Why is my German Shepherd afraid of everything?

German Shepherds and other large dogs can also suffer from phobias, including the fear of darkness and vacuums. At first, it might appear cute, but learning your Shepherd’s signs of fear as soon as possible will make him more confident, which will prevent him from acting unpredictably.

German Shepherds are notorious for being afraid of everything, so you might wonder why and how to deal with this. The purpose of this article is to provide you with a number of reasons why this may be the case, as well as some ways that you can prevent it.

How to Tell if My GSD is Afraid? Signs to Look for

Clinginess and almost overly loving nature are known characteristics of German Shepherds. The fact that they follow their owners around has earned them the nickname of “Velcro dogs”. There are several factors that can make this problem worse, including thunder, lightning, and fireworks.

German Shepherds may exhibit these behaviors when they are afraid:

• As they grow larger and more whimpering, they bark, howl, whine, and shake.
• The woman starts to suffer from rapid panting and almost obsessive chewing or gnawing.
• A breed’s protective instincts stem from its past as a sheepherder led them to pace back and forth endlessly or circle their owners.
• Evading or hiding
•  A generalized wide-eyed stare repeated yawning, or licking of the lips
•  The tail is tucked in and the ears are flattened, a “tell-tale” sign that they are in danger

German Shepherds That Are Unnaturally Scared

The body language and physical responses of your dog can provide you with clues to determine when your dog isn’t acting weird – but rather, scared. While your dog cannot tell you directly when they are frightened, there are certain cues you can observe in their body language and physical responses.

What are the signs that your dog is actually afraid? Let’s look at some signs.

A flat ear

Keep an eye on them! There’s a lot you can learn from dog ears. If your dog is happy to see you, you’ve probably noticed how they perk up, but fear can also cause them to flatten. Consider your surroundings when you notice this sudden shift, to see if anything obvious might be causing it.

They kept their tails tucked between their legs

You can tell your dog is scared or submissive when they tuck its tail between its legs. There are a number of ways to greet your dog, and sniffing is probably the most common. Dogs can tell a lot about one another, via the chemical signature on their genitals, as you’ve observed in general with dogs.

When they are confronted with frightening stimuli, your dog essentially shuts down.

Hair that is raised

When cats or dogs see something scary, their hair stands on end, a physical reaction based on an actual physical reaction. There are hairs called ‘hackles’ on the back of your dog. A raised hackle indicates either fear or anger, and your dog is preparing for a confrontation.

Using your back as a shield or cowering

It’s possible your dog would flinch when you approach something quickly, then back up behind you, indicating he’s afraid. It looks exactly like this behavior. Shepherds hide behind their human guardians in hopes of being protected.

What’s the pace?

As your dog reacts to something they’ve seen, smelled, or heard, their pacing can be a nervous response to fear. They may simply be confused about what to do in response to something new that they saw or they may be frightened but want to protect you.

Pupils dilated and eyes avoided

You can tell a lot about what’s on your Shepherd’s mind from his eyes, so it’s important to take note of his avoidance of eye contact. As a rule of thumb, dogs hide their gaze out of fear or submission, and direct eye contact is a dominant tactic.

You should also watch out for the dilation of your dog’s pupils as a result of fear. You’ll want to identify something local your dog is responding to since it’s harder to detect.

The urge to urinate suddenly

Fear can also cause dogs to lose control of their bladder when normally well-behaved and potty-trained. Check with a vet if this is happening frequently and is fairly new so that you don’t have a bladder issue. Alternatively, you may be able to deal with the fear through positive conditioning by determining what is going on.

German Shepherds are afraid of humans for a variety of reasons

You will probably be able to identify a number of factors leading to your German Shepherd being scared of you based on the reasons given below.

There are many reasons for your German Shepherd to be scared of you, and your best bet is to keep an eye out for the signs that can be seen. Below are a few of them.

