People aren't the only ones who are afraid of heights and loud thunder. Pets have similar fears. Like us, they can be prone to getting scared or anxious. But how do you help them overcome their anxiety? Here are some simple tips to ease your furry ones' fears.
Noise phobias
It's unknown why some pets become afraid of noise even though it is a common problem in Dogs (less so in cats). In the case of thunder and lightning, pets can be fearful of storm-related events, like changes in barometric pressure, electrostatic disturbances and even smells associated with storms. Noise phobias can include fear of thunderstorms, firecrackers, gunshots, even the sound of birds.
Signs to look out for are:
* Shaking and trembling
* Excessive drooling
* Barking or howling
* Trying to hide or get into/out of the house, fence or other enclosure
* Refusing food
* Losing bladder or bowel control or experiencing temporary diarrhea from prolonged stress
* Exhibiting hyperactive behavior or becoming timid
Certain breeds tend to have a greater likelihood to suffer from noise phobias.
There may be a genetic predisposition to certain phobias; for example, some herding and guarding breeds tend to be more likely to suffer from noise and storm phobias since they have been bred to be highly sensitive to sound. But, even those Dogs not genetically predisposed to this may suffer and the phobia may be traced to an unpleasant experience. But, in most cases no specific trigger event can be determined.
What is known is that in most instances, when left untreated, fears and phobias worsen with each incident and the Dog may become fearful of other sounds, sights, things and people that it begins to associate with the original source of the fear.
Also, the people around the Dog can greatly influence the severity of the fear. For example, if an owner behaves nervously their pets fear may increase in severity and frequency. Similarly, in many cases, attempting to comfort a dog may inadvertently reinforce the fear as opposed to the intent of decreasing it. The attempt to comfort the dog and get rid of the fear acts more like a treat given to a dog when they sit...which increases the likelihood of the dog sitting.
Help for Noise Phobia:
1. Crate: The way to address a noise phobia is to create a calm and safe environment indoors. This is important because some pets become so upset, they could actually hurt themselves and/or escape. A crate can be a great safety net for a dog, especially if he associates it with great things like his meals and special treats. You can cover the crate with a blanket to increase the feeling of security
2. Calmatives: Over-the-counter products such as Rescue Remedy (a combination of flower essences), Content-Eze (this contains L-tryptophan, which is the amino acid in turkey that makes you feel relaxed after eating it), DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone, a synthetic pheromone that mimics the natural pheromone a mother dog secretes when she is lactating, to calm herself and her pups) may help.
3. Tapes of thunderstorms: In some cases, desensitizing a dog to some of the stimuli associated with storms can help. There are tapes of thunder that you can play at a very low level and gradually increase when the dog is doing things he likes, such as eating. This technique requires time and patience, so be sure to go slowly, with the volume at the lowest level and to practice in short sessions.
Home-alone phobia
The fear of being left alone is another common problem with dogs. Most dogs are incredibly social creatures who would like nothing better than to spend most of their time with us. Unfortunately, most have to be left alone for long periods of the day while we go to work, so it is important to prevent or resolve this problem as soon as possible. In some cases separation issues can turn into the more serious, and difficult to treat, problem of separation anxiety. Dogs suffering from this may panic and show more severe behavior problems when left alone. This can cause tremendous emotional distress for both dogs and owners. It can occur in dogs of any age or breed but is most common in dogs that did not learn to spend periods of time alone when they were young.
Signs to look out for:
* A dog that consistently follows people from room to room.
* Excessive barking, whining, and howling
* Attempts to escape from the home
* Excessive activity, scratching, chewing, and digging
* Relieving themselves in the house
* Extreme excitement when their owner returns home (i.e. whining, jumping or running in circles).
Help for home-alone phobia
1. Practice what you want: You have to teach your dog to spend time alone when you are home before you can expect him to do so when you aren't. Rest periods in his crate with food-stuffed toys are a great idea, so the dog gets used to this area as a familiar place to rest.
2. Don't reward demands for attention: Try not to interact with your dog when he demands attention. Instead, wait until he composes himself and relaxes.
3. Give your dog a job to do: Give your dog plenty of appropriate physical and mental exercise. For example, play fetch, or hide food-stuffed toys around the house so he is busy hunting for them rather than focusing on being worried you aren't around.
4. Set the right tone: Keep departures and arrivals as low-key as possible. Don't be overly attentive when you leave or come home. A good rule of thumb is to ignore your dog for 5-10 minutes prior to departure and following your arrival home.
Andrea is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer through the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers and a Certified Pet Partners Team evaluator for the Delta Society and the AKC's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. She is the Director of Andrea Arden Dog Training in New York, and was named the best dog trainer in New York by New York, W, Time Out, Quest and the Daily News. Her website is located at http://www.andreaarden.com and she can be reached at 212-414-9597. You can follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/andreaardendogtraining.
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