How do you build confidence on a leash?

A secure and confident dog is a happy dog, and confidence can make all the difference in your canine best friend’s overall wellbeing. To build your dog’s confidence, create a secure attachment from the very first moment you bring your puppy or dog home, so that you are the person your dog knows they can trust and rely on. They need to be so secure in their attachment to you that they look at you to see how to behave so you will give them confidence in any given situation. Never put them in situations that are scary or that make them worried or anxious. Reward based training is one of the best ways to build confidence, by teaching your puppy life skills and training exercises, using rewards when they get it right, not only are you teaching them how to behave but you are building confidence. Socialisation is also important, as it enables them to build a ‘database’ of what their new life holds and what is ‘normal’, helping to build their confidence gradually and put them on the path to becoming well-adjusted adults.

The idea is to take every opportunity you encounter on your daily walks to help your dog to overcome small scary challenges to your dog’s confidence, and increase you dog’s trust in you. The very first step is to start working your dog through things he/she gets spooked by (like bins, plastic bags, or rattling objects – obviously not people, dogs or moving vehicles!). Allow your dog to approach the object at his/her own pace, keeping the leash relaxed, until the dog is comfortable sniffing and examining the object. The second step is to start marking and rewarding the dog for approaching, smelling, and pawing the object. By making it into a game you can increase engagement, acting like as a team building exercise! Keeping the dog focused on the handler while doing fun things makes the dog more relaxed outside, and less concerned about the environment. Go looking for scary objects on the walk and use your environment as an obstacle course that you can help your dog successfully go through. When you have been playing or doing trick training with your dog outside, I always like to end the exercise on a calm note. I always sit down with the dog for 10-15 minutes and help it to relax while calmly taking the environment in.

We've been taking her out on a long line and practicing recall and she never fails, but I feel like my heart is in my mouth as soon as the long-line is out of the equation. On Sunday, we took her out for a walk and finished off with some long-line training, she was really tired so my husband suggested we try her off completely at that stage, knowing that she didn't have her usual amounts of energy. She was absolutely fine, playing with her ball and checking in frequently, we saw some dogs come onto the field so decided to head home, we called her and she came back straight away so she was fine with that distraction. My issue is really the fact that we've been faced with some heart in mouth moments with our middle dog Nova, which has resulted in my underconfidence with Luna. I want to start agility with Luna in a few months so really want to build my confidence letting her off lead before then. Should I continue as we are, letting her off for short periods of time.

The best way to help a shy or fearful dog gain confidence is to expose them to what frightens them at a low intensity. Pair this exposure with something positive, like a tasty treat. This is called counter conditioning and desensitization, and when done successfully, it helps them feel more comfortable around the source of their fear. 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. Putting your dog in a stressful situation will set their progress back. Go slow and give them time to gain confidence and trust. Most fearful dogs gradually improve with time, training, and trust. But they won’t likely become outgoing if they’re naturally nervous or shy. Treats and happy, positive interactions can go a long way, but don’t expect a total transformation.

If you want to get your dog comfortable with, say, going to a popular park, first bring them to a quiet corner of the park and allow them to see and hear other people and dogs from a safe distance. Observe their body language closely to get clues about how they're feeling. Over many short sessions, you can move incrementally closer to the busy walkways and more crowded areas, always watching the dog for signs of discomfort. If you’re unsure how to make an exposure less overwhelming to start with, think about how you can manage factors such as noise level, amount of the stimulus, and invasiveness or distance from the scary thing. For example, if your dog is anxious about meeting new dogs, ask a friend with a well-socialized dog to help. With both dogs on leash, take a walk parallel to each other, far enough apart that the dogs can’t touch. As your dog gets more comfortable, you can gradually move them closer to each other. Always remember that if your dog seems overwhelmed, you’ll need to figure out a way to decrease the stimulus to the point where it’s not scary to your dog, and then move on from there. Proceed at whatever pace your dog appears to feel safe.

Building Your Dog's Confidence While Walking. Mix Training and Walking - Use the opportunity while walking to refresh those sits, stays, waits and of course, walking WITH you and not pulling you. Carry small Treats and reward your dog throughout your walk for being alert to your direction. Choose Different Terrain - City walking, country walking, sidewalks, trails. Exposing your pup to as many different scenarios while walking makes it more fun and builds confidence. Learning to behave while on a city sidewalk or while moseying past a field of cows will ultimately teach your dog to behave in all situations. Find Time for Off Leash Play - If possible, find a spot where it's legal and safe for your dog to play off leash. Switch It Up - Changing your route or routine will keep things fresh for both you and your dog.

When your dog seems to lack confidence, try to step back and give them room to work more independently. You may find that INCREASING your distance from your dog will increase your dog’s confidence. A Light Flexi might help your dog to Feel Connected, yet also Feel Off Leash. Using a Flexi allows me to emphasize independence and search as if off leash while maintaining connection. Avoid Off Leash unless the Search Area is Small and Enclosed. Low confidence dogs often worry more when they are no longer connected to you and they may start to devote some of their focus on looking for an escape rather than searching.