Social anxiety in dogs is often depicted as dogs feeling uncomfortable when exposed to social situations. Often, dogs may feel intimidated when being around people or other animals. Nervous behavior may be exhibited by barking and growling when exposed to new people or dogs. This is often a distance-increasing behavior that means that the dog is hoping to increase distance. The dog is telling the person “Please stay away, I am no comfortable around you.” Some other dogs my cower and hide behind the owner.There are also cases of dogs screaming in terror as if they’re dying when another dog approached them. Many small dogs feel better once they are picked up.
Social Anxiety in Dogs Towards People
Many dogs do well around people they already know and have come trust as their caregivers, but have problems with people they do not know. For dogs with social anxiety towards people they do not know, it’s important to help them understand that they are safe around other people and that good things happen when people are around. How can we communicate this to our dogs?
This requires the use of desensitization and counterconditioning. For instance, if you have a dog who barks and growls when people come inside the home, you would use a similar program to this one” how to stop my dog from barking when somebody enters the room.” And here is some work for dogs with doorbell sensitivity.
If your dog manifests social anxiety on walks when people approach, you can apply a similar protocol to the one presented in the section about social anxiety in dogs towards dogs. Please consider though that for safety and correct implementation, it would be ideal to hire a professional to help you out.
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There are many things to keep into consideration when changing dog behavior and force-free professionals are the best source to rely on so to receive the best guidance while reducing the dog’s stress.
Social Anxiety in Dogs Towards Dogs
If your dog is reactive towards other dogs, again, I would utilize a program that includes desensitization and counterconditioning. There are several programs, but one of my favorite is Leslie McDevitt’s LAT (Look at That). Here is an outline of the program: Changing dog behavior through LAT.
Dragging your dog away from others dogs on walks to prevent the dog from lunging and barking, will not accomplish much because you need to tackle the underlying emotions. It may be though a good management tool to quickly make an about turn and redirect your dog on you for attention.
It is important to increase distance with dogs that create anxiety, so that your dog is not so stressed on walks. This takes time and gradual work under controlled settings. Training an emergency u-turn is always a good idea for those times you are caught unprepared and want to leave the area.
When introducing dogs gradually to stimuli that make them uncomfortable, it’s important to be careful not to get them over threshold. Here’s a guide on threshold levels in dogs.
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Also, because dogs are on edge when exposed to stimuli they are not comfortable around, you may have to find treats that are at the top of your dog’s hierarchy of rewards.
So in order to help your dog on walks, you first need to find her comfort level, a distance from which she is not over threshold and from there start working on LAT exercises.
The World is Unpredictable Out There!
Even with your best effort, the world out there is never predictable, and a dog may pop out of nowhere causing setbacks into your progress. Even with guests or strangers, your dog may do well until that guests sneezes or that stranger comes to close to your dog.
A good options would be to initially enroll your dog in a a Reactive Rover class in your area if you have a dog trainer offering them. In a Reactive Rover class, the trainer can gauge distance and work with dogs who act as “stimulus dogs” which are calm dogs that can help your dog calm down and be better equipped to overcome her fears.
A great read for dogs social anxiety in dogs towards people is the book “the Cautious Canine” by Patricia McConnell, which provides a great insight into understanding the dynamics around reactive dogs. Finally, social anxiety in dogs is quite common in puppies and dogs who are raised and live in rural settings or in the suburbs. Here’s more about what’s known as “suburban dog syndrome” and steps you can take to engage in remedial socialization.
Disclaimer: this answer is not to be used as a substitute for professional behavior advice. If your dog is exhibiting behavior problems, please see a professional for correct implementation of behavior modification and safety.
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