How do you comfort dogs when theyre scared?

Dogs can react to new and surprising things in different ways. “Fear is a normal response for any pet faced with new, startling or unexpected events,” says behavior scientist Dr. Ragen T.S. McGowan, PhD.   

“Anxiety occurs when pets are in a chronic state of worry that something negative is going to happen, even well in advance of an actual threat,” she explains. So, strategies for calming your dog can vary depending on the cause, symptoms and their past experiences.  

In many cases, additional training through positive reinforcement with treats can help. In others, you may need to try tactics like behavior modification, supplements or medication.  

How to Calm an Anxious Dog 

If your dog has anxiety, there are different strategies you can use to help him cope. The strategies you use may depend on the type of anxiety your dog has.  

• Training: Some dogs with anxiety may benefit from training to help build their confidence and develop the skills they need to cope with stressors. Using positive reinforcement, you can train your dog on simple tasks and reliably reward him for a job well done. Then, when he’s in a situation that would normally cause him anxiety, you instead direct him to perform that same task, taking his focus off the anxiety-inducing situation. “Distraction can go a long way to help dogs cope with anxiety,” says Dr. McGowan. “By redirecting your dog’s attention away from the anxiety-inducing situation to something familiar and rewarding, the situation becomes positive and your dog builds confidence for coping with the same situation in the future,” she adds. 
• Controlled Exposure: Another strategy to combat anxious or fearful responses to stimuli is to slowly expose your dog to various stimuli in a controlled manner. For example, if your dog is afraid of thunder, you could introduce thunder noise in a positive way by playing sounds of thunder at a low volume during positive events, like playtime or mealtime. As he adjusts, you can slowly increase the volume of the sound. This can work for other situations as well. “The key is to keep the whole experience very positive with a lot of rewards and praise and to take baby steps to slowly build up to the exposure,” adds Dr. McGowan.  
• Supplements or Medication: In some cases, dogs may need some type of supplement or anxiety medication to help them maintain calm behavior. This may be in addition to training. “Supplements or pharmaceutical interventions can help get dogs into the right frame of mind to be receptive to training or behavior modification,” explains Dr. McGowan. Supplements like Calming Care use probiotics to help calm anxious behaviors like excessive vocalization or pacing. It’s a good idea to consult with your veterinarian prior to incorporating any new supplements. They may recommend medication if supplements and training do not work for your dog.  

Potential Causes of Dog Anxiety

There are many forms of anxiety including social (e.g., fear of strangers), non-social (e.g., fear of loud noises), or separation anxiety (e.g., distressed when separated from their social companions). Understanding the type of triggers for your pet’s anxiety is important in deciding what to try to help your dog cope.  

If your dog is reactive to strangers, you might try having friends come by with treats in hand to practice with your dog meeting new people. For dogs who are reactive to loud noises, try introducing those noises starting at a low volume during positive experiences like play or mealtime.  

Dogs who are nervous at the veterinarian’s office may benefit from visiting the office for a play session. “It is important to identify the unique triggers for your dog and try to create positive experiences around them,” suggests Dr. McGowan.  

Separation anxiety is another common stressor for many dogs. “Creating a predictable routine for your dog to understand when to expect you to be gone and when you will come back can go a long way in helping with separation anxiety,” says Dr. McGowan.  

“It is important for your dog to learn it is okay to be alone,” she adds. Try creating some artificial separation even when you are home by closing a door or creating a safe space where your dog can be alone for a bit while you are home. “Make sure to provide your dog with something to do in your absence, like treat stuffed toys or puzzles to keep them occupied,” suggests Dr. McGowan.   

Anxiety is common in very young and very old pets. “Puppies require ample socialization during critical developmental windows when they are most receptive to learning about their surroundings and learning the skills to cope with stressors,” says Dr. McGowan.  

Senior dogs may have declined cognitive function, which can affect their memories, perception and more. “Senior dogs suffering from cognitive decline can start to forget things about their surroundings or family members, and this can lead to anxiety,” she says.  Additionally, many older dogs experience some level of vision or hearing loss, which can heighten feelings of anxiety.  

Symptoms of Dog Anxiety 

Anxious, scared dogs may react differently in different situations and to various stimuli. If you notice any of the following behaviors, it’s a good idea to talk with your vet to find the cause and come up with a plan to help calm your anxious dog:  

• Fear-based aggression 
• Accidents in the house 
• Excessive barking 
• Pacing or inability to settle 
• Spontaneous panting 
• Destructive behaviors in response to being left alone 

How to Set Your Dog Up for Success

“Just like people, dogs have individual personalities or temperaments,” says Dr. McGowan. “Anxious dogs will always have an underlying level of anxiety, but we can help them learn the skills to cope with that anxiety and respond appropriately to stressors,” she adds.  

