Understanding the 4 F’s of Fear in Dogs: How does your dog say they're afraid?

When our dogs feel scared or overwhelmed, they can’t always tell us in ways we easily understand. Instead, their bodies automatically react to fear to try and keep them safe. These natural fear responses are known as the 4 F’s of Fear. They are Flight, Freeze, Fight and Fidget/Fool Around. Knowing what these responses look like can help you understand what your dog is really feeling in those tricky moments.

Let’s break each one down with clear examples so you can spot them in your own dog.

Flight: The Need to Escape

What is Flight? Flight is when a dog’s first instinct is to get away from what scares them. They might try to create distance quickly because their body is telling them to move to safety.

What It Looks Like:

• Pulling hard on the lead to move away

• Trying to hide behind people or furniture

• Running away suddenly

• Tucking the tail low and keeping the body close to the ground

  
  

Example: If your dog spots another dog in the distance and suddenly tries to cross the road or turn back towards home, this is the flight response in action. They are not ignoring you. They are simply trying to feel safe.

What to Do: Give your dog space and support their need to move away. Never force them to stay close to something they want to avoid.

Freeze: The Still Statue

What is Freeze? Freeze is when a dog goes completely still. It can seem like they have shut down or are stuck in place. This can happen when a dog feels trapped and has no safe option to move away.

What It Looks Like:

• Body stiff and motionless

• Wide, unblinking eyes

• Tight muscles and holding breath

• Sometimes drooling or staring without reacting

  
  

Example: A dog might freeze on a walk when a loud vehicle passes, standing completely still and unable to move even when you call them.

What to Do: Do not pull them forward. Gently encourage them to move with soft words or offer a high value treat. If they stay frozen, calmly lead them away from the situation and give them time to recover.

Fight: The Defensive Warning

What is Fight? Fight is when a dog uses behaviours like growling or snapping to defend themselves. This is usually a last resort when they feel they have no other option to escape.

What It Looks Like:

• Growling or barking

• Snapping or biting

• Hard stare

• Raised hackles (the fur along their back stands up)

  
  

Example: If someone forces a dog to wear a harness they are afraid of, the dog might growl or snap to ask for space.

What to Do: Never punish growling or snapping. These are important warning signals. Instead, stop what you are doing and give the dog a chance to calm down. Work with a behaviourist or behaviour consultant to build trust and create positive experiences around the trigger.

Fidget: The Fooling Around Response

What is Fidget? Fidget is when a dog shows lots of small restless behaviours because they are uncomfortable and unsure what to do. Some people call this “fooling around” behaviour.

What It Looks Like:

• Pacing, spinning or barking without clear purpose

• Sniffing the ground suddenly

• Yawning, lip licking or scratching

• Jumping up, offering lots of different tricks or "attention seeking" behaviours, sometimes even looks like play

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Example: If you show your dog their harness and they start jumping around, grabbing toys or sniffing the floor in a busy way, they might be feeling nervous about the harness but don’t know how else to cope.

What to Do: Stay calm and give them something simple and positive to do like a sniffing game or gentle play. Keep the sessions short and break things down into small steps.

Why Understanding the 4 F’s Matters

When fear responses are ignored, dogs may feel forced to move from flight to fight because they don’t know how else to keep themselves safe. This is when things can become harder for both the dog and their guardian.

What You Can Do to Help

• Watch your dog carefully and learn what their individual signs of fear look like

• Avoid forcing them into situations where they feel stuck

• Give your dog more control and choice when possible

• Use positive reinforcement to help your dog build new, happy associations

• If your dog struggles often, working with a qualified behaviourist or behaviour consultant can help you create a safe and supportive plan