How do you know if my dog is scared of me?
Be on the lookout for the following signs via its body language:
You may also want to familiarize yourself with some of the things that dogs are most likely to fear. Although every canine is different, some of the most common phobias are:
Even when you think youve been doing all things right, some dogs may still be scared of you for a variety of reasons. If you find yourself saying, my dog is scared of me, heres what you can do to fix this problem.
How to Know if Your Dog is Scared
For less experienced dog owners, recognizing a timid dog may be a challenge, but luckily, there are clear signs that you can look for that will help you identify the problem. One thing that’s important to understand when talking about scared dogs is that they mainly communicate through body language, so if you’re going to identify fear, you will need to be able to recognize non-verbal cues.
In fact, sometimes when people say “my dog is scared of me,” they are misinterpreting some of the signs and drawing the wrong conclusions. Some of the most telling cues to look for are the easy-to-spot ones like flattened ears, tail tucked between hind legs or avoidance of eye contact.
But there are also more subtle signs that you might not be aware of, such as excessive yawning, lip licking, raised hair on the back of the neck, or even persistent scratching. There are also various behaviors that can point to a dog being scared, such as whining, pacing, clinginess, submissive urination, or even biting. The dog may also be drooling, trembling, or even panting as a result of being scared.1 To confirm your suspicion that your dog is experiencing fear, you should know all of these symptoms and look for multiple signs that something is wrong.
When people say “my dog is scared of me,” they are likely seeing some of the behaviors or signs listed above and automatically assume that the dog is afraid of them. However, that may not always be the case, as there are many reasons why a dog may be fearful. Just like humans, dogs can develop various phobias throughout their lives.
One of the most common dog phobias is loud noises – whether it’s fireworks, a thunderstorm, or even the vacuum cleaner, you may find that your dog scatters at the first loud noise that he or she hears.
Many dogs also experience separation anxiety and are afraid of being separated from their owners. If you find your dog exhibiting fear symptoms as you’re about to leave, that’s a good clue that the dog isn’t afraid of you, but of being away from you.
Another common phobia for dogs is car rides. Although many dogs absolutely love them, some develop negative associations, especially after they’ve been taken to an unpleasant destination such as the vet’s office.
Finally, some dogs may even be afraid of children, simply because children sometimes don’t know how to interact with a dog appropriately and may have hurt them in the past.2
Rule out Medical Problems
This is very important, especially if your dog has become hand shy out of the blue. A dog owner came to see me one day claiming that her dog had a recent history of biting. After a medical exam, the poor pooch turned out to have a painful ear infection. He was biting simply to tell people to stay away from his aching ears!
Elderly dogs sometimes develop hearing loss or vision loss which causes them to be prone to startling when they are touched. Any type of pain in dogs can virtually cause a lower bite threshold, meaning that they are more likely to bite than they would if they were perfectly healthy. Something to always keep into consideration.
14 Signs Your Dog Doesn’t Love You (Even if You Think They Do)
Few sights are as heartbreaking to a dog owner as seeing a scared dog. Especially when your dog is afraid of you, as that can make any owner feel completely helpless and without a clue of what to do.
If you’re thinking to yourself “my dog is scared of me” and are desperate for answers, you’ve come to the right place – in this article, we’ll go over some of the most important aspects of fearful dog training and help you learn how to approach the situation.