How to build your dog’s confidence
Yes! Building your dog’s confidence IS a thing. And if you’re here by chance and don’t understand why we would need to do this, then lucky you! You most likely have had confident and social-able dogs in your lifetime. However, this isn’t always the case. There are numerous dogs that struggle with confidence and curiosity. While sometimes it’s not an issue, it could lead to reactivity if the dog begins to feel fearful in uncomfortable environments. Socialization is essential because it shapes a dog’s behavior and temperament for life, helping them grow into well-adjusted, confident, and friendly adult dogs. But sometimes we rescue dogs later in their life or only discover that there is an issue after is arises. Either way, you can work on building your dog’s confidence at any stage of their training.
There are many reasons that attribute to a dog not being self-assured in certain environments or with particular people and dogs. The most common being simply that they have not been in these environments. A lot of puppies adopted during COVID lockdown were confined to our homes, desolate parks or empty stores. Therefore, their norm became the house and a few of the same reoccurring visitors. They become too familiar with one area, one group pf people and were not properly exposed to new noises, sights and smells during the pivotal time in their puppy development. Other reasons a dog might lack adequate socialization is isolation due to an illness, shelter or breeder environment, early trauma, overly cautious owners or simply genetics.
So, how do we do we build confidence in our dogs? We’re going to talk about four things to get you started! Next week, we’ll go over four more!
- Gradual Exposure. Begin with really being deliberate with your walking/outing locations. Find areas or times of day that may be less busy, quieter, and parks that are big enough that allow you dog to have their owns space. Allow your dog to notice triggers from far away and reward them when they behave well.
- Positive Reinforcement Training. If your dog already lacks the emotional tools necessary to feel confident in a new environment, adding a correction tool can cause way more controversy than needed. To start, pack up your dog’s favorite treats and reward generously throughout your walk for good behavior. It’s okay if they mess up. Let them figure out their emotions.
- Basic Commands. Sometimes the power of a basic obedience is underestimated. Interacting with your dog while out not only leads to better behaviors, but it keeps your dog engaged with you, instead of nearby triggers. When a dog knows what is expected or wanted from them, it can give them a sense of power which will lead to confidence. There are many things you can train withing a single command so no need to get fancy.
- Sensory. Allow your dog to walk on different textures, such as grass, stones, tile, etc. I also love having dogs jump on and over things that we encounter such as barriers or tables. Teaching them that they can overcome small obstacles (alongside you) helps tremendously. Movement also helps shake out their nerves.
Check back next week for more tips on how to build confidence!
Remember, anything is pawsible!
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