how to deal with fear aggression in dogs?

Question

he is extremely sensitive to noise of any kind,thunder and fireworks especially. His way of dealing at present is to try and claw his way through all the doors and furniture. If we try to coax him gently to stop, he becomes aggressive which is purely fear of the situation. once the noises have stopped he is a totally calm dog. like jekyll and hyde really!

Answer 1

Reassurance and discipline.

Answer 2

Do not under any circumstances make a fuss of fear aggressive behaviour, what I mean is this, say for instance your dog throws a wobbly if you try to groom him or clip his nails, do not stroke give treats of any kind with words like 'you poor thing I'm sorry I frightened you here have a biscuit'!! that type of thing, you are only rewarding the dog for this type of behaviour! if the fear is aimed at a particular member of your family, get that person to do everything for the dog, feed/water/exercise etc, if any aggression is made during these times that person must not correct it, another person must (not hitting obviously, that should never be used on any dog) so that the original person is only giving positive things, it will take some time and a lot of patience, but it will work.
Good luck
I have just read what you have added, my dog only has to see us get a metal tape measure out to measure something and he's off! he doesn't like the noise, nail clippers the same they make a noise, but he is getting better! S L O W L Y

Answer 3

Oh dear. Live with one like that right now - as in go through a window if a thunderstorm hits and no one is with her afraid..

First you are not - repeat NOT - going to train him out of it.

This is NOT fear aggression which is attacking or biting other animals or people because they are terrified of them. If he is in a blind panic over the storm and growls at you, that is DEFENSIVE fear - he is so terrified that he doesn't know what he is doing and everything is a threat at that point.,

This simple panicked fear over certain nosies.

Two things:

(1) Get him a crate (and cover it with a blanket so it makes a cave) or make him a den where he can hide - maybe a large box (not as good of a choice.).

(2) Get to your vet and have him give you some mild tranquliziers.

If you have to be gone and a storm is due, you will need to give him a tranquilizer and tuck him up in his crate/den.

Answer 4

I have a dog who used to be really frightened of exactly the same things! Perhaps my experience will help?
Fireworks and Thunder would make him tremble and shake and even urinate indoors. He would become all twitchy before a storm too.
I don't believe it is fair to make dogs 'face their fear' but that as their leader we should protect them from it and if at all possible remove them from it.
I relieved our dogs crazy behaviour by making sure he had a safe place to hide while the storm or fireworks were going on. Sometimes I would sit on the floor and he would bury his head in my lap or hide behind something. Although it was really hard, I found that just ignoring his behaviour rather than making a fuss over him helped him. If I was calm he could control his fear more successfully. When I made a fuss or physically interfered with where he was trying to hide he would get more and more agitated. Over time he did control his fear more succesfully and didn't urinate anymore but he never felt comfortable with those noises.

Answer 5

One of the reasons for aggressive behavior in dogs is that they want to establish dominance. This behavior can be exhibited toward humans, but it is more commonly shown against other dogs or animals. Canines are pack animals, and there is a certain hierarchy within that pack. Sometimes dogs think of the people in their family as their pack, and they will try to establish themselves as alpha dog, so aggressive behavior may occur when there are a lot of people or pets around.


Along with dominance as one of the reasons for aggressive behavior in dogs, the dog's territorial nature is also common. Dogs often consider their home and family as a possession, and they will protect them all fiercely. Aggressive behavior may occur when a dog feels that someone has intruded on its space or is threatening its family. While it may be one of the admirable reasons for aggressive behavior in dogs, it is still undesirable and unacceptable in the world of human beings.


Fear is another one of the reasons for aggressive behavior in dogs. There are some specific signals that a dog is afraid, and those signs need to be taken seriously, because fear is one of the most misunderstood reasons for aggressive behavior in dogs. A dog in a state of fear will usually lash out because it feels cornered. The dog will usually show signs like growling, ears pulled back, and the tail between the legs. When a dog lashes out because it is afraid, the behavior is often mistaken for direct aggression rather than a reaction to the stimulus.


