The essentials
- Fearful dogs and dogs with fear aggression are different — Fearful dogs are dogs who are frightened but haven’t escalated their behavior to aggression yet.
- Fear is in the eye of the beholder — Your dog’s triggers are things they perceive as threats. It doesn’t need to make sense to you.
- Management is a necessary failsafe — Setting your dog up to succeed means that sometimes you need to protect your dog from their own choices, and that’s okay.
What is fear aggression?
Fear aggression is part of an animal’s survival instinct, and domestic dogs are no exception. When a dog faces a threat, they do one of four things: fight, flight, fidget, or freeze. Fear aggression is the option that dogs will often resort to when they’re trapped and cannot flee; they will lash out to try to make space so that they can get away.
As with other types of aggression , fear aggression is a dog’s response to a perceived threat. From our perspective, the threat may not be real at all, but to the dog, it’s a matter of life or death. For example, your dog could be terrified of bunnies. It’s unlikely that a bunny will cause any harm to your dog, but when your dog was a puppy, a thunderstorm started while your dog was checking out a bunny. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to create a lasting fear.
Signs of fear aggression
Fear aggression can manifest in many ways and is often influenced by what actions the dog took to successfully make a perceived threat go away. Generally speaking, dogs will offer specific behaviors to signal discomfort with a situation. The dog will often start with subtler signals, and if those warnings are not respected, they’ll ‘yell louder’ or demonstrate a more extreme response.
When trying to decode your dog’s body language, it’s important to break down the puzzle pieces but also look at the whole picture. For example, you can’t assume that panting means your dog is fearful — it’s very common for dogs to pant when they’re stressed. To differentiate between the two, you’d need to look at what the rest of your dog’s body is doing (like pacing) and what’s happening in their environment (such as temperature or a high-traffic location). Looking at these pieces together gives you a more accurate reading of what your dog is saying.
If your dog is fearful, you may see the following body language signals:
- Hunched body positioning
- Whale eye (you see the whites of their eyes)
- Ears pinned back to their head
- Tightly closed mouth
- Trembling
- Tucked tail
- Panting
- Pacing
- Piloerection (the hair on their back is standing up)
- Avoidance behavior
- Lip licking
- Vocalizations (whining, growling, barking, yelping)
- Yawning
⚠️ NEVER punish your dog for growling at you. Doing so may teach your dog to skip the verbal warning and go straight for a bite to get their message across. It’s important that we respect the warning signs our dogs give us so that they don’t feel the need to escalate to a more dangerous behavior.
Fear aggression triggers
One or multiple factors can cause fear aggression. Traumas are a common cause of fear aggression. For example, imagine you and your pup are walking down the street. Out of nowhere, an off-leash dog comes and attacks your dog. It wouldn’t be abnormal for your dog to become fearful of other dogs or even going on walks following that incident. Ingrained fears can also come from a dog’s experiences during their developmental stages as a puppy (up to 14 weeks) or their second fear period (between 6 – 14 months old). Additionally, lack of quality maternal care and exercise during developmental stages have been linked to more fearful qualities, including noise sensitivity.
Learning history is another factor to consider. A dog that was hit when they had accidents in the house may now fear people reaching over their head, even if it’s to pet them gently. And, as we mentioned above, if you ignore or punish a growl, your dog may feel the need to escalate their warning signs to biting the next time around. This is a common way fearful dogs are pushed into becoming fear aggressive.
Unfortunately, small dogs are pushed to this quite often, as many people ignore the warning signs that they’re uncomfortable because of their size. After all, a growl from a Chihuahua is much less intimidating than a growl from a cane corso. Genetics also can play a role in fear development, with certain breeds more prone to noise sensitivities and generalized anxiety.
The most common triggers for fear aggression include:
- Strangers. This includes seeing strangers from a distance, being touched by them, and interacting with them.
- Other animals. Fear aggression can be directed towards any animal but is most common towards other dogs.
- Handling. This can include sensitive areas (ears, mouth, tail, paws, belly) or generalized handling. It may also include movements like putting your hand over the dog’s head or reaching towards them abruptly. Invasive handling, like restraint and hugging, can be triggers as well.
- Unfamiliar experiences and environments. This may include bathing, shaving, and grooming or being put in a crate or car.
- Loud noises. Fireworks, thunderstorms, and the backfiring of cars can all elicit fearful behavior.
While some triggers are more common than others, it’s important to remember that fear aggression is something a dog develops towards a perceived threat. Even if the trigger seems ridiculous to us, such as a balloon or plastic bag in the wind, for example, or to your dog, it’s a matter of life or death.
How to manage a dog’s fear aggression
If you’re trying to determine if your dog has fear aggression, you must first distinguish whether they are experiencing fear aggression or simply fear. Many dogs can be afraid without escalating to aggression, so long as their warning signs are respected. If your dog resorts to lunging, nipping, and trying to bite, this is a good clue that they fall into the fear aggression category.
Because behaviors associated with fear aggression can have a higher risk of injury, we recommend consulting a certified behavior professional for support. They can work with you to develop an individualized plan for your pup that fits your situation and lifestyle. Extreme cases may warrant seeing a veterinary behaviorist who can work with you on behavior modification and management, determine any underlying medical conditions, and prescribe medications if necessary.
Speaking with your veterinarian is also a great place to start. Remember, any fearful behavior is a sign that your dog is struggling. Addressing the situation is important to help get your pet’s mental well-being back on track.
