You’ve always wanted to bring a puppy home, and you’re looking forward to this moment. You have done all your homework, including reaching out to reliable breeders, carefully selecting, going through all the paperwork, and making sure it’s vaccinated and healthy. At home, your entire family is eagerly waiting for the new pup and has all the necessary preparations in place.
As you close the search for teddy bear puppies or any other preferred breed, you are happy to finally introduce your new family member to the rest of the gang. Everyone is excited, but soon enough, you realize you have a scared puppy. First, how do you know you have a frightened puppy?
Any odd behavior like hiding, jumping on your lap, urinating, whining, air snapping, running away, and tacking the tail are just some of the indications that you have a scared pup. Many things can scare the puppy, but being in a new environment surrounded by strangers can be overwhelming.
Additionally, the pup has probably been alive for about eight weeks or so, and everything at this point looks and feels strange and scary. Loud noises, bigger dogs, cats, the outdoor, strangers, cars, sudden movements, and intense emotions are some of the things that can scare the puppy. How do you resolve this?
Be Patient
Understand the puppy’s fear and try to stay calm as you reassure him. Laughing at him, getting angry, or shouting will only make the situation worse. Although you shouldn’t be too sympathetic, stay calm as you let the dog understand there is no real danger.
Keep Your Home Calm
Dogs are very emotional creatures, and when they are in an environment where people shout, scream or fight one another constantly, they become fearful and emotional. Their feelings and emotions will constantly be on edge, and a slight provocation can frighten the dog. Don’t shout at each other, put on thunderous music, or fight.
Additionally, just the same way you would tone down activities when a baby is sleeping, do the same for the pup. A good rest will help it grow healthy, more confident, and keep it calm.
Don’t Feed the Fears
As stated earlier, stay calm but be patient with the puppy. The puppy looks up to you, and your reaction when facing the fear will determine its future responses. Don’t be overprotective but safely introduce it to the frightening objects or situations. If it’s afraid of cars, take it out more often. Soon, the puppy will realize cars don’t pose any real danger and even learn to like them.
Also, expose the pup to new experiences and don’t keep it indoors too much. Let it meet new people, other pets, see strange things, and get accustomed to the world. As it grows, it will realize the fears are unfounded.
However, make sure to visit safe places until the puppy has had all the vaccines. Keep to homes with vaccinated dogs and avoid public areas frequented by unvaccinated dogs. By doing so, you’ll be protecting the puppy from dangerous diseases such as canine parvovirus. After all, this puppy is now a part of your family, and you want them to live a long, healthy, and happy life!
