As a experience dog trainer, I know how important it is to help your dog feel safe and comfortable around other people. Each positive interaction builds your dog's confidence, while negative experiences can set back their progress. Here are five essential tips to protect and build your dog's confidence when encountering people.
1. Protect Your Dog
Every time your dog gets scared by someone, it can set back their training. This could be someone shouting "Boo!" or even a well-meaning person leaning in with an outstretched hand saying, "I love dogs!" which might cause your dog to back away or bark.
Be proactive and ready to step in, saying, “Not today; he’s in training.” Be polite but firm. It's your responsibility to protect your dog and ensure their comfort. People usually mean well, but your dog relies on you to intervene. If your dog's body language says "no thanks" and someone intrudes, it can lead to increased discomfort, possibly resulting in barking, lunging, or even biting.
2. Pair People with Delicious Snacks
While out on walks, toss your dog a treat each time they see a person. At this stage, the treats should come from you. Even if your dog seems "fine" with people at a distance, associating people with treats will make them feel "woohoo!!" whenever they notice someone.
Remember, this doesn’t mean we want your dog to interact with every person—they just need to feel happy and relaxed when they see someone.
3. Give Your Dog Space
Observe the distance at which your dog is completely comfortable versus where they start to show discomfort. Spend time at this threshold distance to help your dog gradually become more comfortable around people.
Allow your dog to be aware of others while feeling secure. Positive experiences at a comfortable distance build confidence and help avoid overwhelming situations. In training, it's common for people to push too close too quickly. A more subtle, gradual approach often yields faster progress.
4. Don’t Allow People to Feed Your Dog
People love to hand-feed treats to dogs, but this can be overwhelming for nervous dogs. If your dog hesitantly approaches, grabs the treat, and retreats, it’s not necessarily a positive experience.
For now, even when near other people, you should be the one feeding treats to your dog. As your dog gets more comfortable, you might have others toss treats to your dog from a distance. The treats should be thrown far enough away that your dog doesn’t have to get closer to the person to retrieve them. This way, they receive treats just for being in the vicinity, reinforcing positive associations.
5. Coach People on Body Language
If your dog barks or lunges at people, maintain a safe distance and do not let your dog approach others. In such cases, consulting a professional trainer for guidance is crucial.
People often face dogs directly, reach out, and make eye contact—behaviors that can be intimidating to nervous dogs. Instead, have others stand sideways to your dog to reduce social pressure and make the situation less threatening.
Encourage people to keep their hands to themselves and allow your dog to approach at their own pace. Even then, discourage reaching towards your dog. Eye contact can be threatening for nervous dogs, so avoiding direct eye contact can help your dog feel safer.
By following these tips, you'll help your dog build confidence and have positive experiences with people. Remember, patience and consistent positive reinforcement are key to growing your dog's comfort and trust. If you have questions about your dog, we offer private, 1x1 virtual training and can develop a plan just for you and your dog.
