How to Recognize Your Dog’s Fears
Not all dogs show fear in the same way. For example, your dog may refuse to go outside, no matter how much you encourage them (or try to tug on their leash).
Others may go out but will cower low to the ground or have their tail tucked between their legs. Some might even show severe signs of stress and anxiety, like heavy panting and restlessness.
There’s a certain process that needs to go along with retraining your dog to love the outdoors again. Forcing them to do so on your terms and time isn’t a good idea and can result in lasting trauma to your dog’s mental state.
Let’s take a look at common reasons why your dog might be scared to go outside so that you can find the solution.
One of the primary reasons your pet might be reluctant to go outside is because of loud or strange sounds. Dogs hear at a higher frequency range than humans. So, a sound that might seem comfortable to a person can be deafening and scary to them.
If your dog is afraid to go outside at night, or if your dog is suddenly scared of the backyard, there’s a good chance they may have heard something out there that was frightening for them. This could be a variety of things, some of which can be more obvious than others.
Some common culprits include:
It only takes one instance of your dog hearing a scary noise for them to associate with being outside with something negative. You may not even know which noise caused the problem in the first place.
Thankfully, that doesnt necessarily matter. If you do have an idea which noise caused your dog to become frightened, you can take measures to remove it.
But, if you think a loud noise is what caused your dog to be scared at night or scared of their backyard, introducing them slowly back into your yard is the best option. As explained by the Animal Humane Society, this is best done through a process called desensitization.
Desensitization is the practice of gradually reintroducing your dog to the yard instead of forcing them to face their fears all at once. It can take a lot of time and patience, but its a great solution for fixing the problem.
To practice desensitization in the backyard from loud noises, start with small steps. Open the door for your dog for a few minutes. If they choose to go out, thats a good start. If not, close the door and try again later.
Take them out for a few minutes at a time, when the neighborhood is quiet. You should be able to pick up on their stress cues and if theyre feeling anxious. If they are, take them back inside.
The idea is to slowly and consistently show them theres nothing to be afraid of outside. So, the next time they do hear a loud noise, they wont be so frightened because they know theyre safe outdoors.
Just as dogs can recall being scared of loud noises for a long time, they can also remember bad experiences. This could happen from something like getting bitten by an ant in the yard to encountering a mean dog on a walk. Dogs can easily make the connection between a frightful situation and when/where it happened.
If your dog is anxious on walks or seems hesitant, think about any negative experiences they may have had. Obviously, if another animal or person was involved, youll want to keep them away from that trigger.
Desensitization works well for remedying this problem, too. If your dog doesnt want to go on walks anymore, you should start slowly with a walk around the block.
For many dogs, they may even begin to perk up and calm down after just one walk. For others, it can take a while. Dont give up and pay attention to your dogs stress signals for when you might need to take them inside.
If your puppy or rescue dog is afraid to go outside, it could be because they arent used to seeing the world through a positive lens. As a result, it can feel overwhelming and scary.
Before a dog hits 14 weeks old, they should be introduced to the outside world. This includes different places, people, and other dogs.
Exposure to the world needs to be a gentle procedure, to let the dog know there is nothing to be scared of. Sessions should be short and filled with positivity and encouragement.
Puppies who dont get this socialization can have fears of being outdoors or specific aspects of it including people or other dogs.
You can socialize a dog at any age. But, it can become much more difficult to do once your dog is older and already has a particular view of the world and the things in it. Teaching an adult dog socialization can take a long time, and a lot of patience, but it can be done.
12 Common Reasons Why Dogs Are Scared to Go Outside
Has your dog ever had an unpleasant experience outside? Maybe they were stung by a bee or slipped on some wet pavement. If so, the memories of that even could be causing some anxiety in your dog.
Canines are cunning creatures. They remember events just like you do. Unfortunately, they often generalize those negative memories, resulting in irrational fears of things they can’t avoid.
If that the case with your dog, going outside might be a trigger for them. They are scared that going outside is going to cause that event to happen again. So, they’d rather just avoid it altogether and stay inside as much as possible.
This is pretty common when families move to a new home. It can be very confusing for a new dog to be in a completely different environment than they are used to. This is especially true if the move was drastic.
Say for example, that you moved from a rural area with wide-open spaces to the middle of a bustling city. There’s a lot of unknowns hiding beyond those doors!
Your dog is unfamiliar with his or her surroundings and needs some time to adjust. The good news is that this fear will usually subside once your pooch gets a bit more acquainted with their new home.
Sometimes, new physical experiences could cause some uneasiness with your canine companion. Has your dog ever encountered snow, heavy winds, or thunderstorms?
If your house is well-insulated and quiet, there’s a good chance that they have no concept of changing weather patterns. So, the first time you bring them out in less-than-ideal weather is going to be a nightmare!
That sudden burst of wind or crash of thunder could send them running back to the safety of your house.
Similar to what happens when you move to a new home, exposing your dog to brand-new things could be causing some anxiety. Rescue dogs, in particular, are notorious for developing fears because of relatively benign things.
