Why dogs get scared or frustrated and how to help them

When a dog is worried about something or someone, they may show signs of stress or behave in ways that communicate they need more space. Many dog body language signals are subtle and happen quickly, so it can be easy to miss them.  

Subtle signs of stress and anxiety to look out for include:

• turning their head or body away
• lip-licking (unrelated to food)
• yawning (unrelated to tiredness)
• pupils dilating (getting bigger)
• ears pulled back
• eyes narrowing or whites of eyes showing
• sudden stillness or freezing
• looking for reassurance  
• tension in the body and face
• acting strange, appearing “quiet” or “sad.

Some signs of stress, fear and anxiety might be more obvious to spot, like:

• Lowering or tucking the tail
• Cowering or crouching their body
• Hiding  
• Avoiding touch or interaction
• Shaking or trembling
• Whining, howling, barking or growling
• Drooling or panting (when not exercising or warm)
• Pacing or seeming unsettled
• Jumping up, mouthing or mounting
• Not responding to words, treats and toys
• Rolling onto their back to expose the belly. The tail is often tucked, with ears held back, tension throughout the body, and one or both back legs raised.

If a dog is experiencing intense fear, panic or overwhelm, you may also see these signs:

• trying to run away or escape
• using aggressive behaviour including lunging, snapping and biting
• involuntary pooing or weeing themselves.

While dogs can’t be diagnosed with depression in the same way we can be, they can show signs of stress, fear, anxiety and pain which appear similar. This includes:

• losing their appetite or going off food
• sleeping more or less than usual
• having less energy than usual
• not wanting to play or interact
• hiding
• being more clingy
• seeming “sad”, unusually quiet or in a low mood.

If you’re concerned about your dog’s behaviour, or notice any changes, please speak with your vet. They’ll be able to check if any medical issues might be causing your dog’s behaviour. You can also reach out to our behaviour experts for support.

When a dog is frustrated, their behaviour often intensifies to help them achieve their goal. For example, if a dog on lead wants to greet another dog, they might start pulling and lunging to reach them.

Frustration-related behaviours vary depending on the goal, but commonly include:

• jumping up
• mouthing
• barking
• pawing
• pulling or lunging on lead
• digging or jumping up at barriers.

If the goal can’t be achieved, your dog might redirect their behaviour onto someone or something else nearby. For example, they might suddenly grab you or their lead.  

Frustrated dogs may also use aggressive behaviour to communicate their desire for choice or independence. This might happen if they’re restrained (e.g. being held or on their lead), or if someone tries to take a toy or chew from them.

Like us, every dog is an individual with a unique genetic makeup. Some dogs inherit traits that make them more emotionally reactive. This affects how they interact with the world around them.

Some dogs are naturally more anxious or fearful. Others are more impulsive and have a lower tolerance for frustration. A dog who is genetically more sensitive to stress, fear and frustration may find it harder to cope with everyday situations. This can affect their behaviour and wellbeing.

Puppies born to stressed mothers are more likely to grow into more reactive, anxious or less resilient adults. This shows the importance of sourcing a puppy responsibly.

It’s important to remember that having a genetic predisposition doesn’t mean a person or dog will automatically feel or behave in certain ways. Many factors influence behaviour aside from genetics, including early experiences, learning throughout life, physical health and environment.

The first four months of a puppy’s life are very important.

During this time, puppies need to be carefully introduced to different people, dogs, noises, objects and experiences (like being handled or being on their own), so they accept these as a normal and positive part of life. This will give them the best chance of coping well and feeling confident throughout their life.

The introduction of new experiences needs to be gradual, controlled and when the puppy is relaxed. It’s essential that puppies learn about everyday life in a positive way.

If puppies are anxious, fearful or overwhelmed when experiencing new things, they’re more likely to be worried and develop behaviour problems as an adult. Dogs are also more likely to worry about things they didn't come across when they were young.

If a puppy is separated from their mother and siblings too early, this can have detrimental effects on their future social behaviour and how they interact with other dogs. It may also affect how the puppy copes with stressful events throughout their life.

If you’ve got puppy, learning how to socialise them will give you the best start together.

Don’t worry if your dog is older, though. There are lots of ways you can support your adult dog to be happy and healthy.

Dogs are always learning and making associations about the world around them. Many of these associations are positive, like learning when the harness comes out, a fun walk is about to happen, or when the cupboard opens, it’s dinner time.

However, our dogs can also form negative associations. If your dog experiences something that causes them pain or fear, like being startled by a firework or hurt by another dog, they might associate that thing with negative feelings. This could lead to the development of lasting fear responses. Their fear might even broaden so they become worried about all loud noises or dogs.

Dogs can also associate the place where the traumatic event happened with fear or pain. A dog who was attacked in a particular park, or scared by a lorry on a certain road, may be fearful and avoidant if you go there again.

A dog’s physical health can significantly affect their emotional wellbeing and behaviour.

Pain, illness or ongoing discomfort can affect mood, sleep quality and overall resilience. A dog in pain may withdraw from play and social interactions. They might seem less energetic or unusually low in mood.

Some dogs show avoidant or defensive behaviours to protect themselves and keep safe if they’re injured. For example, a dog might avoid being stroked by turning or moving away. Or they might start showing aggressive behaviour when having their harness put on because they’re in pain.

Medical issues and pain can also lead to learned fear responses. For example, a dog might become wary of specific movements, handling, or places that have previously caused discomfort. In some cases, dogs may show increased anxiety in general or develop new sensitivities, like a fear of loud noises.

If you notice any changes in your dog’s behaviour, or they show any signs of fear or anxiety, which could include aggressive behaviour, it’s essential to take your dog to a vet. They’ll be able to rule out or treat any underlying medical issues.

