Dog Fear Factor
For some eating a grub is ok, for others it is scary.
"Imagine a world where your (dogs) greatest fears become reality."
Does anyone remember that TV show Fear Factor? It was a 90s TV series hosted by Joe Rogan where fit young contestants are pitted against each other to complete three stunts, with a huge cash prize of $50,000 up for grabs. The catchy slogan for this show was "Imagine a world where your greatest fears become reality."
As a viewer of Fear Factor, it was easy to kick back on the couch and think, “yeah, I could easily swim in ice cold water or jump out of a moving car”. But with other stunts, “bugger that, I’m not eating that cow liver, or to hell with jumping in a tub of scorpions”.
Now, even if you are OK with eating liver or scorpions, most people have something they’re scared of… Is it a fear of snakes, heights, clowns, or perhaps public speaking? Well, if so, stop and imagine this:
-You are to make a public address, hosted by Crusty the Clown, in a snake enclosure, perched on top of a 60-storey building-
Pretty scary right!?
Tense body, ears back and whale eye could mean a dog is fearful.
So how would you respond to this situation… Well you might freeze up, produce sweat, tremble and then continue with the speech with a shuddering voice.
Or maybe, you tell Crusty the Clown to piss right off, throw him into the snake enclosure, and run down the stairs!
Fearful dogs are living with this reality every day, and as their guardians, we are putting them into these terrifying situations without them receiving 15 minutes of fame or a cash prize of $50,000.
A day in the life of fear.
Just today, I went to get a coffee with my dog, Mike (a Bull Arab). I see a man with a Swiss Shepherd and am struck by its beauty. As I admire, a lady walks past them, reaches forward and says “nice dog”. The dog flinches away from her hand, lowers it’s body, and is met with a hard lead correction from the handler.
I collect my coffee and we walk past an off-lead dog park. A couple arrive and drop a tiny Staffy puppy on the grass. It is immediately circled and pawed at by a German Shepherd and a Golden Retriever; the puppy pees, lowers its head and rolls on his back. I hear laughter and someone muses “how cute”.
As I cross the road shaking my head, a wagon stops with the back window wide open. A small terrier is trembling on the back seat with ears back, dilated pupils and barks at me and Mike. We quickly move away.
As we round into our street, a bloke is reprimanding a Heeler that is barking, lunging and baring its teeth at any dog within ~30meters. I can’t be sure, but it looks like he has a prong collar on, covered by a bandana.
As we enter the house, I think to myself, “what the fuck is going on here?” Is this some kind of real-life doggy horror movie? The sad reality is that each of these handlers seemed to be blissfully unaware of the fear, suffering and in some cases, pain their furry ‘friends’ are feeling.
So, what is fear?
This is NOT the way to help your dog overcome fear.
Fear is a normal response that is essential for survival for any species for self-preservation and environmental adaption. It is a feeling of apprehension caused by a perceived or real threat. In neuro-scientific terms, it is the where the autonomic nervous system prepares the body to fight, flight or freeze.
In an animal’s natural habitat, depending on the species or the niche they find themselves in, they mostly have freedom and agency and can avoid or adapt to threatening situations. The challenge with our domestic dogs, is that people are unwittingly putting them into stressful and threatening situations that perpetuate fear. If the fear is not managed appropriately, it can begin manifesting as aggression.
So, what can we do about this? Easy, just carry a treat pouch and sprinkle a few treats and they will be fine. Not really (crap joke), if only it was that easy!
The first thing we want to understand is the trigger. Is it strangers reaching towards them; is it an overwhelming exposure to stimuli; is it other dogs; is it restricted movement; or is it an internal emotional state?
We also need to consider if there is an underlying medical condition that may be causing the fear aggression, if this behaviour occurs in a particular environment, or if there are multiple triggers (stacked). Finally, there may also be a genetic factor contributing to the fear.
Once we have hypothesised these possibilities, we need to read the dog’s body language when they are exposed to the trigger to gather further information.
My mentor told me to look for the three As:
Awareness: Conscious of the scary thing, but still able to process information and think. Observe body language such as a softer body, loose tail, sniffing environment and able to orient away from the trigger.
Alertness: Fixated or vigilant towards the trigger and unable to respond to cues, verbal prompts and may no longer take treats. Observe body language such as a forward body stance, hackles raised, panting, ears forward, staring and difficult to move away from the trigger.
Arousal: The missile has left the silo! Observe body language such as barking, lunging, growling, erratic movement, jumping, snapping, whining and no longer able to process information in the environment, or an inability to move away from the trigger.
Fear aggression comes in many forms and the initial diagnosis can be tricky. I’ve had clients come to me with an ‘aggression’ case and after reviewing the dog’s behaviour, it turns out the dog is actually frustrated. This manifested as high pitch barking, whining and being erratic at distance because it wanted to interact with other dogs.
Sometimes we are so focused on fixing the problem and don’t stop to consider why the behaviour is occurring.
The wrap
Fear is a vital and natural response for all living creatures. Building understanding of our dog, what they react to, and how they respond is an important part of developing a bond and partnership with your dog.
Fear aggression in dogs is a serious issue, if left unchecked it can impact the welfare of dog, people and the community. By understanding the causes, putting in place prevention and management strategies, and delivering effective exposure training, you can help your dog cope with their fear, which will lead to a happier, more balanced life.
If in doubt, seek out a professional to diagnose ‘why’ the behaviour is occurring and work on a training plan to address ‘how’ to resolve it.
Otherwise, watch a few episodes of Fear Factor, and let Joe Rogan help you to “Imagine a world where your greatest fears become reality.", Just like our dogs reality.
If you found this blog helpful or were left with more questions, check out our other blog section.