A psychological state where an animal is repeatedly hurt mentally or physically and has no way to change that situation. It can be identified by the animal being shut down, and it may appear as if it is paralyzed by fear or completely unresponsive.
reference: Karen Wallace 2018, Learned Helplessness - what does it mean to a fearful dog?, The Dogworks, accessed 18 April 2024, <https://thedogworks.biz/free-resources/learned-helplessness-what-does-it-mean-to-a-fearful-dog>
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