There may be more causes of dog fear. And the first step to eliminate it is to find out its origin and cause.
Innate fear
The so-called innate deprivation is a form of fear which appears mainly in wild and semi-wild dogs. In everyday life, you encounter it most often in animals from puppy farms, which particularly the Eastern Europe is infamous for. Puppy farms are a world where the law of the pack applies, dogs breed here and grow up without any human oversight. In these individuals, an important role is played by the nature of the dog parents. Since shyness can be inherited even after several generations.
Dogs with innate deprivation are adapted to a life in a pack. They don’t care for human contact, they don’t know it, they shiver when touched by a human and they try to avoid it, often even by biting. They don’t respect humans and that’s why they also don’t listen. Even such dogs can be socialised under the hands of experts, but it’s a lengthy and a very stressful process for such dog, that doesn’t always work.
There are organisations around the whole world, that take dogs that aren’t placeable to families in to spend the rest of their lives there. They are put into a pack and they can live in peace in a fenced area outdoors.
There is a greater chance of socialisation of dogs with innate fear in puppies. However, you have to start early and the dog doesn’t always lose its fear completely.
Acquired fear
In addition to innate fear, dogs can also have acquired fear. That is such, that the animal obtains through torture, shock (a bad experience) or bad socialisation at puppy age. Between the sixth and twelfth week of age, the dog creates patterns of behaviour that it then uses for whole of its life. Therefore, it’s necessary to make it familiar at this age with as many things and situations as possible. If the dog is kept in isolation, it won’t get experience with people, other dogs and other animals, situations, smells, sounds and the like. In the future, it will react with suspicion, fear or aggression.
Fear can be acquired by a dog even from bad upbringing, unconscious behaviour. If the dog is, be it from any reason, timid, it needs a firm support from its master. That is a fearless and unquestionable leader of the pack. It’s important not to calm and stroke the dog in a situation in which it’s afraid. This would strengthen its belief, that it’s fear is justifiable. Such dog will most benefit from clear rules, training of basic controllability and a self-confident master.
Have you encountered fear in a dog? How did it look like and how did you handle the situation?
Sometimes, one dog is not enough and it is better to have a whole pack. Especially if you breed drafting (or also pulling) dogs. Of course, the more dogs you have, the more care and issues it means, but it also means there’s much more joy for the...
The modern world is not only rich in material things but also in the number of dog breeds. There are quite a lot of them, Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) recognizes 360 different breeds. And they are not only different from each other when...
There are many ways to learn a new thing. One of the most pleasant ones for both the dog and its owner is positive motivation. Thanks to it, a dog learns new tricks in a simple and pleasing way and it also helps to develop a mutual social relationship...
Pregnancy is a difficult time for a bitch in all aspects. The body nourishes more organisms and it needs to be reflected in her energy and nutrient intake. A breeder, racer and sport cynology contestant, Jitka Duffková, gives advice on how to make...
You might be interested in this dog sport but you have many questions before you can decide to start with it. Will my buddy enjoy it? Do I have sufficient physical abilities? When should we start, isn’t it too soon or too late? This article and advice...
A healthy mouth is a very important part of the complex vitality of a cat and we shouldn’t neglect taking care of it. There are many oral diseases our furry friends can suffer from. What can you do to keep your cat’s teeth clean?
Korat is a very rare breed that isn’t very common even in Thailand – the country of its origin. Thanks to its beautiful, soft, silver-tipped hair as well as its special nature, it’s unmistakable. This breed definitely deserves some attention.
Have you ever thought about how the composition of the gut microbiota of your dog companion influences its mood, metabolism or immune system in addition to its digestion? Do you know how bacteria work in guts and how to keep the good ones inside?
Letting furious dogs with only one task – to detain and put you down – bite you is definitely not for everyone. But is it really as horrifying as it may look from the outsider’s point of view? Jan Böhm answers our questions about what it takes to be...
Snakes and scorpions are said to get out on Saint George’s Day. It has been a while since then, so it’s no surprise that we can see a lizard or a snake when on a walk somewhere or in our gardens. They already left their underground shelters designed...
The German Boxer can truly be called a versatile dog. With no doubts, it can be a family dog, a watchdog or a rescuer. It is also good at sports. A long-term boxer breeder, Ing. Michaela Martinů, can confirm that.
Bikejöring doesn’t mean that a dog simply runs next to a bike. The dog pulls the bike when doing this sport, it is similar to dog sledding. A famous Slovak musher, Marcel Dučák, will tell us what equipment you need for it, what dogs it is good for,...
