Building Trust to Overcome Fears
Trust is earned in the dog world.
When a dog becomes a member of a pack, he depends on the other pack members for his safety. Dogs have a surprising capacity to forgive; ask anyone who lives with a formerly abused or neglected pet. Yet many of these dogs have fear-based issues which can turn into aggression. Even the smallest fear can transfer by association to other situations or objects and spiral out of control. For example:
- Misty, a beagle, fears the sound of the REMOTE CONTROL clicking on and off and runs out of the room when she hears it.
- Soon, she will not enter the ROOM when the TV is on.
- Misty escalates and won’t come DOWNSTAIRS when the TV is on.
- Eventually, Misty fears and acts aggressively to OTHER NOISES WHICH FLUCTUATE IN PITCH AND VOLUME.
Our dog trainers can help you identify fearful behaviors and provide mechanisms for relief. Calming a fear before it escalates is critical for your dog’s emotional well-being and curbing fearful aggression.
Virtually all aggressive behavior stems from fear. Keep this in mind before assuming a dog is “bad” if they exhibit aggressive behaviors.