Nervous Dog Training Tips

Nervous Dog Training Tips – How to Support Your Nervous Dog?

Dogs can be nervous for many reasons, the most common ones are genetics (yes, anxiety and fear can pass on!), lack of socialisation early on within the crucial socialisation period and negative experiences. If you have a nervous dog it is very important to understand how to support them and help them feel more confident. This is not something you can do for your dog, they must get there on their own but you can be helpful in that journey and support them through correctly done training.

1. Break it down into smaller, more easily dealt-with steps: start with sound and object training at home first, for example.
2. Focus on short and positive training sessions: don’t overwhelm or stress out your dog, start very small but do it more often.
3. Use high-value rewards: use human food as rewards such as bbq chicken, cheese, ham etc. Not kibble or dry treats!
4. Use anything your dog loves the most as a reward: some dogs are toy driven!
5. Start by observing from a distance and allow your dog to attend if they choose to do so: don’t push your dog by lifting them in the middle of scary situations, this will only reinforce fear.
6. Manage the learning environment: avoid situations that would only scare your dog, you need to get there gradually.
7. Respect your dog’s feelings: don’t allow strangers to pet/dogs to come over etc. if it only causes anxiety/fear in your dog. This is not helpful!
8. Build it up gradually: fear can be overcome when done gradually, not in a scary and overwhelming way.