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My Bulldog is terrified of everything! My English Bulldog so scared of everything. It doesn’t like balls, loud noises, when we cough, or a plastic grocery bag on the floor… etc are some common questions about English Bulldogs.
Are English Bulldogs scared of everything? Usually, English bulldogs are not scared and they are portrayed as a very sociable dog breed. But, under some specific conditions such as lack of socialization, genetic predisposition, traumatic situations, changes in the environment, and daily routine, an English Bulldog can get scared.
Therefore, it is important to understand the signs that tell you, your bully is scared and what is more crucial is taking the necessary steps to make him recover.
Do English bulldogs get scared easily?
Usually, scary is not in the vocabulary of English Bulldogs. They are born to be social and obviously, they are friendly and you do not need to worry about introducing your bully to new people.
Therefore, it is said that English bulldogs are not easily scared and their personality is composed without the element of fear.
But, there are exceptional situations where your English bulldog might display signs of fear or that he is scared. Those situations can be natural or unnatural.
So, it can be said that the English bulldogs becoming easily scared might depend on several factors that belong to nature and nurture.
12 Signs Your English Bulldog Is Unnaturally Scared
Well, if you want to help your poor bully when he is scared, first you should understand his body language which depicts different and unique signs.
Therefore, before everything, you should make sure that your bully is scared. Check out the below signs and decide whether your bully is scared of something for real.
- Tail tucked
- Put his head down
- Shivering
- Trembling
- Drag his ears back
- Showing teeth
- Growling
- Panting
- Freezing
- Moving out in slow-motion
- Try to hide
- Try to get covered behind you
You might think that signs such as growling and showing teeth might be displayed since your bully is aggressive at such moments. But, it has been discovered that there’s a hidden fear behind such actions.
So, do not ever come to a decision just after a shallow level of observance.
Then, the next important task you have to do after identifying the signs that tell your bully pal is scared, is to discover the possible reasons. Let’s see why your bully is so scared of almost everything.
Why Is My English Bulldog So Scared Of Everything?
When discovering the possible reasons for your bully to become scared of almost everything, you have to pay attention to several important factors.
No worries, we have broken down all the possible reasons in a way that makes it easy to understand. Remember, there can be some unique reasons that affect only your bully and I have shared some common reasons with you.
1 . Lack Of Socialization
You already know that bulldogs are a sociable breed of dog. They love people around them and often try to engage more with their owners and the people around them.
But, there are some instances where your bully does not prefer to be sociable and he might show shyness or discomfort when he is taken out to a public place. Eventually, it can develop inside them as fear or they become easily scared of everything around them.
So, lack of socialization has been identified as one of the major reasons for an English bulldog to become scared. You probably know that a bully pup should be exposed to society and they should be allowed to socialize when they are between 8 to 16 weeks of age.
As a result of lacking the factor of socialization, your bully might become scared of everything at any time since he is not familiar with new people and objects.
2 . Changes In The Environment
Have you ever had the feeling of being all alone and a bit scared when you are in a new place? It might be a new apartment or a new bunch of friends.
Bulldogs sense the change quickly and they are unable to grab the change and adjust according to the new environment. It takes time. So in between, a bully might feel insecure and start getting scared of everything around him.
Like humans, bully friends can also feel this change in a new apartment, new park, or with a new bunch of doggos.
3 . Traumatic Situations
It is quite normal to become scared in a traumatic situation and even after remembering such a traumatic experience. This largely affects dogs and especially English bulldogs since they are so sensitive.
A single traumatic experience can haunt your poor bully throughout life and it is very difficult to chase the fear from his heart.
4 . Painful Experiences
Pain is a major reason for your bully to become scared and he is so sensitive toward such experiences.
Sometimes, he shows it as a sign of fear but it can be a hidden pain he is reacting to.
All of the above situations should be identified by you before your bear bully becomes a victim of fear and getting scared more often is not good for his mental and physical health both.
Apart from the above-mentioned situations, there are some other common things that your bully is scared of. You might also have noticed that your bully pal is scared of the below list.
Have a look!
- Loud noises
- Other dogs
- Kids
- Strangers
- Public places
- Going for walks
So, you have to be so kind when attending to this matter since your poor little bully knows only to make you aware that he is scared. He cannot tell you that he is undergoing a painful situation.
Therefore, it is important to get to know how to take your bully friend out of that misery and train him to be less scared.
How To Get Your Scared English Bulldog To Be Less Scared Of Things?
Up until now, I shared with you why your bully is scared of almost everything he is met with and what are the possible reasons.
So, now it is the time to find answers and tips to make your bully pal comfortable and easy with scary things. Let’s see what you can do about it and how you can take your bully out of this scary issue.
- Get to Know the Dog on Their Time.
- Create a Comfortable Environment.
- Use Food to Encourage Closeness.
- Bring Some Toys into the Mix.
- Try Pheromones.
- Brush Your Dog.
1 . Socialize Your Bulldog From Puppyhood
You know the importance of socializing a doggy ball and the way it affects their future. In the same way, a bulldog should be socialized at a major level since they are born to be a sociable breed.
Take him out for walks and get him to interact with other pups. You can even take him to a puppy club too and let him enjoy the company of friends and not get scared to introduce your bully to new people or visitors.
2 . Teach Your Bully To Tolerate Loud Noises
If your bully pal is often scared of loud noises, you can slowly train his ears to such noises. Do not be quick with the procedure and give him time to grab the idea that it is ok.
You can record the sounds that he is scared of and play them at a low volume. Then, gradually increase the volume and let them feel that there is nothing to be scared of. Remember to be gentle with this activity since you are dealing with your poor bully’s ears.
3 . Take Your Bully To Play With Other Dogs
Commonly, your bully is a bit scared of interacting with other dogs. In such instances, your neighboring dogs can help him out.
You can take your bully pal to play with them if their owners are allowed and give him some toys while motivating him to play. But, make sure the other dogs are not aggressive toward your bully.
4 . Walk Your Bully When The Rods Are Not Too Busy
Sometimes, your bully pal is scared of people and the jam-packed nature of the roads. In such instances, try to take him out for walks when the roads are calm and not many people and vehicles are found.
Do it slowly and gradually your bully will get confirmed that he is safe on the road and has nothing to be scared of.
Always try to expose your bully to the things he is scared of. But, not all at once since you have to deal with this problem more patiently. By exposing him to the scared situations and places slowly, he will learn and feel that there’s nothing to be scared of.
But, remember, if the situation is more critical like your bully often pants and freezes, the best solution is to consult the vet. No matter what you do, you should prioritize the mental health of your bully pal.
Conclusion
Calming down a scared bulldog is not easy as it seems. You have to be very patient and kind when attending to his issue of fear. There’s no point in scolding them or yelling at them while pressuring them to do what they are scared of.
Always be kind to your bully and gently follow the above-mentioned tips and tricks to make him less scared. But, on top of all the most important part is identifying what he is scared of through close observation of his body language.
FAQs
Should you cuddle a scared dog?
Don’t rush to hug, instead remove the dog from the situation, let it calm down naturally, and re-introduce it to the thing making it scared, gradually.
Does yelling scare dogs?
Yelling at your dog can make your dog nervous and fearful. Yelling also can make your dog less likely to respond to your commands, which makes you more frustrated and likely to yell.
Why is my dog scared of literally everything?
Lack of Socialization. A common reason for fear in dogs is a lack of positive exposure to new people, animals and environments during the critical fear period of the puppy socialization process.
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