Do You Know What Learned Helplessness Is?
It’s common to hear about learned helplessness, but in people. This occurs in abused women and children with major trauma. However, although it is not very common, this is a problem that our pets can also have.
Let’s talk more about this topic, as it’s possible that your dog is going through this and that you don’t quite know what it’s about. Even if you do, learning more about this topic is important for everyone who owns a pet.
What is learned helplessness
Learned helplessness is an animal’s way of acting passively in aggressive situations. I mean, the pet has realized that many things are not going to change and, therefore, he resigns himself to the conditions with a totally pessimistic attitude and no will to live.
He simply lets himself go, no matter if it’s abuse or abuse, he lives because he breathes, but without any desire to live.
This disease is related to depression and mental disorders, resulting from the lack of control in certain situations.
Well, is it necessary for a dog to be mistreated for it to develop learned helplessness? No. If you often fight with your dog because they want to go one way instead of the other, for dirtying the floor, for pulling the leash, for spilling their water or any other kind of unimportant thing, all of that, added up, turns the animal’s life into hell.
He feels rejected, unloved, and a nuisance to humans for the attitude with which they take care of him. The result? The animal no longer responds to orders, it does not want to play, it only eats what is necessary, in short, it becomes the undead.
We have to be careful not to act like this with our pet, as, little by little, it could influence its mind and turn into learned helplessness.
Unfortunately, this is an aspect that many well-known dog handlers take advantage of. Put the animal under an uncontrollable stress situation so that it does what they want. For example, if the dog is aggressive when going outside, handlers suggest putting on a tight collar and a short leash, what could the furry do against that?
A continual act of situations like this causes the animal to develop learned helplessness.
Are there any solutions to learned helplessness?
It may be that you have adopted a dog that unfortunately suffers from this disorder. Possibly it was a mistreated or abandoned dog that is now always downcast. At first you thought you were a good dog, but little by little you realized something was wrong.
It’s possible that it’s learned helplessness. It’s simple, your dog has no will to live.
Can he overcome learned helplessness? Let’s be honest, it won’t be an easy road. However, animal psychologists could help you a lot in the process. Talk to your veterinarian to advise you on a mechanism to help your dog, if you don’t know one, or to refer you to an animal psychologist.
At home, practice positive reinforcement, affection, love, gentleness in your words, and spend time with your pet. Time plays an essential role in this process. If you don’t have time, your dog had better be adopted by another family. Sad to say this, but it’s the starkest reality.
It takes time to walk around with him, play with him and try to find out what he likes. It will be very helpful to talk to the shelter where you adopted him, to give him details of his past, such as the type of abuse he has suffered. Then do just the opposite of what their former owners did. For example, if you never took him for a walk, take him. If they kept him on a leash that choked him, let him loose in a place where he could run. If yelled at him, speak sweetly.
In short, show your dog that you love him, that everything has changed, and that he is worth living.
