In the eyes of the fearful dog we live in a "world of a thousand threats".
The great news about dogs with type of problem is owners can make their lives so much happier by showing them that they have nothing to fear. A scared dog can simply look unhappy or uncomfortable through to freezing, running away or attacking. The object of a dogs fear can be absolutely anything. There are dogs scared of the wind on the beach, scared of water, lawnmowers, toasters or rooms in the house. The most common fears are actually fear of other dogs and the fear of people.
Don't worry about why the dog is scared - that is something you can waste a lifetime trying to guess and never get anywhere!
Often people mistake dogs signalling that they are scared. For example a dog removing itself from any situation, freezing before striking out, looking away and then snapping or excessive panting are all possible signs of fear.
The important thing is knowing how to move the dog from the place of fear to a position of confidence.
The dog that refuses is to go for a walk is a dog that thinks it makes the decisions and has concluded that it's far too risky to go outside. This dog also feels obligated to protect its owners so that adds to its stress. This all relates to the dog thinking it's the pack leader.
The way to solve these issues is give the dog confidence by showing it that WE are in charge, we're not afraid and the dog has nothing to worry about.
To find out more about doggy Dan and his dog training, check out his
website.