How to Help My Shut Down Dog? Step 1: Determine If They’re Actually Shut Down or Not
Freeze vs Shutdown in Dogs: What’s the Difference?
One of the most common misunderstandings in dog behaviour is confusing a dog in freeze with a dog who has shut down. They can look similar, but they come from very different emotional places. Understanding that difference is key to building trust and helping your dog recover safely. Both states need support, but the intensity and recovery process are not the same.
Freeze: A Natural Part of the Fight-Flight-Freeze Survival Response
Freeze is part of the body’s ancient survival system: fight, flight, or freeze. It’s the instinctive response to a perceived threat. A dog faced with danger has three options: fight, flee, or stay perfectly still and hope the threat passes. That last one is freeze.
When a dog freezes, their body is on high alert. Hormones flood the system, breathing becomes shallow, muscles tense, and pupils dilate. Their body is primed for action, and if freezing doesn’t work, they can instantly switch into fight or flight.
Shutdown: Beyond Survival, When the Dog Gives Up
Shutdown exists beyond fight, flight, or freeze. It’s a state of learned helplessness, when the nervous system gives up on the idea that survival is possible. In shutdown, the body says, “There’s no point fighting, fleeing, or freezing anymore. I’ll just numb myself and wait for it to end.”
Dogs in shutdown appear detached, unresponsive, and emotionally flat, either still without tension or moving in slow motion. It’s a devastating state that requires time, patience, and expertise to reverse, rebuilding trust, safety, and predictability along the way.
The Misdiagnosis Problem
Many well-meaning owners and trainers have learned about “shutdown” and the importance of avoiding it, which is excellent in principle. The issue is that many have never actually seen, let alone rehabilitated, a truly shut-down dog. With only textbook definitions to go by, they start labelling every dog who hesitates, shows nerves, or resists as “shut down.”
This misunderstanding comes from care, but it also reflects a lack of experience with genuine shut down cases. Hesitation, avoidance, and mild fear are normal parts of communication. Treating every pause as shutdown can stall progress, as the dog may simply need calm guidance, reassurance, or gentle help to work through the situation.
True shutdown is tragic, but it is rare. Most dogs who may be mistakenly describesd as “shut down” are actually showing a freeze response, or simply expressing that they don’t want to do what’s being asked.
Recognising True Shutdown in Dogs
Shutdown shouldn’t be diagnosed when a dog simply “doesn’t want to walk,” “freezes briefly,” or “disengages from training.” It’s a state of total collapse that a dog does not come out of easily.
As a guide: if your dog freezes, resists, or hesitates but can recover within a day or so - they resume eating, playing, or engaging again once pressure is reduced - they are not shut down. If you ever find yourself wondering whether your dog is shut down, they’re not. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll know.
The Takeaway: Shut Down is Rare
Learning to tell the difference between freeze and shutdown helps you respond appropriately to help your dog. If your dog is exhibiting fight/flight/freeze responses OR shut down, reach out to one of the Honest Hounds Affiliates for guidance.
About the Author
Jess Williams is a Scotland-based dog trainer and behaviourist and founder of Storm’s Squad Dog Training, specialising in complex behavioural cases including aggression, resource guarding, touch sensitivity, and cases involving medical and behavioural overlap. She is also an Honest Hounds Affiliate Trainer, where she provides expert education and behavioural insights for dog owners worldwide.
