What’s Causing Your Dogs Phobias
For people and dogs the same holds true; when presented with an external threat, whether real or not, we have a common instinct. This reaction to perceived danger is to freeze, fight or flight. That’s the survival instinct in all humans as well as animals.
Does you pet exhibit any of these reactions to certain situations? Responding to fearful situations is a normal, routine behavior. If your pet exhibits an abnormal behavior, this can be a unlearned through training over a period of time.
Do you have one of those excessive barking dogs? Does your dog constantly lick himself or have issues with uncontrollable bladder? Well, you pet might be suffering from anxiety.
Constant and unwarranted fear of a certain sound that can cause your dog to react such as fireworks or thunderstorm is considered a phobia. These are the most common fears that are associated with a phobia for dogs. They may have experienced something in the past and are associating that with a memory causing a response.
Between the ages of 8 and 10 months your pup will experience some severe withdrawal which is normal. Dogs between the ages of 12 and 36 months can begin to start showing signs of anxiety. As your dog matures he might suffer some separation anxiety due to memory loss.
Now we will talk about some symptoms associated with anxiety. Obsessive licking and biting themselves can be a sign of anxiety. If your dog is trembling, withdrawn or is tucking its tail then there it’s possibly exhibiting signs of mild fear.
What causes your dog to develop these conditions? Illness or a physical condition that causes pain can contribute to the development of phobias, fears or anxiety. Puppies not given proper social exposure until the age of 14 weeks may become fearful.
Many abandoned dogs who are adopted out by a new family will suffer from separation anxiety. Dogs coming from abusive situations might have fear phobias. These precious animals need a lot of love and positive reinforcement and can eventually live happy lives.
Not to worry, most of these behavioral issues can be treated with medication and behavior modification. However, some dogs may not respond to the behavioral modifications. Additionally, medications can take up to 2 weeks in some cases before you will see results.
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