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The bite of a scared dog can look like dominant aggressiveness, but it can have other causes. The dog that bites from fear is more apprehensive and tends to hide between its master's legs.
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| ADVICE 415 - Training |
| This behavior is usually caused for the lack of contact with people, but in breeds as the German Shepherd it can be genetic. The re-adaptation should be done little by little and carefully and the help of a professional will be sometimes needed. |
| Behavior of AGGRESSIVENESS From FEAR |
| Sometimes, the dog that bites for fear gives contradictory signs. It shrinks in front of its master and shakes its tail obediently, but then attacks. |
| ADVICE 416 |
| If you try to affirm your authority with training, as you would do with an aggressive dog, you will only increase its mistrust. |
| SOLUTION |
| 1. You will need the help of a friend or a professional trainer. The dog will wear a long rope and shouldn't have eaten before the exercise. Your friend will back up, taking a food reward with them. |
| 2. Let the dog go to your friend and take the food from their open hand. Your friend should not talk to the dog and will get on their knees on a side, avoiding any kind of visual contact. |
| 3. Repeat steps one and two many times and then repeated with your friend slightly turned to the dog, but still avoiding visual contact. |
| 4. Once you have done this exercise successfully for several days, go to the next phase. Repeat steps one and two with your friend turned to the dog and also on their knees. |
| 5. Now walk to your friend, who, without moving from their place, should face the dog avoiding its sight, give it its prize and back up. If the dog gets scared in this phase, go back to the previous one and repeat it. |
| 6. Walk to your friend and when the dog takes the treat, congratulate it and caress its sides. Your friend will continue avoiding the dog's sight, but will able to talk to you without a problem. It will probably take you some weeks to reach this phase. |
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| 7. When the dog shows confidence while you caress it and your partner gives it the food, then they will have to caress the dog himself/herself. After repeating this exercise many times, make a slight change, still avoiding looking at the dog, your helper should caress the dog before giving it the food reward. |
| FEAR OF OTHER DOGS |
| CINOPHOBIA |
| The fear to other dogs can be caused because of the lack of early experience with dogs; because the dogs have been too protected by their masters or because the dog has been previously scared or bitten. |
| ADVICE 417 |
| With the help of a friend who owns a quiet dog, go outdoors for a walk and find out what is the distance in which your dog is not scared in the presence of other dogs. Reward your dog with treats and affection when it behaves quietly.
Reduce the distance that separates each dog everyday until you dog walks quietly, with no fear, next to the other. This process usually lasts from three to six weeks.
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