If your dog is afraid of strangers or new experiences, your action of protecting them won't help, nor will comforting them when they are terrified. Perversely, your dog needs to learn that being terrified will not get them either sympathy or extra attention. There are many reasons that they may scare your dog that you should be aware:
- Was your dog alone with only his littermates and dam as a puppy? Pooches that didn't get enough exposure to unfamiliar things as a puppy frequently grow up to be easily frightened as adults. The solution for this is to introduce your dog to new and different stimuli at your pet's pace. If you introduce something unfamiliar and associate it with treats or play, your dog will slowly learn that new things can be good things. This positive reinforcement will help your dog get over his fears.
- Often rescue pets that are adopted into a loving home will show signs of being afraid. For example, a dog that spent its entire life as a puppy-mill dog will not have any experience coping with the outside world, with all of its people and noise. An abused animal may realize that you are a good person and won't abuse them, but might be scared just by the movement of your hands coming to pet them or your voice raised in greeting. The best thing to do is to work on forming trust between you and your dog. For example, if you offer treats as you are petting your puppy that is the beginning of training your pooch that your hands are the source of good things, not punishment.
Your dog´s fears usually have a basis that makes perfect sense to him. Often, after trying to see the situation from the canine perspective, you can achieve insight on how to resolve these behavioral issues.