While some dogs may be afraid, others have strong instincts, so predatory behavior is another reason for aggressive behavior. Certain dogs love to hunt and chase down game. Sometimes cats, smaller dogs, or children can be mistaken by a dog as food.


Another reason for aggressive behavior in dogs is redirected aggression, and it is very much misunderstood. This behavior occurs when a dog cannot take out its aggression on the actual object causing the fear, anger, or territorial thoughts. For instance, if your dogs are in the backyard and a person they perceive as an intruder enters the house, the dogs may turn on one another. However, some people do not understand the displaced aggression, because they do not know what started the aggressive behavior.


there may be medical reasons for aggression in dogs that have not been diagnosed. While most dogs can be trained to not be aggressive if the aggression is behavioral, sometimes there is an underlying medical condition that needs to be treated. Also, some females are very aggressive when they are pregnant or nursing, and though maternal protectiveness is common in many nursing females aggression can be curbed through good training early on in the dog's life.

Taking a step back to look at the reasons for aggression in dogs and seeing where your dogs fits can be the first step in curbing the behavior. There are some different training methods you can use to curb the different types of aggression, so learning the reasons behind your dog's aggressive behavior can help you determine what training methods to use to be more effective

Good luck!!

Answer 6

If you find out let me know I have a Shepperd mix, She was abused as a pup and I've had he for over a year and she still cowards to me and is really scared of doorways and strangers. The cool part is she is a lot better now and she loves to talk to me not bark but long tones of rrrrr's Shes a trip a good girl. But after all this time i worry she'll never really feel shes safe. In stead of yelling or punishing I trained her with a water spray bottle.She get silly and tries to drink it as I spray. She hides it when I'm not looking, she has a sense of humor people rarely have.The aggression part I don't know my Babbie wouldn't hurt a fly. Good luck on your question.

Answer 7

I had a dog the exact same as you are describing, she was terrified of fireworks, thunder etc it got so bad when she heard the rain coming on she went berserk trying to climb the walls and jumping up on the couch etc. We tried putting cotton wool balls in her ears (not shoving them right in of course) and it really calmed her down. But the most effective method was just ignoring the noises. The norm was to be like 'Oh no the fireworks' or 'listen to that thunder' which made her think 'uh-oh' and started her off. We ignored the noises and carried on like business as usual and it worked a charm she eventually just lay there and went to sleep not minding the noises. So in short, don't make a fuss of her when these noises start, dont even acknowledge the noises or her behaviour. Just carry on as normal and you should see a change.

Hope this helps x

Answer 8

A well-trained dog makes everyone happy, including his owner. Take a little time training him, and you'll never regret it; you'll always have an obedient dog by your side. Find more https://tr.im/NonZz

By their nature, dogs are pack animals with a well-defined social order. Through basic training, you need to consistently make sure your puppy understands that you are the leader, not him. So in teaching him the basic rules, you take on the role of pack leader.

To fit into the family circle, your dog must be taught to recognize his name and such commands as come, heel, lie down and sit.

Answer 9

You need to work one on one with a behavioral trainer.
Fear aggression is the worst and can be very dangerous.
Get a trainer and work with them and maybe even your vet.
There are some drugs that can help work you pet throught some of these problems.

Answer 10

Don't give reassurance or pet as this will reinforce the behaviour. Start by walking your dog in built up areas and crowded streets. Gradually accustom him/her to loud and sudden noises. The dog will look for your reaction and will gradually learn that if you are ok then he is in no danger..

Answer 11

Fear aggression in dogs is totally an unacceptable behavior...Your dog lacks confidence and clearly needs to be professional helped with a dog trainer....The dog whisperer, Ceasar Millan is the best trainer I know of.

You need to establish yourself as the Pack leader of your dog....and build your dogs confidences to the point he/she should have NO fear to be aggressive about.

AGAIN---seek out a professional dog trainer for help!