9 Signs of Fear in Dogs

Dogs are brave, protective, and loyal, but just like humans, they also feel emotions — some good, like happiness, and others not so good, like fear.

Knowing how to identify signs of fear is essential to prevent them from suffering and to prevent attacks, since a scared dog is an unpredictable dog. I'll explain how to tell when a dog is scared.

Symptoms of Fear

Detecting fear in a dog is very simple if you know the symptoms — scared dogs show very obvious, easily recognizable signs. If you notice one or several of these signs, it's because your dog is having a hard time, is very scared.

Remember, fear is the physical state preceding panic, and if a dog enters a state of panic, it can attack without reason, even its own owner — it can be unpredictable.

So when you see any of these signs in your dog, act immediately to try to ease its fear and prevent it from panicking.

Dog hiding under the table

Seeking Shelter or Hiding

One of the most obvious signs of fear in dogs is seeing them look for shelter to hide, usually under a bed, behind a couch, or even under us, between our legs.

It's their way of escaping the fearful situation and trying to feel protected, hoping the thing scaring them will go away so they can come out again. Running off and escaping is another sign of fear in stressful situations.

Tensing the Muscles

If you see your dog get very tense, taking on a stiff, rigid look, it's likely scared. Its muscles tense up, even causing tremors that can be mistaken for being cold.

Muscle tension in dogs is a clear symptom of alertness, fear, or stress in the face of something frightening them.

Barking and Panting

Another sign telling us a dog is scared is excessive panting for no reason. If a dog is hot or has run or played, it's normal for it to pant, but if it's calm and suddenly starts panting in a stressful situation, it's out of fear.

Barking is also a sign of fear, warning that it's scared and doesn't want whatever's causing its fear to come closer, whether a person or an animal.

Body Gestures

Dogs don't use words, but they can communicate through gestures, which are very easy to identify if we know canine sign language.

Tucking its tail between its back legs is a clear sign of fear, of being afraid of something. Cowering is another symptom that it's experiencing fear.

OCD

OCD is obsessive-compulsive disorder, which causes a dog to perform repetitive movements like constantly pacing back and forth, nonstop nose licking, endless digging, and so on.

Any illogical repetitive movement can be a sign of stress or fear in our dog, so we should observe it and find the source of the fear.

Diarrhea and/or Vomiting

As incredible as it might sound, fear can also seriously affect a dog's health. Fear can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and even all kinds of digestive and nervous system issues.

A dog experiencing fear daily will see its health constantly worsen, until the problem is resolved.

What Are Dogs Afraid Of?

It's worth noting not every dog is afraid of the same things, just like us humans. Each dog has, or will have, its own fears.

Generally, fears arise from the unknown, like something strange along the route where they always walk, or a person in costume, for example. Fear generally arises from the unknown.

Loud things also trigger fear in dogs — a tractor, fireworks (rockets, firecrackers), loud music, or even a large group of people.

Some dogs are simply afraid of other dogs or animals. It's hard to say exactly what your dog is afraid of, since every dog is completely different.

How to Act Around a Scared Dog?

If the dog isn't ours, it's best to walk away without looking it in the eyes or talking to it. We'll move away slowly and confidently. It's important to look out for our own safety, since a scared dog can attack.

If the dog is ours, we need to prevent the fear from growing within it. Because if we don't address it, it could panic and become completely unpredictable.

To eliminate fear in a dog, we should follow these tips:

• Move away from the source of the fear — if the fear is caused by a noise or a person, for example, we'll move away calmly while walking.
• Don't pet or coddle our dog — when a dog is nervous or scared, we should never hug, pet, or coddle it, since this will increase its fear. It might sound strange, but that's how it is — they're not like humans.
• Distract its mind with a game or food — we should keep the dog from focusing on what's scaring it, and to do this, we can distract it with a bit of food in our hand or with some game.
• Don't scold it or force it to overcome its fear — never force your dog to approach the source of its fears thinking it'll help it get over it. That's the biggest mistake you can make.