Dogs Afraid Of Heights?
While our dogs may look daring and seem to fear nothing, there are many dogs that are afraid of heights. It’s true that cats are best known for being climbers and climbing high places, but dogs also like to jump and climb certain places, which they sometimes do without thinking and then don’t know how to descend.
Why are there dogs afraid of heights
Well, dogs afraid of heights are still a mystery, it’s like asking why a person is afraid of a spider, water or anything else.
It will all depend on the dog, although there are factors that may have influenced it. For example:
- Abuse. If you adopted your dog when he was older, he may have a history of abuse, such as being thrown from a high place. That could very well explain his fear of heights. It is most advisable in these cases to have your dog examined by an ethologist or a canine psychologist.
- Overprotection. On the other hand, if you adopted it as a puppy, it’s possible that your protective instinct went beyond what it should have, and perhaps you wanted to avoid any situation you believed would put your pet’s life at risk, such as climbing stairs . If the animal has never been to high places, it is normal for him to feel fear now, because it is something unknown.
- Trauma. Some other type of trauma can make a dog afraid of heights. Maybe he got into a fight with someone else and they fell, or he just fell off a bed or the couch and got hurt. Sometimes it can be situations that you don’t even know about.
How fear is recognized
No matter how scared your pet is, the symptoms to identify them are always the same. These are the most common:
- Trying to escape. When an animal is afraid of something and is not comfortable, the most logical thing is that it wants to leave. The problem is, if the fear is from heights and he is in a high place, going down can be difficult.
- He lies down hard on the floor. If he lies down on the floor, throwing himself forcefully backwards, this is a way to somatize his stress caused by the situation he is experiencing.
- Urine or defecation. This is a common reaction, as the body, in the face of fear, becomes paralyzed and loses control of the sphincters.
- Look for a place to hide. Maybe it’s a corner he can snuggle into or somewhere covered.
- Tremors. Shivering is one of the most common symptoms of fear.
- Aggressiveness. Even if you want to help him get out of where he is, your pet may perceive this as aggression and try to bite you, so be careful!
- Dilated pupils. Blood pressure in the face changes when we are afraid. This happens to people and also to animals. Pupils will be your dog’s warning sign. Usually, this alert will be accompanied by the back ears and the tail between the legs.
Can dogs with fear of heights be helped?
The truth is, fears are often linked to problems that are on your mind, so the best option for dealing with them will always be a canine psychologist.
However, there are things you can do to not encourage these fears. These are a few:
- Don’t pet it. Our tendency, when we see our pet going through a bad time, is to pet or cuddle, but that will only make them believe that what they’re feeling is normal, and that won’t help at all.
- Don’t scold him. Your feelings in this matter are not controllable – and the reprimand doesn’t make sense, plus you’ll push it away and it won’t help the animal feel better.
- Don’t try to force him out. If he’s in a high place, don’t force him. Wait for him to calm down a bit and offer your help. He will come to you when he is ready.
- Don’t want him to face his fears. Many say that the best way to get rid of fears is to face them. This doesn’t work with pets. Don’t make him come down from high places if you know he’s afraid, as this can make a trauma worse.
Remember all these tips and don’t forget that if your dog is afraid of heights, he will need the help of a canine psychologist.
