Dear Lisa: My three-year-old husky recently became scarred of certain loud noises. He especially doesn’t like clanking kitchen pots or the metal garden gate. Why did he start all of a sudden being fearful of noises that never bothered him before? Is there anything I can do about it? – Frightened Fido

Dear Frightened: There are many causes for sudden onset of fearful behavior in dogs. Just like in humans it is an emotional response to some situation that the dog thinks is a threat to him. It doesn’t matter if the threat is real, only that the dog perceives it to be so. It’s hard to say what causes such shifts in a previously normal dog that starts exhibiting such behavior. Some causes might include a genetic predisposition, a traumatic event or lack of early socialization. Sometimes it is none of the above or a little bit of each.

Recognizing fear in your dog is a major step toward helping him. What you have described in your question are “triggers” that begin his fearful response. He perceives that a banging metal noise will bring about a dangerous situation. These simple anxieties can sometimes escalate into behaviors of phobic proportions, where the response to the stimuli is out of proportion to the situation, such as dogs that begin to destroy a house during a thunderstorm or begin to chew on their paws when the vacuum cleaner is turned on.

In general fearful dogs will usually try to avoid the object of their fear by running away from it to a safe haven, like under the bed. When your dog does run away you have to stop and think what noise or situation “triggered” his reaction. Sometimes it is as simple as a noise that both of you can hear. Other times it might be some behavior on your part that causes your dog’s fear, but that you are unaware of, such as a raised voice or grabbing something that makes noise.

Treating fearful responses takes time to undo and canine behaviorists usually recommend desensitization programs or counter-conditioning. Some trainers take the head-on approach of facing the fear directly while others may take a more gradual approach of slowly introducing the stimuli and then increasing exposure at higher levels after successful responses at lower levels. For example, if a certain noise is the problem, you may introduce it a low volume level where no fear is shown and reward the dog for good behavior. The next time the volume is increased and if good behavior is exhibited another reward and so on. If at some point the dog reacts badly, they immediately stop the noise and go back a level until the dog exhibits good behavior again.

The most important thing to remember about desensitization programs is that complete compliance on the part of the owner is required. You can’t be “wishy-washy” and only sometimes work the dog through the problem. It has to be an ongoing full-time commitment. If a metal dog bowl dropped on the ground triggers him and you don’t reward his non-fearful response he becomes confused and may act even more fearful the next time around and you have to start the program from scratch.

Another helpful lifestyle change can come from you. If you want your dog to exhibit confidence you need to be there to give it to him. This can be accomplished in two ways. First, you must have the proper attitude so that your dog can pick up on it. If you’re afraid he’ll sense it and be more afraid. So show him your confidence. Secondly, teach him confidence-building exercises through obedience and use them in the desensitization program when addressing fear. Distract him when the triggers are going to appear, if you know what they are. You can place excellent tasting treats near the trigger, like the garden gate he’s afraid of and let him at his own pace go eat them. Try not to force the trigger, reassuring the dog while he’s fearful or punishing his fearful behavior. A good rule of thumb is when your dog shows courage – reward. When he shows fear – ignore it.

Remember it took a while for this fearful behavior to surface and it will take a while to go away. In addition, have your dog checked out by the vet to make sure nothing medically is wrong with him that might cause him to have sensitivity to loud noises. But even with a medical explanation for the onset, his behavior may not go away without modification on your part. But with a good program and your dedication his fears will be faced and, hopefully, erased.      

Lisa Peterson, a breeder and exhibitor of Norwegian Elkhounds, is a Delegate to the American Kennel Club and the owner of Peterson Pet Sitting. Ask Lisa questions at elvemel@aol.com or P.O. Box 197, Newtown, CT 06470.