11/14/2025
To be wary of the novel and unfamiliar supports the survival of all animals.
When something looks, moves, feels, sounds, a little different than other things we are used to its perfectly normal to be cautious until we know better. Some dogs are more "optimistic" where they are more easily convinced that something is safe and other are more "pessimistic" where it takes more time for them to trust something. This is a function largely of genetics but also of learned history especially during their critical period for socialization - pre 14-16 weeks of age. This is why puppy socialization to a wide range of things is so important.
But my point here is to remember that your dog being worried or fearful about something does not mean they are broken or were once abused (sure that would influence it but so do many other things as mentioned above.) Fear, hesitation or worry are actually a very normal set of responses to novelty or "funny pictures" when viewed from an evolutionary perspective, because they help you survive!
So rather than laughing, being frustrated (though yes, that is a very real sentiment!), or certainly getting mad at our dogs when they are nervous about something new (or old) let's set them up to build trust with these things and work through it. Remember that being a dog in a world of human rules and norms can be challenging!
