6 Signs Your Pup Is Living In Fear... And What You Can Do...

Many things can frighten your pup, and it’s not always easy to notice the beginning signs of that fear.

Learning to recognize symptoms of something that scares your pup can make it easier to train them and also to prevent them from running the moment that fear is triggered. Here are six signs that your pup might be anxious or afraid of something during a training session.

1. Refusing food

If your pup is in a new or unfamiliar environment or is encountering new distractions, they might feel too scared to eat. On top of that, if a pup refuses a treat during a training session, there could be something happening that worries them.

2. Displacement behaviors

This refers to when a pup stops listening to you and instead begins scratching, sniffing, or yawning. This is a way through which pups deal with their stress. So don’t think your pup is ignoring you; instead try to find the cause behind the stress.

3. A general lack of response

No, this doesn’t mean your pup is being disobedient on purpose! Sometimes, anxiety can cause a pup to be unable to respond to your cues and commands as they must now rely entirely on their instincts.

4. Licking lips

Pups could lick their lips after eating a yummy treat, but if they are simply sitting and licking their chops when a treat is long gone, then it could be a sign of nervousness.

5. Panting

Contrary to popular belief, pups don’t pant all the time. If it is not warm in the room or where you are training, then there is no reason for them to be panting unless it is a sign of stress or fear.

6. Distraction

If your pup won’t pay you any attention and is instead being extremely vigilant of his surroundings, then they may be experiencing a lot of fear and are scouring the area around them for danger. If this happens in a certain training environment, leave it and go elsewhere to train, at least for the time being.

Understanding these signs of fear can really help make your pup feel safer and happier and ease any frustration you may be feeling when you think your pup isn’t listening to you. Like and share away!