How to Rebuild Your Trust With Your Dog

A fraught situation at the dog park mishandled, a road trip turned into an extended vet visit, a bite on the arm ̷0; any traumatic circumstance can cause your dog's trust in you, or yours in him, to vanish. But you can rebuild it. The process might change everything you thought you knew about dogs, but it will improve yours and Ginger̵7;s lives forever.

  1. See From Your Dog's Eyes

    • Identify a plausible cause for the breach of trust. This means keeping an open mind. You could be the problem. Dr. Patricia McConnell, an eminent certified animal behaviorist, wrote "The Other End of the Leash," a classic text on understanding the canine frame of reference. McConnell suggests that, regardless of circumstance, attempting to see the world and yourself through your pooch̵7;s eyes will provide answers you haven̵7;t found within purely human notions of how things ought to be. After identifying the cause of tension, real or perceived, you̵7;ve made the first step toward repairing your trust with her.

    She Stays Out Late and Won̵7;t Answer the Phone

    • Examine the recent crop of troubling behaviors. How has your dog behaved, and how have you responded? When she enters the room, are you happy to see her or cold? How does she act -- does she willingly approach, cower or flash her teeth? If she behaves meekly or avoids contact with you, then the solution is simple. Exercise, praise, and playtime should restore her enthusiasm and eventually rebuild your trust in each other. On the other hand, if she̵7;s aggressive, seek a certified behaviorist or trainer.

    Doing Time in Therapy

    • Aggression is a complex behavioral issue. As Dr. Meghan Herron, a research veterinarian at Ohio State University, states: ̶0;The source of dog aggression has nothing to do with social hierarchy, but it does, in fact, have to do with fear.̶1; To break this cycle, it̵7;s best to have a trained specialist to guide you; otherwise, somebody is going to get bitten. An objective pair of eyes will re-examine the patterns of behavior in your household that have allowed the situation to escalate so dangerously. The Humane Society recommends positive reinforcement training over any of the corrections-based or domination training methods, as research studies have shown them to aggravate the symptoms of fear.

    Oh the Places You Will Go

    • Trust is an ongoing process. And it has to be reciprocal. By gaining control of yourself and your own mistrust, you̵7;ll do much to allay Ginger̵7;s fears as well as any aggressive tendencies. Whether hiking along the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains, snoozing on a shining San Diego beach, or just going to the local dog park, your years together will be the stuff of family lore.