Dogs become nervous for different reasons. Some are born more timid than others. But for the most part, when you are dealing with a nervous dog, the animal is showing this behavior due to something that has happened in his past. Unless you know everything about this dog's history, which is rare, you will have to start from scratch when it comes to training a nervous dog.
Things You'll Need
- Slip chain collar
- Long leash
- Hot dogs
- Zip lock bag
- Fanny pack
Instructions
Try to determine what is making your dog nervous. Is he afraid of you, other people, other dogs, or unusual surroundings? Do your best to narrow this down by carefully exposing your dog to a few different things and closely observing his body language. A nervous dog will tuck his tail, back up, cower and sometimes even snap at you or anyone close to him.
Begin your training by bonding with this animal. No matter what her reasons are for being nervous, she will ultimately respond to you as she learns to trust you. Most all dogs are food driven, so this is a good place to start. Slice some hot dogs up in nickel sized pieces, place them in a zip lock bag and put them in a fanny pack that is around your waist.
Take your dog to a nice, quiet area in your home or your yard and get him as close to you as possible by offering the hot dog treats. Do not force any obedience training at this point. Simply offer the treats as you kneel or sit close to him. This gives him a chance to learn to trust you, and realize that you are the giver of treats. This must all be a positive experience in the beginning, in order to bring the dog out of his shell. If he is too nervous to eat, simply pet and coax, and remember to be patient. You may have to try this step a number of times before the dog will actually take a treat from you.
Try putting your dog in the car and taking him for a ride. Most dogs love car rides. It forces them to rely only on you, simply because there is no one else in the car. Let her hang her head out the window and look at the different surroundings. You can feed treats in the car as well.
Stop off at a quiet park, where there are few distractions. Again, your goal is to put the dog in a position where he only has you to rely on. So he must learn to trust you. Continue to offer treats, and watch his body language carefully. After a while, you should see a change in his expression, and see his tail come up as he becomes more relaxed.
Begin to socialize the dog once she is comfortable with you. Take her to a dog park where there are more people around, or to a pet store that allows animals in on a leash. The socialization process is key. Be sure to inform anyone who wants to approach her that she is shy. Tell them to simply allow her to approach them, if she chooses to. Do not allow anyone to bend over your dog to pet her at this point. This is a dominant posture, and will likely frighten her. If she approaches them willingly, they should kneel down to her level to show affection.
Prepare to move on to your obedience training, as soon as your dog is showing signs that his confidence has grown. This means his tail is up, he looks happy, and is willing to socialize with other dogs and people. Use your hot dog treats to encourage the basic commands: Sit, Down, Stay, and Come when called. Always use positive reinforcement, to be sure your dog does not regress, and go back to being timid and nervous.