Why is my Cane Corso so scared?
Cane Corsos are not one of those dog breeds that are known to be fearful. Nevertheless, it can always happen that a larger Cane Corso reacts fearfully to different situations. In this post, I’ll go into more detail about why your Cane Corso might be scared and what you can do about it.
The reasons why a Cane Corso is scared can be many. If a Cane Corso has not been socialized properly, he may be fearful in unknown situations. But also pain due to illness can cause anxiety and promote unwanted misbehavior such as aggressiveness.
Reasons why your Cane Corso is scared!
Cane Corsos are large, muscular dogs known for their confidence and fearlessness. But even with the Cane Corso, different situations can cause them to become fearful all at once.
Lack of socialization
Socialization means that you familiarize your dog with all kinds of situations from the beginning.
If your Cane Corso is introduced to strangers, other dogs, noisy children, cars, etc., in the first few months, he is less likely to be fearful when he gets older.
Socialization is an essential aspect of dog training and should not be neglected.
Anything new to your Cane Corso can frighten him. For this reason, he should be introduced to as much as possible from the beginning.
Separation anxiety
Cane Corsos do not like to be left alone and can develop separation anxiety. Cane Corsos love to cuddle with their owners and prefer to be near them.
However, if you now have to leave your dog alone for several hours a day, but you don’t prepare him properly for this, it can cause separation anxiety. The result is that your Cane Corso barks when he is alone and maybe even destroys your apartment and chews up everything.
Loud banging on New Year’s Eve
Most dogs, including Cane Corso, are afraid of sudden loud and sustained banging.
Bad experiences
If your adult Cane Corso is fearful, it may be because he had bad experiences as a puppy.
Experiences your puppy has can be formative for his later life. Poor treatment or even mistreatment may be why your Cane Corso is fearful now.
Of course, the same is true for adult dogs who are victims of violence and develop fears later.
Cane Corsos are usually good with other dogs. But if they have had bad experiences, that can be the reason why they are fearful.
Pain / Diseases
Dogs suffer silently and secretly. Pain and illness can be the cause of why your Cane Corso is fearful. Often you don’t notice when a dog is in pain.
If your Cane Corso is limping because he has injured himself and is in a lot of pain, this can be the reason for anxious behavior.
How to recognize that your Cane Corso is scared?
Several symptoms will tell you that your Cane Corso is anxious. These include behavioral symptoms:
- Your Cane Corso freezes when he is anxious. He just won’t take another step.
- He wants to run and escape from a scary situation.
- Your Cane Corso can become aggressive when he is scared.
- But fooling around could also be a sign of fear.
- Your Cane Corso can be destructive when he is scared
However, fear can also manifest in overreactions such as licking wounds, riding up, or constantly drinking.
If your Cane Corso exhibits the following postures, there’s a good chance he’s anxious:
- The most familiar is the tucked tail. A Cane Corso with a tucked tail, sometimes to below the belly, is fearful.
- A crouched posture is a sign of anxiety.
- When dogs are stressed, they pant more than normal. This can be a sign of anxiety.
- Dogs shiver not only when they are cold but also when they are anxious.
What to do when your Cane Corso is scared?
If you notice that your Cane Corso is scared in a specific situation, you should try to get him out of the situation if possible.
For example, if you are in a shopping street or at a fair and your Cane Corso suddenly shows symptoms of fear, you should get him out of the situation as soon as possible and not stress him unnecessarily long.
In most cases, it is not possible to calm him down on the spot because he is simply not responsive.
If it is impossible to escape the situation, you must be there for your Cane Corso and try to calm him down until the situation is over.
Related Cane Corso Posts:
Cane Corsos are very cuddly. Just pet him and calm him down. However, you should not pet him excessively. This could only exacerbate the situation and his anxiety.
Exercises to make your Cane Corso more confident
If you know what scares your Cane Corso, you should try to introduce him to the situation slowly.
Fear of cars
If your Cane Corso is afraid of cars, you should slowly get him used to them. To do this, do not go to a busy main road, but somewhere where you can watch cars from a safe distance.
Your dog must learn that there is no danger. To do this, your Cane Corso should notice the stimulus that frightens him, but it should not be so strong that he can no longer concentrate on you.
You can play with him or reward him with a treat when he stands quietly next to you.
Fear of fireworks
If your Cane Corso is afraid of fireworks, you can get him used to it slowly but surely.
Just go to Youtube and look for fireworks videos. You can then play these again and again quietly when you are together in the living room.
So he gets used to the noise slowly. Slowly you can increase the volume and duration; ideally, it will be a normal noise for him.
Fear of other dogs
If you know someone with a calm dog, meeting is ideal. Arrange a casual, brief meeting. Entertain each other from a safe distance. Your dog is aware of the other dog but has enough safety distance and realizes that everything is fine. If your dog is afraid of other dogs, you must proceed slowly and carefully.
You can decrease the distance from time until you can take the first walk together.
The logic of all fears is simple: you must slowly expose your fearful Cane Corso to the stimulus that frightens him. Initially, he should notice it, but the trigger should not cause fear directly. Now you can approach it very slowly.
Tip: Chewing calms dogs. Give your Cane Corso a chew toy* when he is anxious. This calms him down and distracts him at the same time.
The important thing is to take care of your dog and give him the time he needs. If he often jumps forward in fright, a harness for your Cane Corso is recommended to avoid hurting him.
Conclusion: Why is your Cane Corso so fearful?
There are many different reasons why a Cane Corso is afraid. The most important are probably bad experiences or lack of socialization.
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Marco
I am Marco, and I am very lucky to live with 3 big Mastiff-type dogs. In this blog, I want to share all my experiences and knowledge about dogs.
