![]() ![]() Unlike personality and mood, which are more fluid emotional states, temperament is a deeper, more hardwired system affected by genetics and early development. ![]() One explanation for this can be found in temperament. So, if they encounter something new after three months of age and it frightens them, they can learn to be afraid of that going forward,” says Naomi Harvey, Research Manager in Canine Behavior at Dogs Trust.ĭogs that have little to no negative associations with loud sounds can still be found cowering during a storm, while others who had a scary early experience can learn, often through counterconditioning and desensitization, to overcome the fright. And then after 12 weeks of age, they start to develop their fear response. “Puppies have this period where their brain learns what is normal in the world, what is okay and what should I not be afraid of. That association could trigger a fear response in the dog every time she heard a bang. If, for example, a construction worker was hammering the wall in a neighboring apartment while a puppy was left home alone, that puppy might associate banging with abandonment-without her owner even knowing it had happened. Like human infants, puppies undergo critical stages of development when their brains form associations that can influence behavior for the rest of their lives. So why does my dog have a tendency to be anxious? Well that’s a normal trait,” says Daniel Mills, a professor of veterinary behavioral medicine at The University of Lincoln in England.įor some dogs, early life conditioning can make the difference in their sensitivity to sound. “From a biological perspective, it pays to err on the side of running away even when it’s not necessary. On the other hand, evolution has trained most animals, including dogs, that avoiding a perceived threat is worth it for overall survival, even if, as in the case of fireworks, the threat doesn’t end up being real. This “auditory flexibility” is especially important for working dogs for example, lives depend on the ability of military dogs and detection dogs to remain calm despite the loud sounds and explosions they may encounter. Reacting to every sound would demand too much energy, and so dog brains must determine which sounds are significant and which can be tuned out. Dogs hear more than twice as many frequencies as humans, and they can also hear sounds roughly four times further away. Better understanding canine fear behaviors could improve dogs’ quality of life and even help to explain human fear responses.ĭogs are known for their olfactory prowess, but sound also dictates their experience of the world. To sort out this canine confusion, dog researchers around the world are investigating what makes dogs react to sounds with fear. But while the sight of a sparkler sends some dogs tail-tucked and running, others remain unfazed by booms and bangs. The telltale signs of a scared pup are familiar to dog owners, and they’re especially common in summer, when fireworks and thunderstorms can heighten dogs’ anxiety levels. Hiding in the bathtub or crawling under the bed.
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