My dog is a little unsure of himself. I was wondering if there were any exercises that I could do with him to boost his confidence, apart from being confident myself and giving him lots of praise.
2007-01-02 10:22:06 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
The best way is to teach him anything and then when he learns it reward him with a small treat. All dogs respond well to treats and earning them is good for their mind and body.
Start with simple things. Sit, lay, stay, come. Whenever he does what you ask, reward him likes he's a genious. Pretty soon he'll believe you.
Also taking a dog for a walk is very rewarding for them. My dogs act like we are going out for a steak dinner when I grab the leash for their walk.
2007-01-02 10:32:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The main reason dogs don't have confidence is because of the timing of your praise. Most people forget to praise their dog when they're doing something right but remember to yell as soon as the dog does something wrong. Even if the dog is just sitting quietly, praise it because the dog is doing something good. Don't yell if he does something wrong, just don't pay any attention to it. Also he might be unsure because he's unsure of where he stands on the social ladder, so make sure that you are definitely dominant over him. Stand over him, don't crouch down, always make sure that you lead when walking and make him wait for his food. These things take time but if you follow these rules he should be ok.
2007-01-02 10:34:11 · answer #2 · answered by oh_scheiss 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Spend lots of time with him. Remember to play with him and train him, and keep praising him. Teach him basic commands, like sit, come, stay, etc. (or other tricks if he's already trained) and give him lots of "good boy!" and treats and petting.
Have friends and family do the same. (Slowly, you don't want to overwhelm him) The more people he pleases and plays with, the more he'll start to come out of his shell.
2007-01-02 10:59:17 · answer #3 · answered by puggie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I adopted a rescue puppy with low confidence and i had to work really hard with him as well. One way i learned how to build up his cofidence was by playing games with him such as tug of war and other various games in which he would have to show that he is strong and smart. now tug of war is great because you can let him win the majority of the time and in return you are building his confidence.
2007-01-02 11:17:34 · answer #4 · answered by Tee 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you have some friends, get them to walk by your house, and take your dog for a walk. Introduce the dog slowly, and have your friend be very still. try not to look him straight in the eyes either- that usually means you're challenging him.
2007-01-02 10:25:57 · answer #5 · answered by horse_maiden19 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Agility is a great confidence builder. You may have to take a beginners obedience class first, which will also help.
2007-01-02 12:14:21 · answer #6 · answered by whpptwmn 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