Your dog’s environment and daily routine can affect their emotional wellbeing and behaviour.

Dogs who often experience things they find scary may become more anxious, stressed or easily overwhelmed. Dogs with limited options or choices might experience fear and frustration, particularly if they can’t move away from something scary or get something they want.  

Dogs that don’t get suitable exercise, play, enrichment or social interaction may become bored or develop pent-up frustration. This can lead to unwanted behaviours like destruction and excessive barking, repetitive behaviours or aggressive behaviours.

Knowing what to expect is also important for our dogs. Irregular feeding, walking or playtimes may lead to frustration when things don’t happen at the expected time. A lack of consistency may also increase anxiety.  Big changes to routine or environment can be stressful and impact how they behave. This includes moving house, a new baby or pet, the loss of a human or furry companion, or owner stress.

The way dogs are trained and interacted with affects their emotional state. Methods based on fear, pain or intimidation are strongly associated with higher levels of fear, anxiety and aggressive behaviour.

Training with rewards helps build positive bonds and confidence, and owners using reward-based methods report fewer behaviour problems.

Dogs that experience inconsistent training or unclear boundaries may develop frustration because they don't understand what is expected of them. This can lead to confusion and aggressive behaviour, particularly in high-stress situations.​

The amount of stress hormones in a dog’s body, otherwise known as their arousal level, can affect how they feel and behave.  

Stress hormones are released in response to events throughout the day. Any event that causes an increase in arousal or emotions is referred to as a trigger. Triggers are different for every dog, but may include loud noises, other dogs, visitors or being touched.  

You can identify your dog’s triggers by watching their body language and seeing how they respond.  

Trigger stacking can happen when multiple events that increase stress or arousal occur in a relatively short space of time. With each event, stress hormones begin to build up in the body. If your dog doesn’t have enough time to recover between these events, they can reach a tipping point where they’re no longer able to control their behaviour. This can be known as ‘going over threshold’.

Imagine your dog snaps at a stranger reaching to stroke them. This may seem to come out of nowhere. But if you think about the whole day, you might see that they played with an excitable dog in the morning, went to the vet in the afternoon, and were scared by a loud motorbike on the way home. These events all add to rising stress levels, which may make them less able to cope and more likely to react when approached.

Recognising signs of stress and when trigger stacking might happen will help you better support your dog. By managing them around triggers and allowing enough time to calm down and relax, you can protect their wellbeing and reduce the likelihood of their behaviour escalating.

If you notice any change in your dog’s behaviour, or they start acting strangely or appearing restless, it’s important to speak to your vet. There might be an underlying medical issue.

If your dog suddenly seems scared of you, think about whether anything’s happened that might have caused this. For example, accidentally frightening them by making a loud noise or dropping something. If nothing obvious comes to mind, they might be in pain or have an underlying health issue.  

The first thing to do is speak to your vet. Let them know your dog’s behaviour has changed, and they suddenly appear anxious or fearful. Your vet can rule out or treat any underlying medical issues. They can also refer you to a qualified behaviourist for support, or you can contact our behaviour experts.

You can support your dog at home by being calm, patient and understanding. If they need space or try to move away from you, let them. And try to avoid situations which scare them.

A dog who is described as having an anxiety attack might:

• shake uncontrollably
• pant and drool excessively
• go to the toilet or vomit
• bark, whine or howl
• bolt, escape or hide
• seek comfort  
• jump up
• be unresponsive to words, treats or toys
• show aggressive behaviour.

If your dog shows any of these signs, try to remove them from the situation which is causing them fear or distress. Create distance and give them space and time to calm down. Offer them gentle reassurance and, once they’re calmer, try to engage them in relaxing, enjoyable activities.

It’s important to speak to your vet about these signs, because there may be an underlying medical issue.

If your dog is hiding or avoiding you, they might be worried or in pain. Speak to your vet to rule out any illness or injury which may be causing your dog to do this.

You can support your dog at home by identifying, avoiding or managing situations and triggers which make them feel worried. Provide them with a safe space or den where they can retreat to and rest undisturbed. Make sure interactions with your dog are calm and positive.

Dogs generally don’t grow out of fear or anxiety alone. In fact, fearful and anxious behaviour can get worse over time without the right support.

Speak to your vet and reach out to a qualified behaviour expert for help. They’ll help you understand what’s causing your dog to feel anxious or frightened, and put a plan in place to help them feel more relaxed.

The sooner you reach out for support, the better.

We help thousands of owners and dogs every year, so get in touch with one of our behaviour experts today.

You know your dog best. If you have any concerns about your dog’s behaviour, they’re showing signs of fear or anxiety like aggressive behaviour, or you’ve noticed sudden changes, please speak with your vet. 

Your vet will assess your dog’s health to see if there’s a medical reason for your dog’s behaviour. They can then refer you to a qualified behaviourist for support, or you can get in touch with one of our behaviour experts.

Your dog might suddenly appear anxious at night if:

• they’re in pain or have an underlying health condition
• they need the toilet or are restless because they haven’t had enough physical or mental stimulation during the day
• there’s been a change to routine or the household, like new family members or changing schedules
• there are sights, sounds and smells disturbing them throughout the night
• they’re sleeping in a different place or apart from you.  

Please speak to your vet and a qualified behaviourist if your dog seems anxious at night.

In the meantime, think about how you can support your dog. For example, if your dog seems more relaxed and settled when they’re taken out more often, or you’re nearby at night, can you change your sleeping arrangements to make this happen? 

This doesn’t have to be forever, but it might help everyone get a better night’s sleep while you get professional support. We have more advice to help if your dog could be struggling with separation anxiety.