The dog is an animal very sensible, who needs a lot of company and affection so that he can be really happy. However, sometimes it can fall into very bad hands, which instead of taking care of it, what they do is mistreat it and make it feel afraid. From this feeling then aggressive behaviors can arise, which will not turn the dog into an aggressive or violent furry, but will continue to be a frightened dog.
If you have adopted someone who, no matter how hard you have tried, you have not made him feel good at all, do not stop reading this article as we will explain how to treat a dog with fear.
Find out what is the origin of your fear
This can go a long way towards helping him. If it is a dog that has been abused, it may be afraid of broomsticks or mop sticks, sudden movements, screaming, other dogs ... If it is adopted, you can ask the Protector or the animal shelter to see if they know anything; although as you live with him It will be easy for you to find out what causes that feeling of discomfort.
Know the bodily signs of fear
How does a fearful dog act? Depends. The most common is that crouch down, tuck its tail between its legs, and hold its ears back, but beware, if it was used as a fighting dog, or if it has had a bad experience with other dogs, it can act in a totally different way: the hair on its back may stand up, the tail will be raised, the mouth will be open showing its fangs, it will bark and may growl.
Anticipate your discomfort
Once you know what scares him, it's time to act… before he feels it. Therefore, it is very important to always have treats for dogs on hand, since these they will serve to redirect the animal. For example: if you are walking down the street and you see how far a person is approaching with his dog, if you know that yours is scared, give him one treat after another, preventing him from barking.
At first it can cost a lot, but you will see how little by little you will notice improvement.
Don't comfort him when he's scared
I know. It may sound very harsh, but trust me, it's for the best. We humans treat fears with affection, but we cannot forget that dogs are not people, but dogs. If we console them, what we are saying to the dog is that he has reasons to feel bad, so you will continue to feel this way each time you get close to the source of your discomfort (be it another dog, a broom, a cat, an elderly person ... or whatever).
With these tips your friend should feel better after a while, but if you see that it costs him, do not hesitate to ask for help from a canine ethologist who works positively.