take a puppy from another litter. Unfortunately, if such a 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 out into the street and find that he is afraid of passers-by, passing cyclists and cars. Here you are already to blame, because Puppies need to be socialized by 3 months of age. 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 the fearfulness of a pet is associated with stress, for example, a large stray dog ​​rushed at him on the street and scared him a lot. Fear needs to be treated. The owner must be calm. You can’t immediately grab the pet in your arms and calm it down violently, it will become even more demonstratively afraid. Learn a few things with your pet basic 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 such that fear can cause aggression. For example, a child once dragged your pet by the tail and now he is terribly afraid of small children. You lead him on a leash, and a baby and a puppy or an adult male or female rush past with a squeal, defending themselves, grabbing the child by the leg. The mother is in shock, screaming at you, and you don’t know what to do, because the worst thing is the bite has already happened.

To avoid such dramatic situations, you need to start socialization before 3 months. and not take into the house even the best cowardly puppy. It is difficult to live with him in society, because everywhere you need to be among people, for example, go to the market, take a walk in a park that is busy on 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 kindly, lovingly. Let him feel that he is still your favorite.

Socialize him gradually. Walk in the park, where occasionally people pass by, owners with pets. Train him fun games: bring a stick, rubber ball, ring and other items. Let him feel bold 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, nothing can be done, such a character. You are his only friend, so play together so that he lives next to you happy dog. You don't need to constantly train him. It won't help.

Try in Everyday life avoid irritants that cause stress in the pet. For example, he is afraid of the noise of a working vacuum cleaner, when you do the cleaning, close it in the back room. Not all dogs are so shy that it 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 a person and it is in your power to be happy in a life together with a pet, forgiving him shortcomings.

A dog is always a responsibility.

Conceived, the owners and rest where you can take your pet with you. For example, at the camp site of their city in a forest plantation by the lake, and some go out for the weekend as a savage to fish, sunbathe on the beach. Don't forget a big umbrella. It will create a shadow for the pet and save him from heat stroke.

We socialize a pet that is afraid of people

How to deal with a fearful dog:

1. Remember that during fear you can’t intensely pity your pet, as well as scold. He becomes disoriented and next time will continue to be afraid, in the hope that he will be pitied.
2. You are a strong master-leader and keep 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. Let him not start to coward defiantly and think that this is how it should be, since guests are in the house or an old acquaintance is with you for a walk.

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

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

Every day 2-4 times and even more, take your pet for walks among people. Start walking in sparsely populated areas and gradually move to busier ones. Like the fruit of your long psychological work behavior correction, you will soon be able to walk with him even around the market, examining and choosing a product.

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

In dogs different reaction, some will hide from fear, while others will attack unfamiliar passers-by. Then wear a muzzle for a walk and teach commands that will allow you to stop unwanted actions pet. Go to classes with a cynologist.

Teaching your dog the “give” command
How to choose and train a dog to protect a private property
Teaching a dog to stand
The dog is your sports partner
Weaning a dog to bark at home
We teach the dog the command "Fu!"

Sometimes dogs can be shy. Fearfulness can arise as a result of previously experienced bad experience due to lack of socialization or learning gaps. Correcting your dog's behavior will increase his self-confidence and will also help you get a balanced pet that is well adapted to the human lifestyle. This article provides some tips for boosting confidence in shy and fearful dogs.

Steps

A conscious approach to understanding the causes of a dog's shyness

Remember that fearfulness can come from confusion. Even though the dog's behavior may just seem irrational, fearfulness can be born out of things that the animal doesn't understand. Know the reasons for the dog to show this behavior when the dog is shy. They may come from previous experience or lack of it, as the dog did not have the opportunity to normally present a similar situation before.

• Dogs may be afraid strangers certain situations or objects. Often this is due to a lack of awareness.
• Fearful behavior can also be the result of poor socialization, lack of training, and even past mistreatment.

1. Pay attention to signs of fearfulness. Some behaviorists identify four main types of behavior that occur when dogs are shy: freezing, attacking, running away, and irrational behavior. Attack and escape are fairly straightforward and quite similar to the human response to fear. Freezing is characterized by the immobilization of the dog as a result of a reaction to a source of stress. Irrational behavior can be difficult, but it is like hysterical laughter or fuss in people. Irrational behavior in dogs can be expressed by a wild explosion of energy, jumping, hitting paws, and so on.

   Reveal fearfulness from past mistreatment. Many overly shy dogs have experienced mistreatment in the past. You can identify some potential signs of such an experience by paying attention to certain dog behaviors and other traits.

   Take advantage of the classic conditioned reflex. The development of a conditioned reflex consists of combining causing fear experiences with positive experiences that change emotional reaction dogs. This creates an automatic Pavlovian reflex. good example A similar conditioned reflex is the admiring reaction of the dog to the leash, since at the sight of it the animal begins to think that he will soon have a walk. The following are some tips for developing a reflex.

   For especially effective result learning, resort to counterconditioning. The idea is to get the desired reaction from the dog instead of showing fear.

