How to Make Your Dog Confident
If your dog is timid, there is no need to worry as there are ways you can make it more confident. While some dogs are usually shy since childbirth, others may have experienced terrifying events that made them timid or fearful. Here are some of the ways that can help your dog gain some confidence.
Where does the fear originate from?
When puppies are between 7 and 10 weeks old, they often undergo a critical socialization period. During this period, the brain is still learning how to build associations, and it’s a time when dogs are vulnerable to develop phobias or fear.
In most cases, dogs develop fear when something scared them during their socialization period. Due to this, the dog might become fearful of a certain thing, or may become nervous or timid in general. These timid or nervous dogs can get help from confidence-building workouts that can eliminate the fear that is commonly attached to multiple things or situations.
Are confidence-building workouts effective for dogs?
To build confidence in dogs, counter-conditioning training or confidence-building exercises are recommended. But how do these exercises really work? Well, these exercises can desensitize your dog by exposing it to the stimulants that make it fearful, be it fireworks, children, strangers or loud noises.
Similarly, these confidence-building exercises can help develop the dog’s behavioral response to any objects that cause fear in your dog. For instance, when your dog has a phobia for strangers, the exercises will prevent the dog from becoming fearful by working on activities, like playing with a ball.
How you can desensitize your dog from fear-inducing stimuli
A great way to desensitize your dog from fear inducing stimuli is by adding a reward during the counter conditioning exercises. If you want to give your dog treats during training, then you should ensure the treats require minimal chewing. When your dog completes a specific exercise successfully, you can offer him a reward. If you want to effectively desensitize your dog from the fear-inducing stimuli, you should reintroduce the dog to the fear stimulus at a safe distance.
For example, if your canine is scared of fireworks, you can play a soft recording so that the dog isn’t scared. Hold your dog with a leash and using a safe volume, when the dog is not showing any symptoms of fear, request your dog to sit calmly and pay attention. If the dog responds positively to the request, offer them a treat.
Conclusion
Remember that your dogs need patience and compassion. If your dog is too sick to undergo these conditioning exercises, you should consult your veterinarian immediately.
References: Petmd, Dogster, Puppy leaks
Copyright: Local Value