Behavior modification techniques
Regardless of your dog’s trigger, and whether it’s fear aggression or just a frightened pup, behavior modification is an important step in improving your dog’s mental well-being. Two main techniques you’ll want to delve into are counterconditioning and desensitization. The goal is to change your dog’s feelings toward the trigger by associating it with something positive.
Behavior modification works by slowly and consistently exposing your dog to the trigger in a controlled manner while keeping them under their threshold. The training techniques also work to change your dog’s emotional and behavioral response to the trigger(s) they’re targeting.
| The DON’T ‘s: | The DO’s: |
|---|---|
| ✕ DON’T enter the dog’s personal space, especially if they cannot escape. | ✓ DO keep your distance and allow the dog to approach you. You can encourage them by calling their name or tossing treats. |
| ✕ DON’T startle a sleeping dog by touching them or running past. | ✓ DO make noise from a distance to wake the dog, then call them to you. |
| ✕ DON’T punish or physically ‘correct’ the dog. This can increase fear and teach your dog to associate you with bad things. | ✓ DO use positive reinforcement training techniques by teaching the dog alternative behaviors to replace those you wish to avoid. |
| ✕ DON’T flood the dog with triggers that make them uncomfortable in the name of exposure therapy. | ✓ DO determine your dog’s threshold and work to counter condition and desensitize your dog while keeping them under their threshold. |
Make sure to only use rewards-based positive reinforcement training when working to counteract fear. By yanking a prong or choke chain when your dog is barking at something they’re afraid of, you only increase their fear of the trigger, even if your dog stops barking in the short term.
Dr. Erica IrishThis is very accurate. Any form of "punishment" has been shown to cause irreparable harm in some dogs!
Avoidance is your friend
Avoid the known triggers when you’re not ready to train so that you don’t allow your dog to practice or escalate their behavior. For example, if Fido runs up and bites a house guest’s ankles when they walk by, it may be best to crate Fido in a separate room during your get-together. Not only will this protect your guests, it will remove Fido from the stressful situation and alleviate their fear.
Another example would be if your dog is fear aggressive towards other dogs and you’re taking them to the vet. You might call ahead and let the receptionist know so they can lead you in through a side entrance or let you know when the lobby is clear. This lets you avoid stressing your pup out right when you get there!
Additionally, removal from a stressful situation is always better than trying to ‘power through’ and hope for the best. Setting your dog up to succeed means that sometimes you need to protect your dog from their own choices.
Safety first
If you’re concerned that your dog’s choices may hurt them or someone else, feel free to wrap them in metaphorical bubble wrap. By that, we mean using tools that create a buffer around them, such as a muzzle, leash, crate, baby gate, etc. Just because you need to use these tools doesn’t mean your dog is bad. Instead, think of it as keeping them safe, in addition to everyone else.
Structured exposure
If triggers are unavoidable, make sure you’re prepared for them so that you can set your pup up to succeed. Plan to use your management tools, such as having your dog on a harness and leash, and having their favorite snacks handy. Here’s one example:
Your dog is afraid of strangers, but you need to introduce them to a potential dog sitter. Here’s the best way to do that:
- No roaming freely — Have your dog crated in a separate room while you welcome your guest into your home.
- Prepare your guest — Have them sit down and take some treats, explaining exactly what you want them to do once you bring out your dog.
- Leash your dog and bring them out — At first, keep your distance and ask the guest to toss treats your dog’s way without making eye contact.
- Follow your dog’s timeline — Allow your dog to approach or check out the person at their own pace. Allowing your dog to the choice of whether or not they want to interact will help boost their confidence.
- Cut it short — Make sure to end the interaction on a high note so that your dog’s last feeling towards the situation is ‘that wasn’t so bad’. If you can’t end on a positive note, that’s okay. Make it easier on your pup by ending the interaction sooner next time.
The situation may not go perfectly, and your dog may still experience fear. But by controlling as many factors as possible, you’re protecting your dog and your guest while also not setting your pup’s progress back.
Consistency
As with learning anything new, practice is essential to rewire pathways in the brain and create lasting change. To avoid setbacks, make sure to remain consistent with your training in terms of what you’re asking of your pup and scheduling purposes. If you got a few weeks without a training session, you’re not a bad pet parent and certainly not the only one. When picking the training back up, expect your dog to backslide a little from the lack of practice. Don’t worry. They’ll be back up to speed in no time!
Fear aggression in dogs is one of the most common behavioral challenges pet parents experience. It can be frustrating and sometimes scary to work through fear aggression, so contact a certified professional if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Their help will give you peace of mind and ensure you, your pup, and everyone else stays safe. While the trigger may not seem like much, the danger your dog perceives is very real, and they are struggling. Helping your dog feel better about the things that scare them requires patience and time, but in the long run, both you and your dog will be grateful you put the work in.
Frequently asked questions
How do you treat fear aggression in dogs?
Treating fear aggression in dogs includes avoiding environments that may trigger your pup as well as desensitization and counterconditioning to help the trigger(s) seem less scary to your pup.
Can dogs grow out of fear aggression?
Unfortunately, dogs who have begun to show fearful, aggressive, or other atypical behaviors do not outgrow them.
How can you tell if a dog is fearful or aggressive?
Fearful dogs tend to make themselves look smaller and back away to create distance between themselves and the trigger. Aggressive dogs will make themselves look bigger and more toward the trigger.
How common is fear aggression in dogs?
Fear aggression is the most common form of aggression in dogs and is one of the more common behavioral challenges pet parents experience.
How do you socialize a dog with fear aggression?
The best way to start socializing your dog with fear aggression is by slowly exposing them to the trigger from a distance, while giving them something they like (treats, play, pets).
