When fear prevents us from moving forward, it is impossible to discover the surrounding world. Everything seems hostile, the only solution for the dog is toavoid the encounter, to give up exploring. And the less new things he discovers, the more terrified he is!
“As soon as my dog is on the street, he panics, he refuses to move forward. I have to wear it to go to the park, but he does not defecate there because he is so stressed because of the noises and the people who pass by. He defecates in the apartment which is very annoying. And if I scold him, he's even more scared! ”
The deprivation syndrome
Sensory deprivation syndrome is also called “kennel syndrome” (Kennel syndrom) because it often affects dogs that have developed in an environment that is poor in stimulation, such as a box in a closed kennel. Depending on the age at which he leaves this place where very little was happening, the dog has more or less difficulty adapting to the new.
During the first two or three months of his life, his nervous system develops under the influence of the experiments carried out. The more the brain is stimulated, the more the network of its nerve cells develops and becomes more complex. The variety of stimulations allows the dog to test numerous response modes that will allow him to subsequently choose the one that is most suited to the situation.
The less stimulated a puppy is in the first weeks of life, the fewer tools he has to deal with new situations, the less he explores his environment, the less experience he has... and the more reasons he has to be afraid.
A genetic component is possible
There is no more fearful breed, or a braver breed, but it is possible to select families or lines of dogs that are more timid or fearful and have heightened reactions to the stressors in their environment.
Even within a litter, it is possible to spot one or more fearful, more reserved puppies.
Emotional instability and attachment
The presence of the mother allows the young puppy to regain his composure. Any new situation causes an emotion, and maternal contact gives the puppy a feeling of protection associated with a state of well-being that allows him to modulate the intensity of the emotion.
Remember that the minimum age for free or expensive transfers is 8 weeks, as the puppy needs to stay with his mother long enough for her to teach him how to behave.
The events and interactions encountered between two and three months of age have a very big influence on the subsequent functioning of the brain.
Puppies that come from battery farms in Eastern Europe, or those who leave their farms very late (unsold), have not experienced a universe as rich and stimulating as those who live in families from the age of two months.
Some puppies who are very shy at the time of adoption quickly become attached to their new family. Thanks to this reassuring and calming base, they discover new things and manage to get used to them by overcoming their initial fears.
The evolution is often unfavorable
When the fear is too strong, permanent, the dog is overwhelmed by emotions, he can't think, he can't learn. He becomes ill, with digestive, cardiac, cutaneous symptoms, etc.
The dog may be reassured by a soothing attachment being (his owner, another adult dog), but the number of his daily fears has not decreased. It remains very sensitive and not very adaptable to sudden changes in its environment.
Loneliness triggers a state of distress in dogs, with whining, howling, sometimes destruction, and even uncleanliness.
In adulthood, these dogs can show even more signs of malaise, with bulimia or compulsive licking of a part of their body.
These dogs are in pain
Management of fears is necessary as soon as a dog experiences difficulties in the face of novelty.
When his emotion is excessive, surprise paralyzes him, he flees and panics, he is not able to explore. These reactions prevent him from acquiring new behaviors and adapting to the situation.
The Jagger & Lewis necklace goes with you
Our Jagger and Lewis necklace detects behaviors that may be signs of Deprivation syndrome in your animal: its Vocals (barking, whimpering), his gasps, sound activity level And of resting, sound Nocturnal activity, the presence of activity substitutions (licking, bulimia...)... We combine this data with the information you provide us with about what your animal is afraid of and at what intensity, as well as its level of aggressiveness in the face of these stimuli. An assessment of his stress level will then be provided to you on your Jagger&Lewis application.
- Any diagnosis can only be made by a veterinarian but the data detected can help him and the behavioral data from the collar can be sent to your veterinarian to help him make his diagnosis.
- If your veterinarian takes care of this condition, you can check the improvement of the symptoms over time.
