How to Help a Fearful Dog: 8 Essential Tips

If you are someone who travels a lot, there will be a lot of situations where you will encounter a scared dog. A fearful dog will show signs like shivering, quivering, tucking their tails between the legs, avoiding eye contact etc. You may want to help them, but if you try too hard or go the wrong way, the dogs can get even more frightened.

Most importantly, your body language plays a significant role in creating trust with a scared dog. If you feel that the dog may bite you, it is better not to approach. Yet, you can use a few tactics to approach a frightened dog. Here are those,

• Don’t Stand Over the Dog

A dog who is already stressed out might get even more stressed if you are towering over them. It is also apparent why a dog would get even more scared when they face someone at least twice their size. Always be aware of your body position when you approach a dog, especially the one that is frightened.

• Get on the Same Level as Dog

A smart way to approach a fearful dog is to get down on its level. You will be less threatening if you are not standing directly above the dog. However, keep in mind that you should also not try to put yourself directly in the dog’s face. You can squat or sit down at a distance from the dog. For dogs who may seem extremely fearful, you may want to lie down at a distance away to make the dog feel your presence comfortable.

Facing sideways is another excellent strategy to calm a fearful dog. Just turn slightly so that your side faces the dog, possibly even leaning slightly away from the fearful dog. Although this is not a natural position, especially when we are greeting other humans, this strategy works wonders in soothing an anxious dog.

While it’s a normal tendency for humans to make eye contact with each other, the same gesture can be rude, threatening and even aggressive to dogs. To make yourself less daunting to a scared dog, avoid making eye contact with him. Instead, just turn your head slightly to the side and keep your eyes averted

• Speak With a High-Pitched Tone

For a fearful dog, deep, low voices can be scary. This is why you should talk to them in a higher-pitched, happy tone of voice. Men will have a bit of trouble doing this, and hence, they can try speaking more quietly while remaining cheerful. A calm, reassuring tone of voice can go a long way in making a nervous dog relaxed and comfortable.

• Never Discipline a Scared Dog

If you are trying to calm a scared dog, don’t even think of disciplining him. It will only make the dog more fearful. You may also be inviting danger, as the dog’s anxiety level rises, it is more likely to bite you. Just be patient, and reassure them calmy till they start approaching you.

You should always give lots of chances for a frightened dog to be comfortable and approach the objects of their fear on their own. You should never force the interactions. For example, if a dog is afraid of men, don’t hold its collar while a man approaches him to pet. This will only increase the dog’s fear and the person near them is also likely to get bitten.

Although most dogs can be slowly introduced to the objects they fear, an already scared dog is generally not ready to face any extra hurdles.

Training can make a huge difference in your shy or scared dog’s confidence level. For instance, offering them dog treats while training them helps them to slowly come out of their shell. With treats, you may not even have to force them to learn things, As your dogs slowly become confident, many of their fears will decrease or even disappear as well.

Final Thoughts

Although the above eight tips will help you to calm an anxious and upset stray dog, you may also want to help your own dog overcome certain fears. Try gently exposing your dog to an object or person it fears from a certain distance(one that does not instil fear in your dog). Act like it is no big deal and slowly inch closer. If your dog shows signs of fear, stop advancing. Again, utilise the benefits of dog treats, as they are excellent for positive reinforcement.