When a friend visits your house, your dog should feel comfortable enough to greet them in a friendly manner, or at least feel indifferent about their arrival. But that\u2019s not the reality for some cautious canines. For dogs who are afraid of people, a visitor dropping by can stir up their \u201cstranger danger\u201d senses, causing fear and anxiety to set in.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to realize that a severe fear of people can lead to aggressive behaviors and potential bites from dogs. So if your dog is showing aggressive behaviors when meeting people, consult your veterinarian, an animal behaviorist or a certified professional trainer. They can help you determine the best way to manage your dog\u2019s fear and aggression.<\/p>\n
If your dog is displaying anxiety or mild fear behaviors when meeting people, positive reinforcement training could be beneficial. They may not become best buds with everyone they meet, but hopefully their \u201cstranger danger\u201d reaction diminishes and they become less anxious and fearful about meeting new people.<\/p>\n
Some of the signs that your dog is scared of people are pretty obvious, like when they hide behind you with their tail tucked between their legs. Other signs might not be quite as obvious, like yawning, avoiding eye contact and lip licking.<\/p>\n
If your dog has become scared enough that they feel the need to defend themselves, they may bark or growl, raise their hackles, stand tall and strain forward or have a stiff tall tail arched over their back.<\/p>\n
It’s important that your recognize these signs so that you can remove your dog from the fearful situation before it escalates.<\/p>\n
There are a few things that could lead to your dog trembling when they meet unfamiliar people. If you adopted a rescue dog, it\u2019s possible that their fear of people is due to abuse in their previous life. You can find more information about recognizing the signs of abuse in dogs in our blog \u201cRescue Me: How to Care for a Formerly Abused Rescue<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n A one-off traumatic event could also trigger a fear response if they experience a similar situation again. For example, if someone on a bicycle ran into them, they might be afraid of all people riding bicycles.<\/p>\n There can also be a genetic component as to why some dogs are more fearful than others, but the most common reason dogs are scared of people is due to poor socialization as a puppy<\/a>. According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior<\/a>, the first three months of life is the most effective time to introduce puppies to people, animals and experiences, because a puppy\u2019s sociability outweighs their fear during this time.<\/p>\n If you have a puppy, introducing them to people shouldn\u2019t be limited to just your circle of friends and family. They need to get out and about and meet a variety of people during those first few months so that when they come across a variety of people later in life, they know what to expect.<\/p>\n