Neophobia in dogs refers to fear of what?

• A. Fear of unfamiliar people
• B. Fear of loud noises
• C. Fear of water
• D. Fear of novel things

Answer: (D)

Neophobia is the fear of novelty or new things. In dogs, this means they may show fear or avoidance when they encounter something unfamiliar—whether it’s a new object, a new environment, or a new experience. It’s not limited to unfamiliar people, loud noises, or water, which would be different specific fears (social fear, noise sensitivity, or aquaphobia). The idea of neophobia is that the trigger is the novelty itself, not a particular category of stimulus. Understanding this helps explain why some dogs react to a wide range of unfamiliar things as they encounter them, and it also points to approaches like gradual, positive exposure to new stimuli to reduce the fear response.