Get Your Puppy Used to Hats From the Start
Because a dogs comfort with removable parts is largely informed in their formative years, hats—along with plenty of umbrellas, eyeglasses, masks, hoodies, costumes and other oddities people may wear—were always part of my toolbox when leading puppy trainings. I made sure to not only have hats, but a variety of them, including baseball caps, beanies, berets, boater hats and even sombreros!
Those hats were worn to get puppies used to people wearing them and lots of happy praise and treats were doled out by people wearing them. Puppies soon learned that people wearing hats were nothing to fear and that actually they brought good things. People wearing hats equals great things!
Let your dog form positive associations around people wearing hats.
Fear of Hats in Dogs Is Not Unusual
If your dog is afraid of hats, rest assured, you are not alone. Countless dog owners face this problem. Dog owners are often quite surprised when their dog unexpectedly barks at one of their friends. They will go up to Rover and say something along the lines of: What is wrong with you buddy? Dont you remember Peter, that guy that just the other day gave you those great-tasting cookies?”
Then, they will shake their shoulders and apologize to their friend: I cant understand what is up with Rover, he has never barked at people before, go figure!
Yet, if we take a closer look at the circumstance, Peter has never come to visit wearing a baseball cap. Rover was really confused by Peters new and unusual silhouette that sort of scared him off for a second.
As mentioned, a fear of hats is not unusual in dogs. As a matter of fact, when I first started my very first behavior consultations, my mentor always reminded me to take off my hat as a precaution.
While I never wear a hat when meeting a new dog, I always make sure to have plenty of hats in my toolbox when running puppy classes.
We know that the clothing we wear can influence our dog’s behavior, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that hats can also trigger an unusual behavioral response. When it comes to hats, more often than not the behavior your dog displays is less than favorable. You’ve probably seen a dog throw a barking fit after encountering someone in a hat, but why is this?
The reason for this is that dogs have difficulty understanding “removable parts” and see them as an alien object that changes the silhouette they’re familiar with. As you can imagine, this would be more than a little unsettling.
During this socialization, one of the new experiences you dog should have is meeting people in different costumes and accessories, including hats.
This odd behavioral quirk is common in many dogs and stems back to lack of thorough socialization during critical puppyhood periods. Between the ages of four weeks and four months, your dog goes through a critical imprinting phase. During this time, it’s important that you expose them to as many new situations and experiences as possible. The more they are exposed to as a puppy, the less fearful they will be as a grown dog.
Does this sound familiar? Your dog runs to greet one of your close friends at the door, only to suddenly begin barking at them. You quickly apologize; confused by your dog’s sudden distrust of a person they’ve met countless times before. After your friend leaves, you replay the situation to try and figure out what upset your dog and then it hits you; they were wearing their new baseball cap. Could this small change in appearance really be what set your dog on edge?
IS YOUR DOG AFRAID OF PEOPLE?
Does this sound familiar? Your dog runs to greet one of your close friends at the door, only to suddenly begin barking at them. You quickly apologize; confused by your dog’s sudden distrust of a person they’ve met countless times before. After your friend leaves, you replay the situation to try and figure out what upset your dog and then it hits you; they were wearing their new baseball cap. Could this small change in appearance really be what set your dog on edge?
We know that the clothing we wear can influence our dog’s behavior, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that hats can also trigger an unusual behavioral response. When it comes to hats, more often than not the behavior your dog displays is less than favorable. You’ve probably seen a dog throw a barking fit after encountering someone in a hat, but why is this?
This odd behavioral quirk is common in many dogs and stems back to lack of thorough socialization during critical puppyhood periods. Between the ages of four weeks and four months, your dog goes through a critical imprinting phase. During this time, it’s important that you expose them to as many new situations and experiences as possible. The more they are exposed to as a puppy, the less fearful they will be as a grown dog.
During this socialization, one of the new experiences you dog should have is meeting people in different costumes and accessories, including hats.
The reason for this is that dogs have difficulty understanding “removable parts” and see them as an alien object that changes the silhouette they’re familiar with. As you can imagine, this would be more than a little unsettling.
If your dog is beyond its critical imprinting period, does that mean they will have to live the rest of their lives in fear of hats? Fortunately, no. Dogs of any age can become comfortable with hats through consistent and positive exposure.
To help your dog conquer their fear of hats, begin by wearing a hat around them for a few weeks. During this time, you should also introduce your dog to friends wearing hats. To make sure each interaction is positive, both you and your hat-wearing friends can periodically give your dog treats. This way, your dog will begin to associate hats with positive rewards. Over time, your dog will come to learn that hats are not terrifying body snatching aliens; instead they are delicious treat givers.