There was an aggressive attitude on your part

Your German Shepherd might now be scared of you as a result of your aggressive behavior towards it. If it became scared of you just as you became aggressive with it, then this is more likely the reason.

Using positive reinforcement training rather than punishing your German Shepherd might help if you stop being aggressive towards it.

The environment is unknown to it

It may be because your German Shepherd is in a new environment that it was scared of you. Buying or adopting a new puppy or adopting one from a shelter will most likely lead to this. A German Shepherd could also be the subject of this situation if you have recently moved but have owned it for some time.

You’ll probably become less afraid of your German Shepherd as time goes on. Taking it on walks, playing with it, and keeping it calm can speed up the process.

Owners in the past

Having been mistreated by previous owners could make your German Shepherd fear you. If it’s afraid of other people as well as you, then it’s more likely to do this.

The German Shepherd might also get less scared over time if you keep it. If you spend more time around it, the process will go faster.

There’s an injury or illness

There could be a health issue or an injury. It might become scared suddenly or start showing signs of illness or injury right after something happened that made it feel unwell or injured. A veterinary visit would be the best option if you suspect an illness or injury may be the problem.

How to help your German Shepherd overcome his fears

Our list of German Shepherd phobias is designed to help you identify and address the issue if necessary if you are uncertain about what is scaring your German Shepherd.

Taking a look at the most common sources of Shepherd scares, let’s discuss them.

There is thunder

The German Shepherd is not the only dog that is frightened by thunder. Generally, this is not a cause for concern, and many Shepherd owners simply allow their dogs to hide under the covers during storms.

If you consider that your dog has superior hearing, then you should worry more about whether they do not get frightened by thunder than if they do.

Make a vacuum

Despite the typically comical game of ‘cat and mouse’ between dogs and vacuums, some dogs can have negative reactions to vacuums. You can only get used to it if you get them used to it.

When you wheel in the vacuum, give the dog his favorite chew bone to chew on. Then start up the vacuum (at a distance, if possible), and work slowly to avoid further alarming your dog.

A dark place

It is generally true that dogs have a better sense of sight in the dark compared to us, but pitch-black darkness is still a challenge, especially when the dog is older and has problems with his eyes. The former can be checked out at your vet, while the latter can be helped with a nightlight or some time in the dark with your dog.

Leaving yourself alone

When dogs are kept alone by a single owner, they are more likely to become codependent. The likelihood of this occurring is especially high if the child was weaned young. The benefits of crate training provide your dog with independence and the knowledge that time alone is normal and not a cause for concern in such cases.

Dogs of other species

Your dog will be more comfortable with another dog if they are socialized, instead of avoiding them and sniffing them. If you want your dog to understand that other dogs are the norm, rather than a threat to themselves and you, one of the ways to accomplish this is to introduce them carefully to the neighbor’s dog or take him to the park.

Fireworks or a storm can tire your GSD

It is sometimes just a matter of tiring out a German Shepherd before trying to calm him down.

The anxiety of GSDs is lowered when their energy reserves are lower, so you can make them sleepy enough that they’re less likely to panic during a storm or fireworks show by taking a long walk or physically active excursion with them shortly before the storm or fireworks show starts.

Calming treats are perfect for your GSD

You may also find organic calming treats that will help to reduce the stress of your German Shepherd. Melatonin and tryptophan are among the natural supplements used by many brands on the market to stimulate sleep

Frequently asked questions

In order to assist you in addressing any questions that you may still have regarding German Shepherd fears, we have compiled a list of some common questions about this breed. Check out the following Q&A for an overview of frequently asked questions.

Conclusion

It’s important not to be fooled by their tough exterior, since German Shepherd dogs are extremely sensitive in many ways. It is completely natural for your German Shepherd to get frightened at certain noises.

The good news is that there are many methods to ensure that your German Shepherd starts off on the right foot, everything ranging from good training, to some psychology, and if necessary, some extra medical attention in order to make sure this happens