Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years and have lived around humans for longer than most animals can remember.
As such, dogs are very familiar with humans and their behavior, which makes it difficult to understand what they’re thinking when they do something strange.
This is especially true when it comes to what’s going on inside their heads when they see something scary.
If you think about it, there are two main kinds of fear – physiological fear and cognitive fear.
Physiological fear is triggered by things like pain or discomfort, whereas cognitive fear is triggered by things that we don’t know how to handle.
For example, if a dog sees a cat, he may run away because he doesn’t know how to react to a wild animal.
However, if a dog sees a person, he will probably run towards them because he knows that people usually help him out.
Cognitive fear is easier to deal with than physiological fear because it allows us to respond appropriately to situations before they happen.
Because dogs are so smart, they often use their brains as well as their instincts to figure out what’s happening around them.
They’ll sniff the air, look at people, and listen to whatever sounds they hear to determine whether or not they want to approach the situation.
But sometimes, this process goes awry.
Dogs tend to grow up around other dogs and cats, but they haven’t necessarily experienced many frightening things themselves yet.
When they start encountering more fearful stimuli, they need to learn how to process these new experiences properly.
And since they don’t have any experience dealing with fear, they naturally assume that everything around them is dangerous and must be avoided.
When this happens, they end up becoming extremely fearful of almost anything that they encounter, even things that aren’t dangerous to them.
In fact, there are some dogs who are afraid of the light itself.
How To Help A Dog Who Is Scared Of The Dark
If you’ve ever owned a dog and been woken up at night by their barking, then you know how frustrating it can be when your pet is scared of something that’s harmless to other people.
The good news is that there are steps you can take to help your dog overcome their fear.
In this article we’ll look at what causes dogs to be scared of the dark, as well as some tips for getting over your pet’s phobia.
Training A Dog Not To Be Scared Of The Dark
If your dog is scared of the dark, you’ll need to figure out what’s causing it and how to stop it from happening again.
Here are some tips on how to help a dog who is scared of the dark.
Desensitization therapy for dogs scared of the dark
It could be that they’re not used to being in the dark, or they might be afraid of unfamiliar sounds or smells.
If your dog is scared of the dark, try to make them feel comfortable by keeping the lights on or playing some calming music.
If you can’t keep the lights on, you can use desensitization therapy as an alternative method.
This involves exposing your dog to the darkness gradually over time, with the idea that your dog will become accustomed to it.
The first step when using desensitization therapy is to prepare your dog for the process.
You should give them plenty of opportunities to get used to the darkness and familiarize themselves with their surroundings before starting the process.
Let them walk around the house at night, play in the backyard, and explore the neighborhood.
Also, try to make sure any new noises or smells are acceptable for your dog, so they won’t freak out during the process.
Once you’ve prepared your dog, start the desensitization therapy by slowly lowering the lighting level in your home.
Keep the lights off completely at first.
Then you can turn the lights back on after a few minutes and lower them again.
This continues until your dog has become accustomed to being in total darkness for a period of time.
You shouldn’t rush this process, though.
Make sure you allow your dog enough time to adjust to the darkness.
Once your dog is ready, you can start increasing the length of time they spend in the dark.
Start with 20-30 minutes and then increase it every day until you reach one hour.
At this point, you can start decreasing the amount of time they spend in the dark.
Eventually, you can reduce it all the way down to 10 minutes.
Keep in mind that desensitization therapy takes time and patience.
You also need to be careful not to overwhelm your dog with too much exposure to the darkness.
Otherwise, they may develop anxiety disorders instead of getting used to it.
Finally, remember to always supervise your dog when they’re exposed to the darkness.
Even if they seem fine, you never know what could happen if something goes wrong.
Why Some Dogs Are More Scared Of The Dark Than Others
Dogs who live in the wild have been exposed to light and darkness throughout their lives and develop no fear of it whatsoever. But for dogs raised in homes, the concept of night-time may be completely new, and can cause anxiety.
Hi, my name is Megan Turner and I have worked in a dog’s shelter for four years now. It is truly my dream job, and I see hundreds of dogs every month being united with new owners to give them a loving forever home.
Unfortunately, handicapped dogs are much more likely to be ignored when a family is picking out their new pet. Handicapped pets need more care than non-handicapped pets, so it is understandable why they are often harder to rehome.
