Canine Confidence – Dog Trainer Sydney Inner West

A confident dog is a pleasure to be around. But it isn’t always the case.

Read professional dog training advice from a dog trainer Sydney Inner West

How confident a dog is depends on a few things. Breed can be a factor, some dog breeds are more confident than others. And experiences certainly affect the way your dog handles different situations. And of course early socialisation is important. If a dog wasn’t properly socialised as a young puppy, she is more likely to be timid as an adult.

So, how to help a shy dog to overcome their timidness?

Keep Calm and Carry On

Take it slow and remain positive! Do not force a dog to explore; let her do it at her own pace. We often want to show a dog that an item or person is harmless and we simply pick the dog up and take her over to the item or let the person walk up to them. This kind of approach can easily backfire and create a dog who is more fearful because they feel less in control.

Redirect and Make it Positive

Usually, nothing good comes from a dog fixating on something that scares her. It’s often better (and certainly more productive) to just move on. Instead, redirect her focus to you or something she likes. Pairing things that make your dog a little nervous with things that make her happy will help to make the situation positive.

Classes for Confidence

If your dog is timid around other people and dogs, it often helps to desensitise her to them by taking part in a dog training class. In a class environment she will learn to focus on you even if there are other dogs and people around. And to trust that nothing bad is going to happen!

Or you could enrol in a fun class like dog agility to give her something fun to focus on. Be sure to tell the trainer you are simply looking to do this for fun and confidence boosting, not competitive reasons.

Your Dog Trainer Sydney Inner West

Eazy dog Training trains dogs in Sydney in the forms of private and group training. Join my positive and fun dog training classes or book a private lesson at your own home!

“Do you know what drives your dog and how to take advantage of it? My training method works, because it’s based on your dog’s natural drive and decision making process. There’s no need for forcing behaviours out of your dog by using questionable methods, let’s let the dog do the thinking and working!”