How to Make Your Dog More Confident?

The best way to build confidence in a frightened dog is to spend time with them. It is the simplest way to go about it as well.

Just be the consistent and calming presence in their lives, and many insecurities would disappear. For starters, you should never approach your dog. Instead, let them approach you.

Always keep some delicious treats handy and give them to your dog when they can muster up the courage to come up to you. If your dog is insecure, you must never make eye contact with them as it appears threatening to them.      

You must be careful never to raise your voice with them. Never move in any way that they do not expect you to. Also, be careful about holding any object around your baby. This is especially true in cases where you suspect that your little angel has faced abuse earlier in life. 

5 Ways to Boost Your Dogs Confidence

1. Playing around them and with them

If your dog feels highly insecure, it may not have the courage to play with you. It is especially applicable if your pet has faced abuse earlier in life.

In such cases, you may not be wrong in suspecting that the interaction between you both may not be a positive one to begin with.

However, dogs cannot resist interacting with playful people, especially for a long time. Still, if your dog is not playing around, you can play around them.

You can start by showing interest in them and tossing toys around them. You can play bow in their direction by bending over, followed by a jump away.

You can gently slap your hands or side and encourage them to chase you. However, you must be careful. You need to ensure that your dog does not interpret these actions as a show of aggression or strength on your part.

The best way to go about it is to provide your dog with a route to escape with ease and plenty of space to move about. Move away from your dog and not towards them. 

2. Being disarming and showing trust 

If you want your insecure dog to trust you, you must also show trust in them. You would have to get down at their level and let your pet approach you to your face. You can often yawn since dogs know that yawning means no harm to another person.

If your dog is showing the willingness for you to touch them, you can go ahead. However, you need to make sure you do it in an easy way to defend yourself if they feel the need to do so. One of the best things you can do is scratch their chest underneath the chin.

It is better than doing the same thing on their back or head. Never restrain your dog physically until it does not become necessary.  

3. Taking slow walks 

Once you can see that your dog has learned to trust you and is willing to be put on a leash and be led around, you can start taking some slow walks.

These walks are a great way to build confidence in them. Most dogs love going for walks. When you walk together, it brings out the deepest instincts they feel when part of a pack.

It is like moving across the world with their mates. When walking, you must let your dog sniff around as much as they like. Sniffing indicates that your dog is interested and of a curious nature. It is the complete opposite of submission and insecurity.

The more they sniff, the higher the chance they would come out of their shells. Do you have another dog in the family? In that case, you can take both out for a walk together. That way, your insecure dog would gain much confidence from the positive one.    

4. Obedience training 

Even the most basic dog training could be a long way for your frightened dog to start using their brains and feel positive in general. It can help them become confident. Pet parents usually wait for some time before they start such obedience training. They want them to be less insecure.

However, if you wish to reduce your dog’s fear levels, training them is one of the best ways to choose. You should always keep these sessions as short as possible.

You need to ensure that they stay positive throughout the training session. If you want to motivate your frightened dog, one of the best ways would be to use treats.

Clicker training can also be highly effective in these cases. It is particularly effective in obedience training dogs who have been abused earlier on in their lives. The thing with a clicker is that it does not have a negative connotation that a human voice does. Even more important than that, a clicker is always consistent – there are no irregularities here.

5. Rewarding confident behavior

Always pay attention to how your frightened dog is behaving. Always be quick to reward your pet. It will show any sign of confidence.

Did your dog get into a room where they previously were afraid to go? Treat them straight away. Did your dog come to you and ask to be petted? Did they bring a toy for you?

In that case, you can indulge in a gentle game of fetch or tug with them. The bottom line is that if and when you see your frightened dog behaving confidently, reward them without wasting time. Therefore, you should always carry treats with you at all times.