Take, for instance, walking on a leash. If your dog has never been trained to walk on a leash, they will not like the feeling of being confined. Putting a leash around their neck is something that’s completely foreign to them.
They don’t know what it is. All they do know is that the leash only comes out when they’re going outside.
Loud and unexpected sounds are a pretty common source of fear for dogs. It’s important to remember that canines have very sensitive hearing.
They can hear frequencies that are far beyond our capabilities. Plus, they can sometimes hear sounds from many miles away.
The outside world is filled with unexpected noise. Cars passing by, humans talking, the whirring of construction equipment, and much more are all brand-new things your dog doesn’t experience regularly.
Your home is a quiet and safe space for them to enjoy your company in silence. Suddenly being hit with a wall of sound is enough to send even the most mild-mannered dog into a tizzy.
Young dogs can feel overwhelmed very easily the first time you try to take them outside. They spent most of their young lives being protected by their mothers, siblings, and caretakers. All puppies experience some form of anxiety when you first bring them home.
Eventually, those feelings go away as they get acclimated to this new way of life. Unfortunately, all of the new things they see, hear, smell outside take a bit longer to overcome.
All of that sudden exposure is overwhelming to your young pup’s brain. Their natural instinct is to just flee. While it can put a halt on their training, it’s important to be patient and give your pooch some time to adjust.
Speaking of young puppies, one of the best things you can do for a dog is to provide them with proper socialization. During the first 16 weeks of life, they must socialize with all types of animals and people. Otherwise, they could encounter fear later on in life.
Have you ever encountered a dog that seemed to harbor some kind of prejudice towards a certain type of person? Nine times out of ten, it’s because the dog never had a chance to socialize with them when they were young.
As a result, they become fearful. Socializing your dog at a very early age is key if you want them to become a well-rounded adult.
While training is supposed to reinforce positive traits, it can also lead to some behavioral issues in dogs. Negative reinforcement training is not great for dogs. Causing any type of pain or discomfort as a means to dissuade a certain type of behavior will only instill fear in the dog.
If the dog has ever been trained with an electric fence, you might see some fear anytime its time to go outside. Whether this training came from you or a previous owner, it can have a lifelong effect.
The pain from those shocks makes the dog scared to go outside because they have associated the feelings with the yard rather than the fence.
Physical pain is a pretty big deterrent for wanting to go outside. Even if you can’t see anything wrong with your dog, they may be hurting. Keep an eye on their behavior and gently perform a physical examination.
Check the paws and legs first. Sometimes, broken or overgrown nails can make it painful for your dog to walk. There could also be a thorn or wood splinter stuck in their pad.
If your dog is exhibiting signs of lethargy, you may want to take them to a vet. Medical issues could be causing your dog pain whenever they get up or walk. Your vet will be able to diagnose any major problems so that you can give your pup the relief they need.
Getting older does a lot to a dog’s mind. They tend to develop anxiety issues more easily than a younger dog. They can associate recent negative events with going outside and become fearful of it. This is possible even if your dog has spent years going outside without any issues.
Moving to a new home can be particularly taxing on a new dog. Canine cognitive dysfunction is pretty common. It affects their memory and makes it harder to understand their surroundings.
When you expose them to a new location, they could grow anxious because they don’t know how to adequately process it.
It takes time, but senior dogs can usually overcome those fears with regular exposure.
If your dog is suffering from vision problems, the issue is likely a fear of the unknown. Cataracts, glaucoma, and a host of other ocular conditions make it difficult for dogs to see clearly. It makes their vision appear burry.
Not being able to see plus unfamiliar sounds are the perfect recipe for fear. The key to overcoming this issue is to show your dog that there’s nothing to be scared of.
Finally, your dog might not actually be scared of the outdoors at all. Instead, they might be scared of the process of going outside. Take a look around your home and pay close attention to what your dog has to go through to get outside.
Do they need to climb down a set of stairs or walk over some hot concrete before they get to grass? If so, you might have found the issue.
All it takes is one negative event or uncomfortable situation for your dog to develop a complex. Encountering that issue every day becomes a stressful even. You can try using another exit method or providing your dog with an alternative path to the outdoors to help keep that anxiety at bay.
Signs That Your Dog Is Afraid of Going Outside
Because we can’t just ask a dog what the problem is, it helps to pay attention to your pet’s stress signals and figure out what her triggers are. This will help you recognize when your dog is feeling scared, so you can eventually desensitize and counter-condition her to gain confidence in the presence of things that frighten her.
Dogs usually let us know if they are feeling scared through canine body language. Some ways that dogs often portray fear include:
Watching for these types of behaviors can help you figure out if your dog is afraid or stressed, and it can also help you discover what your dog’s triggers are.
When a dog is afraid of going outside, it can have a hugely negative affect on nearly every aspect of her life. It can make potty training practically impossible and can lead to obesity since there are fewer opportunities for exercise. It can also elevate your dog’s stress levels, since dogs release a lot of mental stress by sniffing and exploring their environment via outdoor enrichment activities.