How to Give My Dog More Confidence

Some dogs are naturally more outgoing and social than other dogs. If you have a dog who is extremely timid and shy and appears to have no confidence whatsoever, there are some exercises you can introduce to him that should shore up his confidence and make him less submissive. A dog may lack confidence because of former abuse or inadequate social interaction or even emotional trauma. The owner needs to be kind, consistent and provide a safe environment for the dog so he can gain confidence.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog treats
  • Obedience training
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Instructions

  1. What to Do

    • 1

      Teaching your dog basic obedience will result in a more confident animal. When, for example, you teach your dog to sit and he obeys the command, this gives him something to do and focus on rather than being afraid, notes Caryl Wolff, a dog trainer from Dogtime.com. When you tell your dog what to do, this frees him from making a decision. He does what you have instructed him to do. If your dog has difficulty making decisions, this creates stress and weakens his confidence. Take the burden off of him by teaching in the basics and making the decisions for him.

    • 2

      Playing tug of war with your puppy and letting him win helps build confidence. Let the puppy grab the end of the towel. He will pull on it. Let him have it and praise him for winning. Keep playing this game. As he gets more confident and starts pulling more aggressively offer some resistance and tug back, but always let him win the battle.

    • 3

      Get down on the floor with your dog and place your head underneath his neck. This allows him to be the alpha or dominant dog, which a submissive dog never is in the dog world. Give him a taste of what dominance is like.

    • 4

      Watch your dog as another dog approaches. A dog who acknowledges that another dog is the alpha dog may roll over onto his back. This is his way of telling the other dog that he is no threat. If you teach your dog to sit and command him to do so he will sit instead of rolling over when a larger dog approaches. If you watch your dog as the other dog approaches, you will see that his body language changes. Put yourself in front of your dog. This lets the dogs know that you are controlling the space and your dog will feeler safer and more confident.

    • 5

      Enlist someone to help you perform this exercise with your dog. The helper avoids eye contact with the dog while remaining still and quiet, standing next to the dog in a sideways position but an ample distance from the animal. Let the dog initiate contact with the helper when he feels like it. This may take a while. The helper can then crouch down, staying in the sideways stance, eyes still averted, which is a non-threatening posture. The helper should hold a treat and extend her hand in the direction of the dog, dropping the treat. The dog will probably take the treat and then retreat. The helper needs to leave her hand extended but she should not reach out or try to touch the dog. The next time you do this the helper should keep the treat in her extended hand. Eventually the dog will take the treat out of the helper's hand.