We’ve all heard of “fight or flight,” that physiological response that gives us a burst of quick energy to cope with a dangerous situation or threat to our survival, either by getting away quickly (flight) or going on the offensive (fight).
But remember, even though this response is automatic, it’s not always accurate. We can’t always tell the difference between a real threat and a perceived one.
In dogs, this confusion can result in uncomfortable and sometimes even dangerous aggression.
Aggression is a range of behaviors that usually begin with warnings — barking threateningly, growling and snarling — and can end up with attack. (Note I said “can,” not “will.”) According to the ASPCA, aggression is the biggest behavior problem in dogs, and one of the most common reasons people contact pet professionals or even surrender their dog to a shelter.
Fear aggression typically involves these same defensive behaviors, but they’re based in fear. The dog is afraid, so he does whatever he can to make the scary thing go away.
One of the worst things you can do is punish your dog for fear aggression. Punishment for being afraid only confuses your dog and makes a fearful situation even worse. At the same time, making soft, cooing sounds and telling your dog not to be afraid is equally ineffective, as anyone who’s ever had to deal with a frightened human child can attest. Telling someone not to feel what they’re feeling seldom works.
One of the key elements in creating fear and fear aggression is lack of early socialization. Think of all the stories of dogs rescued from hoarding situations or puppy mills: rescue groups attest that these dogs are abnormally fearful and shy. Why? Because they’ve never been exposed to the world of people and objects.
If you encounter something you’ve never seen before, you’re very naturally going to be fearful of it. A vacuum cleaner is an advancing, roaring fiend. A leash is an implement that delivers whips. Humans represent nothing even remotely resembling comfort or kindness.
By contrast, socialization teaches a dog that the world is not a fearful place. Things and people and environments quickly become familiar … and familiarity produces relaxation and comfort.
That kind of learning takes time and patience. The technique that’s used most often to deal with these types of dogs is desensitization and counterconditioning, which involves identifying the things, people, or situations that cause your dog to become fearful, then getting him to associate pleasant sensations (like getting a treat) with those things that caused fear. The ASPCA’s website has a great article on desensitization and counterconditioning.
Separation anxiety is a special type of fear that many dogs develop, especially rescued and shelter dogs. It makes sense: suddenly Fido has a real home and great food and someone who shows him love and nurturing and kindness. Who in their right mind would want to go back to being lost or abandoned or uncared-for? Every time the dog is left alone, he’s afraid that he’ll be left alone forever. Again. That fear makes him desperate to escape and find his lost owner (who is of course not lost, just at the grocery store).
For a pet parent dealing with separation anxiety in their dog, the answer is once again training, time, and patience. Treatment begins with desensitizing your dog to those signs that you’re leaving — picking up the keys, locking the door, etc. — and then moving very gradually into actually leaving the house without him for longer and longer periods of time.
As with fear-based aggression, treatment for separation anxiety is both intense and time-consuming: it can take weeks of two- to three-times-daily conditioning sessions before you see any real progress. But the effort is worth it because both you and your dog can find a whole new life based on trust, comfort and security.
Joan Merriam lives in northern California with her Golden Retriever Joey, her Maine Coon cat Indy, and the abiding spirit of her beloved Golden Retriever Casey in whose memory this column is named. You can reach Joan at joan@joanmerriam.com.