One of the best ways to set your dog up for success is early and consistent training and socialization. Exposing your puppy or young dog to car rides, new people and places and more can help prevent him from being scared in those situations in the future.  

“The key is to keep things positive and make even scary things part of a fun game with lots of treats and praise for your dog,” says Dr. McGowan. “Introduce your puppy to new things in stages and never force an interaction,” she adds. “Extra effort to keep things positive early on goes a long way in building your anxious dog’s confidence for the long term.” 

If you’re working with an already-anxious dog, you may want to avoid the stimuli or situations that cause him fear for the time being and slowly build their confidence in these situations. Learning your dog’s cues can also help you avoid those situations or use it as a positive training moment.  

Of course, regular exercise and complete and balanced nutrition are also key. Dogs who get regular physical exercise and mental stimulation can use these as outlets for their anxious tendencies. A senior dog food may help improve an older dog’s cognitive functioning, which can alleviate feelings of confusion and anxiety.  

Your dog’s anxiety can be frustrating—for both him and you—but with consistent training and regular communication with your veterinarian, things can improve.  

Visit our Pet Expertise page for more tips on dog behavior and training from our experts.  

Dogs communicate fear and aggression through their body language, showing signs such as shivering, cowering, tucking their tail between the legs, and averting their eyes. In addition, dogs often show aggression when they are afraid. While you might want to know how to get an aggressive dog to trust you, that's not always possible—sometimes it's best to leave the dog alone.

Be extremely careful as you approach a shy, fearful, or aggressive dog because your own body language and demeanor are important, too. If you see signs that indicate the dog may bite, do not approach. In these cases, it's best to find the owner or contact local animal authorities. If you think it's safe, you can use a few tactics to approach the dog.

A dog who is already anxious might get even more stressed if you stand to face it with your body looming above. It's easy to imagine why a fearful dog would feel even more threatened when faced with someone at least twice their size. Be aware of your body position when you approach any new dog, especially one that is frightened.

A better way to approach a fearful dog is to get down on its level. Don't put yourself directly in the dog's face, but keep in mind that you'll be less threatening if you're not towering above. You can squat or sit down close to the dog. For extremely fearful dogs, you may even want to lie down a little distance away to begin making it more comfortable with your presence.

Turn slightly so your side faces the dog, perhaps even leaning slightly away from the fearful dog. This isn't a natural position for most people; good manners usually dictate that we meet others face-to-face and make eye contact. For dogs, however, that sort of behavior is rude, and a fearful dog may perceive someone facing them head-on as a threat.

Humans usually consider it normal to make direct eye contact with other people. However, this is often considered rude, threatening, or even aggressive to dogs. To make yourself less intimidating to a frightened dog, avoid making eye contact. Instead, turn your head slightly to the side and keep your eyes averted.

Deep, low voices can be daunting to a fearful dog. Try to talk to the dog in a higher-pitched, happy tone of voice. Men may have a little trouble with this; try just speaking more quietly while remaining upbeat. A quiet, reassuring tone of voice can go a long way in making a nervous dog more comfortable.

It may seem obvious, but it must be said: never scold or punish a fearful dog. You will only succeed in making it more fearful. You may also put yourself in danger because, as a dog's anxiety level rises, it becomes more likely to bite. Also, it's best to avoid using aversives when training a fearful dog. In most cases, these can hinder progress and escalate fear.

Give a dog a chance to become comfortable and approach the objects of their fear on their own. Never force the interactions. For instance, if a dog is afraid of men, don't hold its collar while a man approaches and pets it. This will only serve to increase the dog's fear, making it more likely someone will get bit if the dog feels the need to defend itself. Most dogs can be slowly introduced to the objects that they fear, but an already frightened dog is typically not ready to face additional challenges.

Training can make a big difference in your shy or fearful dog's confidence level. Positive reinforcement dog training has the benefit of allowing you to open the lines of communication with your dog without pushing it beyond its comfort level. You can even start training without asking it to do anything. As your dog learns more and becomes more confident, many of its fears will decrease or even fade away.

While the tips above will help you deal with a dog that is anxious and upset, you may also want to help your own pet overcome specific fears. Try gently exposing your dog to an object or person it fears from a safe distance (one that does not provoke fear in your dog). Act like it is no big deal and slowly inch closer. Stop advancing if your dog shows any signs of fear. You may even need to take a step back.

Offer your dog praise or gently hand it treats anytime it does something you like, such as walking towards an object or person it's afraid of. With time, your dog will begin to better understand what you expect from it and realize that it will be rewarded for doing those things. The dog will also begin to gain confidence and offer those behaviors more frequently.

Try this process every day or two for about 10 minutes at a time. Depending on the level of your dog's fear, you may need several sessions to see a difference. Be patient and don't give up.

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