   During desensitization, bring the stressor into motion. Gradually increase the movement activity of the stressor. This will greatly enhance the dog's ability to bear the influence of the frightening object.

   • Then start moving the stressor when it is near the dog. The combination of movement and the proximity of a frightening object allows for an increase in the intensity of desensitization.
   • For example, if your dog is afraid of a particular object, perhaps a newspaper, start feeding him a few steps away from the newspaper, then try moving the newspaper with your foot on the floor as the dog eats the food.

2. Add noise to your desensitization lessons. Returning to the newspaper example, you can hide polyethylene inside it, which will create a rustle when you move the newspaper across the floor with your help. This noise, combined with the proximity of the moving newspaper, will help desensitize the dog to the stressor, minimizing his fearfulness in his presence.

3. Watch your own reactions to your dog's fearful behavior. Remember that some dogs like it when you express your admiration for showing them the behavior you want, while others prefer simply receiving a treat. Understanding and showing respect for your dog's preferences can also help minimize shyness.

   • The postures you take also matter, so you should always be relaxed, content, and positive. This will cheer up a shy dog.
   • When talking, do not shout or express anger. Remember that the dog will not be able to understand the reason for your anger, this will only reassure him of your unpredictability, which will not help at all to cope with his fearfulness.

   Encouragement and encouragement of the dog

   1. Encourage your dog's socialization with other dogs. If you notice that your dog is afraid of other dogs, find a very friendly outgoing dog to socialize your dog with. First, introduce the dogs very briefly, this should be done from a distance, and both dogs should be on leashes. Bring your dogs together daily, increasing the amount of time they spend socializing.

      • Consider agility courses or general training as they are also a good place to introduce your pet to other dogs and situations.

   2. Reward your dog with treats. If the dog is showing the desired behavior, such as being relaxed, reasonably confident, etc., give him a treat. This will allow him to make a connection between you and positive things, but it will especially reinforce the understanding that good things happen when the dog is not showing fear. This is called positive reinforcement, which is very effective and highly recommended for shy dogs.

      • Be sure to pair treats with praise.

   3. Respect an injured dog. Speak calmly and let the injured dog get used to the environment. She can mark territory (even at home), but be patient and be careful with parenting techniques.

      • An injured dog may benefit from having a private, quiet space within the home. If you have other pets, you should carefully introduce them to the injured dog, however, they should not be allowed into his personal quiet territory.
      • Desensitize an injured dog to fearful people by offering to feed and play with the dog while you ignore it.
   • Having another balanced dog is highly likely to help your shy dog ​​recover from fears through display right kind behavior.
   • Remember to work with the speed of the dog itself and do not rush it, as this can create negative emotions, in addition, in extreme cases it can even be dangerous.
   • Forcing a dog to correct behavior through the use of suffocating and strict collars, as well as other negative devices, will increase the fears underlying the problem, since the use of such devices is associated with pain and confusion at the time of behavior correction, despite the outward ease and speed of correction with their help.
   • Watch for signs aggressive behavior such as growling, biting, and aggressive body language signals. When they occur, make a distracting noise such as whistling, clicking, and so on, and then redirect the dog's activity in another direction. Remember that aggression is a much more difficult problem than shyness, so start working on aggression reduction exercises before continuing to deal with shyness.

   Warnings

   • If a dog attacks you or tries to bite you, contact a professional immediately. Do not try to rehabilitate such a dog yourself! Understand that this is a completely separate problem from fearfulness, despite the fact that in a certain forced situation, one reaction can turn into another.

Often, owners are faced with the problem of cowardly dogs. Sometimes this problem is successfully solved by competent adaptation to stimuli, by working on behavior on your own or with an experienced instructor. But there are situations when fearfulness is not just a behavioral problem or the result of improper upbringing. It happens that the dog's cowardly behavior is just a character trait that cannot be corrected or the consequences psychological trauma received in early childhood. How to raise such a dog, this article will tell.

Causes of cowardly dogs

Sometimes this character trait is associated with improper upbringing and training. Sometimes these are consequences of education through the use of potent negative reinforcement. If this is the reason, you can try to rehabilitate the dog with the help of competent training and patient education. Of course, this will take more than one week, month or year, but if you patiently go towards your goal, you can achieve good result. It is better not to try to do the rehabilitation of the dog on your own, but immediately turn to experienced cynologist. If this is not possible, good option will read the literature of zoopsychologists, in which such a topic is discussed.

But there are times when the cowardice of dogs cannot be corrected. This may be a trait of character or the result of improper rearing and upbringing at an early puppy age.

What to do if the problem is not solved?

The owner of a shy dog ​​can sometimes be very difficult. It is not easy when a pet is afraid of cars, other dogs, people, bicycles, loud sounds etc. How to behave so as not to introduce yourself and the dog into a state of even greater despondency?

