What are 10 of the most common dog fears and phobias? Why are our beloved pets afraid of these things at all? Take a look at our list in this article and keep your pup calm throughout the holidays and beyond!
What Causes Fears and Phobias in Dogs?
There are three main types of anxiety that commonly lead to fears and phobias in dogs! These will cover nearly all the anxiety related problems you can ever think of or probably will ever deal with. These include:
Fear Related Anxiety
This covers things like the fear of loud noises (thunder, fireworks, etc.), fear of injury or harm, etc.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is a very common problem with dogs left alone for an extended amount of time! The fear of abandonment is actually the very first fear we cover because it is so common.
Age Related Anxiety
A dog tends to experience more anxiety as he reaches an advanced age. Age related anxiety is a very common issue in older dogs! Some dogs deal with a canine form of dementia, similar to Alzheimer’s in humans and enhancing anxiety.
10 Reasons Dogs Fears and Phobias
1. Abandonment
Did you think loud noises or frightening animals would be the most common fear or phobia in dogs? Did painful stimuli, such as a jolt from an electric collar, rank high on your imagined list?
Believe it or not, the fear of abandonment is the most common cause of anxiety in dogs! Separation anxiety is an extremely common problem among dog owners, and you may have even dealt with it yourself.
Dogs are very social creatures. The idea of being left alone to fend for themselves is often terrifying!
2. Fear of Thunder
A phobia of thunderstorms is another extremely common fear countless dogs deal with! Dogs don’t understand the reason for these sudden, booming explosions, and not knowing why something is happening can terrify them.
Dogs are also much more sensitive to sounds than we humans are.
3. Fear of Fireworks
The 4th of July can be a very hectic time for our dogs! Loud fireworks fall under noise phobia, just like thunder. Because they occur even less frequently, our dogs have fewer opportunities to desensitize to fireworks.
Unpredictable fireworks can be seen as a possible threat. This can be made even worse because our dogs often have no clue where the sound is coming from or what is causing it!
4. The Veterinarian
Countless dogs are afraid of the veterinarian, and it usually isn’t due to needles! Dogs usually can’t feel these subcutaneous injections.
Imagine all of the countless new smells a dog is bombarded with upon entering the vet’s office! Thousands of other animals have likely been through, hundreds of dogs leaving their mark. That alone is enough to leave an animal with such a strong sense of smell on edge!
Along with that, you have a strange human physically handling your dog. Unless a dog is extremely well socialized and desensitized to the touching of strangers, this can seem uncomfortable.
Finally, dogs may relate injuries or uncomfortable treatments to the veterinarian who administered those treatments. Anxious owners acting fidgety don’t help either!
5. Travel Anxiety/ Riding in the Car
Fear of the Car or a phobia of travel are both a common issue our dogs deal with!
Did something happen to your pup while in the car? Were you in an accident, or does he/she relate the car to undesirable destinations? Do you have a poor suspension, making for an uncomfortable ride?
Always relate praise, rewards and positive things to the car! Many dogs dislike the car because they relate bad experiences from upset owners to it.
6. Fear of Strangers
Dogs are social animals, and socializing them properly, beginning at a young age, is very important! You want to teach your dog that strangers mean good things (or are at the very least friendly) early on.
Unfortunately, many dogs are never introduced to many humans outside of the owner or owner’s family until they become adults. These dogs tend to become suspicious of strangers around their family’s ‘territory’, regarding them not as friends but potential threats.
7. Fear of Other Dogs
One of the most common fears and phobias in dogs involves other dogs!
While dogs are social animals and ideally want to be in the company of other dogs or people, they need to learn that other animals are friendly.
Puppies go through two major ‘fear periods’ growing up, when they learn what can be harmful to them and what means good things. If a puppy isn’t properly introduced (socialized with) to other dogs during these periods, learning that other animals are friendly, they can become suspicious of possible threats.
This is made even worse for dogs that have suffered some type of trauma, such as a bite attack from another dog!
8. Stairs
Puppies tend to be especially nervous around stairs! Dogs are often nervous around things they haven’t encountered before, and elevated surfaces they must climb can seem strange.
This is made worse if your dog associates an injury or falls to the stairs or suffers from arthritis and finds climbing them difficult.
9. Unfamiliar/ Strange Objects
Dogs are often frightened of, or feel anxiety toward, objects they haven’t encountered before. This could be a new set of furniture, oddly textured flooring, or even weird new plants!
The key to avoiding this type of anxiety is the same as people or other animals. Introduce your dog to the strange new object, slowly desensitizing him to this new addition to your home.
Associate praise and treats, along with other rewards in order to create pleasurable emotions!
10. Age Related Anxiety
Older dogs tend to deal with increased anxiety in general. As they reach an advanced age, a dog’s cognitive abilities can begin to deteriorate (just like older humans). They can become jumpier, easily startled at things that you might consider common.