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Why is my dog scared of loud noises and men, acting fearful?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Why is my dog scared of noises and men. She too toes around the house and only in my room she's comfortable and with me. She seems paranoid with everything but me and my room

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on March 14th, 2017

Poor pup! It sounds like your dog is a fearful girl in general - this can be due to genetics, lack of early socialization, negative early experiences in life, or some combination of all three. Many fearful dogs are afraid of loud noises, and are often more fearful of men because they are physically larger and have louder, deeper voices than women. Generally speaking, a treatment plan for this type of problem would involve managing your dog so that she isn't put in stressful or scary situations as much as possible, as well as working with her to help associate good things (like treats!) with men, noises, and other things that frighten her. Depending on how severe her anxiety is, medication may also be helpful. I would suggest making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate her in person - he/she can put together a detailed plan to help you work on this problem, and can also prescribe anti-anxiety medication for her if needed. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

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