1. It must be remembered that shy dog will never behave like those dogs that you can meet on your street, in the yard, in the usual walking place, etc. Therefore, you can not compare your dog and other pets. This can lead to very negative consequences. It is important for a dog to feel that it is still the best and most courageous for its owner!
2. Don't assume that your dog will enjoy socializing with other dogs and people if it's under a lot of stress! If it is noticeable that the pet is uncomfortable in the company of his fellows, learn to spend time together. Let it be walking along quiet streets, alleys, playing with a dog in fetching an object. Instead of worrying about the shy nature of the dog, make sure that he feels joy and satisfaction from joint games with the owner.
3. Dressing is not an option. If many options have already been tried, trips to different instructors, self-training, but nothing helped, which means that the problem is in the character of the dog and this is unlikely to be changed somehow. Of course, this does not mean that such a pet does not need training. Commands can make life and daily behavior of the dog much easier, but if the problem is deep in the dog's psyche, this method most likely will not have any effect.
4. You need to learn how to avoid irritants that create stress for your dog. The calmer the pet's life goes, the better it will be for him and his owner.
5. If the dog cannot completely ignore the stimulus and not be stressed when it appears, even with increased and thorough training, you just need to try to make the dog's stay with him a little less annoying and if you can not completely eliminate the excitement, at least reduce its degree.

Before diagnosing your dog as shy, you need to make sure that the problem is not amenable to correction, and try to eradicate it with competent education and training. If the dog by nature has a shy character, the main thing to remember is that with little effort you can do life together with a pet more comfortable and happy!

What to do if the dog is afraid of people? Is it worth considering such behavior as a deviation, especially given the modern, not always humanistic moods of society? Is it worth helping a pet overcome this fear? There is no single answer to these questions, and in fact, each owner makes his own decision. However, man and dog have come a long way together in development. From the point of view of dog psychology and cynology in general, dogs and people should not be afraid of each other.

Did you know that cynophobia, that is, the fear of dogs, is considered a mental disorder? Considering the opposite situation, we can draw a similar conclusion - if a dog is afraid of a person, it means that the animal has a too receptive, weak or traumatized psyche. The phobia may "stretch" from puppyhood or have specific causes. The tactics of war say: “Know the enemy by sight”, and with fear, the more you know about the causes of the disease that has developed, the more likely it is to overcome it. To begin with, fears are divided into:

• Having a reason- Fear can be the cause negative emotions, pain or dangerous situation experienced by the quadruped. Most often, the reaction of the animal is based on direct consequences. life experience. For example, dogs are afraid of some people if they have been in captivity or quarantined, bullying or rough treatment. All bipeds that have a similar height, silhouette or smell will remind the ward of the experience and frighten him.

• idiopathic- fears, the cause of which cannot be identified. For example, a dog is afraid of crying babies or very young children. Another example - a puppy is brought up in a family with childhood, but suddenly and for no reason begins to be afraid of one of the family members.

Read also: The dog is afraid of the owner: the causes of the phobia and ways to overcome it

Naturally, if you know the root cause of the phobia, it will be much easier to wean the dog from being afraid of people. You need to work in one direction and help the dog overcome his insecurities. Any fear of quadrupeds is based on distrust or insecurity in own forces. For example, a skirmish with a relative, which ended in bites, can give rise to fear of the whole living world due to the realization of one's own weakness. You need to learn one thing - if a dog is afraid, it definitely does not trust and considers a person as a threat to its life or health.

Mistakes of owners that exacerbate the dog's fear of people and methods of correction

Let's say a dog is afraid of strangers, you still don't know the reasons, but in fact the phobia has already manifested itself. How do you react to the behavior of your ward?

Most likely like this:

1. With a passive reaction- the ward runs away from the person who frightened him, you try to call the dog, but as a rule, to no avail. After, you catch up with the pet and scold him for disobedience. The second outcome, you feel sorry for and reassure the ward. Does it look like you? If yes, congratulations, you are exactly 50% the cause of the developed phobia.

How to: allow the dog to move to a safe distance in its understanding. If the dog is clearly running away, we do not use the “Come to me” command (or other commands), we call out by name or any other phrases, for example, “Stop” or “Come here”. Only when the ward has stopped, we begin to move with a calm step in his direction. Stop at arm's length, make sure that the pet is not afraid of you, go around him from behind and stand above him, slightly squeezing the sternum with your knees, fasten the leash. Stroke the dog's neck, but do not lisp. Then command "Next" and distract the pet with a few simple commands. Your behavior should be as calm as possible, but friendly, you should not show fear or concern.

Important! With a passive reaction, most often, the reason lies in uncertainty. Your task is to show the pet that you are always there and are not afraid of a frightening subject. Over time, the dog will begin to copy your behavior and even if frightened, will step aside, but not run away.

2.When an aggressive reaction- you shout at the pet, trying to stop the barking, run after him, trying to grab the collar, scold him for misbehavior. The four-legged perceives your inappropriate behavior as a fright, which provokes a more aggressive reaction. Does it look like your case? Your behavior reinforces the dog's confidence that people should only be dealt with by force.