In what ways can I train my dog to increase his trust in me?

Question

My Border Collie is very nervous and I feel that he needs to trust me more, how can I achieve this?

Answer 1

I have been rescuing Border Collies for many years & find most of them to be nervous in some way.They show it it different ways.Some are hyperactive & some are very skittish.

The way to gain a Border Collies trust is to play with them.When dogs play together it strengthens their bond so the same applies to humans & dogs.They would sleep together too.
I find Clicker Training is a brilliant way to increase confidence.A routine makes dogs feel more secure too.

But the most important way to handle a nervous dog is to be in control.Too much kissing & cuddling can give the dog the impression that you are a lower ranking member & will make him confused.Be consistent in your actions of being a higher ranking pack member & he will trust you to protect him.His confidence in you will grow when he realizes you are his master.By that I don't mean that you have to order him around & make him do things.I mean to take charge of looking after him as if he was your sibling.You will never put him in danger or put him in situations that make him feel insecure or frightened.
He is a Border Collie that has been bred for generations to use his eye, be biddable & obey his master.Make that happen by playing so he can use his eye & he will be a happy chappy.

Answer 2

I don't think you can train a dog to trust you exactly... After all, you don't train people to trust you, it has to be earned.You don't make it clear if the dog is nervous of you, or of his surroundings.
Make sure you don't give your dog any reason to fear you, don't expose him to unnecessary loud noises or quick movements. Don't touch the top of his head as this is seen as threatening behaviour (touch him from the side, so he can see where your hand is going to go). Over time, he should calm down and relax a little.
Perhaps your dog hasn't accepted you as his pack leader yet. Dogs that know their place in the order of things are normally fairly relaxed as they trust the leader completely.

Answer 3

By being very patient. You don't say how old he is, or how long you've had him. Try talking to him quietly, assuring him when he's nervous about something and above all never shouting at him. Perhaps going to dog training classes will give him more confidence. Good luck you have a wonderfully intelligent dog.

Answer 4

You can't train a dog to trust you, but any sort of Obedience training will increase his confidence if you train him consistently and patiently by kind methods. Take him to a GOOD training class where he can learn how to socialise with people and other dogs.
http://www.apdt.co.uk/list_trainers.asp

Answer 5

You can't train a dog to trust you, unfortunately. Instead, be nice to him, don't scare him, show him that you care about him. In time the dog will become more confident and trust you.

Answer 6

most likely your nervous about something and he is picking up on that..you need to be calm and collected and in control..i don't care if you faking it..a dog plays off of your ora..if your nervous its like a vibe through the leash that goes to their body..don't freak out about things be confident in what you do and in turn he will slowly become a less nervous dog.

Answer 7

take him for walks and do obedience training with him. do not hurt him at all, that will set things back. but just love him, train him, feed him and be his owner.
good luck!

Answer 8

I would spend a couple nights sleeping by him. If a dog learns you won't hurt him when he is most vulnerable(asleep), he will learn to trust you more.

Answer 9

throw darts at pictures of cats LOL. seriously tho, just give your dog loads of attention and generally treat it right.

Answer 10

Take him to socialisation classes.