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Why is my dog so scared of everything? How can I help him relax?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | unneutered | 9 months and 4 days old

Why does he cower at my feet when I go to pet him or if walk towards him I've had him for about 2 months now and he's been doing this since the very day I brought him home when I call him he's scared to come and also when I take him for walks he puts his tail between his leg puts his ears back and barks at anyone and anything he sees he's even scared of trees I don't know he and he's scared of tall plants how can I make him loosen up and enjoy life instead of being a scardy cat all the time

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Menolly Cote, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on July 5th, 2017

I'm sorry to hear of your issues with Marley. He is lucky to have such a dedicated owner. Some dogs are fearful by nature. It is possible to overcome this behavior with dedicated behavior modification and a positive training environment. I would urge you to look for a positive reinforcement trainer in your area. Approaching is problem in an organized manner will be very helpful. To get you started this is a great resource: https://positively.com/contributors/help-for-the-fearful-dog-by-linda-michaels/

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on February 23rd, 2018

    Poor Marley! It sounds like he may have been frightened by the man for some reason (this doesn't necessarily mean that the man did anything in particular - Marley may have just been startled), and is now nervous and uncomfortable about seeing people who remind him of this. You can help by keeping Marley at a distance from people he seems nervous about, and praising and rewarding him with treats for being calm. If you need more help with Marley, I would recommend getting in touch with a good reward-based trainer or behaviorist who can evaluate him in person and help you put together a detailed training plan to help with his fear. You can look for information about finding someone in you area here: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/findabehaviourist

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