How to make friends with a nervous dog?
Velda Spinka
2025-05-17 19:44:19
Count answers: 1
Allow your dog time to get used to people. Instruct others to ignore your dog, and let your dog decide whether they want to approach someone. Dogs that adjust on their own are more likely to approach people safely. Avoid direct eye contact, at first. Direct eye contact can be intimidating or threatening to a dog. Look at the floor or to the side. Approach dogs at their level. Crouch down or sit on the floor. Don’t stand over a dog. Throw out treats, decreasing the distance for a safe interaction. From a crouched position, toss out a treat, one at a time. This allows your dog to approach at their pace and get a reward at the same time. Don’t interact with them until they’re take a treat from your hand. Pet under their chin or on their chest. Avoid patting their head — most dogs don’t like it! Build up trust with your dog before bringing them to public settings like the dog park, a friend’s house, or a dog-friendly restaurant or brewery.
Conor Stoltenberg
2025-05-17 19:32:32
Count answers: 5
Squat down with your body sideways to the dog.
Look down or away, and keep your body language quiet and calm.
Scatter treats on the floor around you, so that the dog can self-reward without any social pressure from you.
Do not pet the dog until she is begging for attention.
Sometimes just sitting in a corner of the kennel reading a book will allow the dog to approach at her own speed.
Avoid looming over, reaching a hand down from above, approaching quickly and frontally—even making direct eye contact can be frightening for shy dogs.
It may take several repetitions of the above techniques before you see results, but the rewards are worth it.
Maymie Spencer
2025-05-17 18:23:12
Count answers: 1
The best way to “make friends” with a scared or aggressive dog… …is to “speak” the language they understand. Remember that dogs have personal space needs, just like people. Keep your distance. Move slowly, smoothly and predictably. For example, if you need to get up from sitting, lean forward first, brace yourself, THEN stand, so the dog can anticipate what is about to happen before it does. No surprises. Remember to relax your muscles and breathe. You can even yawn or assume some bad posture (lean against a wall, slouch) to appear even more relaxed. Don’t talk to, touch, or look at the dog. In fact, make a big show of doing whatever it is that you’re doing, as long as it relatively stationary, like reading, writing, or watching TV. If a dog wants to be petted, you’ll know it, because they’ll ask. If they haven’t asked, assume they don’t want to be petted at the moment.
Cierra Dibbert
2025-05-17 18:15:03
Count answers: 1
To make friends with a nervous dog, be extremely careful as you approach a shy, fearful, or aggressive dog because your own body language and demeanor are important, too. A dog who is already anxious might get even more stressed if you stand to face it with your body looming above. Get Down on the Dog's Level, a better way to approach a fearful dog is to get down on its level. Don't put yourself directly in the dog's face, but keep in mind that you'll be less threatening if you're not towering above. Turn Sideways, turn slightly so your side faces the dog, perhaps even leaning slightly away from the fearful dog. Avert Your Gaze, humans usually consider it normal to make direct eye contact with other people, however, this is often considered rude, threatening, or even aggressive to dogs. Speak in a High-Pitched Voice, deep, low voices can be daunting to a fearful dog, try to talk to the dog in a higher-pitched, happy tone of voice. Don't Force Things, give a dog a chance to become comfortable and approach the objects of their fear on their own, never force the interactions. Stay Positive, training can make a big difference in your shy or fearful dog's confidence level, positive reinforcement dog training has the benefit of allowing you to open the lines of communication with your dog without pushing it beyond its comfort level.
Felton Jenkins
2025-05-17 15:24:58
Count answers: 2
When meeting any new dog, think in terms of the dog’s language. Always use respect, caution, and awareness. Slow your pace, and use a gentle tone. If you know the dog is shy or fearful, change your body language. Approach toward the side of the dog, not head on, and avoid direct eye contact. When you are close, begin to make your body “smaller.” Lower the shoulder that is closest to the dog. Then, bend down next to the dog. Keep your hands to yourself, and give the dog a few seconds to sniff you. You can glance toward the dog to watch for any change in body language, but avoid eye contact. Be relaxed and patient as the dog becomes comfortable with your presence. Talk to them in quiet, gentle tones.
Michele Witting
2025-05-17 14:03:29
Count answers: 3
To establish a lasting relationship, the first order of business is to get the dog to trust that I will not force him to do anything he does not voluntarily choose to do. I initially have no other agenda except to be with him. Depending on the type of kennel, I may start outside, or go just inside the enclosure. I do not approach the dog, but rather squash myself down as far away as I can get from him. I orient myself away from the dog, take care not to stare at him or push into his personal space, and then I wait. I wait as long as it takes for the dog to sigh, shift his position or turn his head even the tiniest bit, then I gently throw a treat onto his bed. Setting up a routine to help him anticipate what comes next and not asking for more than he can give allows him over time to process information on his terms and start thinking instead of reacting. I will not ask him or force him to do anything more than he is able to offer on his own, and at no point do I reach out to make physical contact with him. I feel very strongly that in order build a bond of trust, the dog must choose to initiate contact and he must be allowed to end that contact on his terms. If the dog takes the treat, I gently throw the next one away, to increase the dog’s distance from me and to allow the dog to choose to come closer, or remain further back. Either way, I’m allowing him to decide, which sends him a very, very powerful message that he has control over his environment.
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