What dogs are afraid of: common dog fears and phobias

fear of thunder

Astraphobia, or the fear of thunder, is very common among dogs. Some dogs start to shiver during thunderstorms, and some will hide, bark, howl, or even go to the toilet out of fear.

However, dogs with astraphobia may not be afraid of other loud sounds. Although usually this fear in dogs extends to all loud and unexpected sounds, and not just to the sounds of thunderstorms.

Fear of fireworks

This is also a very common problem. Here, in addition to loud sounds, the dog is frightened by unexpected flashes of light. If fireworks start during a walk, the pet may be so frightened that it will run away from the owner and get lost. Therefore, it is very important to prevent such situations: if fireworks start to go off near you, try to get away with the dog from him as soon as possible, to a quiet and safe place.

For more tips on what to do if your dog is afraid of fireworks, see our article on the subject.

separation anxiety

If your dog is afraid of being alone at home, then he has separation anxiety. As a rule, this manifests itself in bad behavior (non-stop barking or howling, chewing on the owner’s furniture or belongings, etc.) that starts as soon as the owner walks out the door.

To deal with this problem, we advise you to first read our article on this topic. Also, you may need the help of a dog handler or animal psychologist, as you will need to gradually accustom the dog to the fact that being alone at home is not at all scary.

Fear of veterinary clinics

Often, dogs are afraid of going to the veterinary clinic, because they remember that usually some unpleasant and incomprehensible manipulations are carried out with them there – they give injections, take their temperature, etc. In addition, there are a lot of new, strange smells and other animals in the clinics. who are also afraid. Dogs feel it and, of course, do not want to come to such a terrible place anymore.

In order to rid the dog of this fear, try to go to the veterinary clinic several times just like that, without visiting the doctor himself. Sit in the hallway, praise and treat the dog if he behaves calmly. Perhaps after a few such visits, your pet will no longer be so scared.

Fear of driving

If your pet has never ridden in a car, then the first trip may cause fear in him. To prevent this from happening, you need to properly train your dog to ride in transport. On how to do this, we have a whole article written by a cynologist instructor.

Fear of certain objects

Some dogs develop a fear of a certain object: a vacuum cleaner, a child’s toy, holiday decorations, etc. And often the easiest and quickest solution to such a problem is to simply remove this object away from the dog.

But, unfortunately, this is not always possible. For example, if a dog is afraid of a vacuum cleaner, then you will have to gradually accustom him to it so that during each cleaning he does not go crazy with fear.