Blog Tips and Tricks to Help Shy Dogs Come Out of Their Shell

While some dogs want to socialize and greet everyone they see, others are shy and won’t want to approach strangers—or even you. But with some tips and tricks for shy dogs, you can help your shy pup come out of his shell. These tips all focus on building your pup’s confidence.

Understand Why Your Pup Is Shy
Dog training for shy dogs will always start by figuring out why your dog is shy. If you know the reason, it can give you some guidance on how to go about pulling him out of his shell. Even if you don’t know the reason, however, the other tips on this list will work.

Some dogs just have a hereditary predisposition to being shy. Others weren’t properly socialized as puppies. Yet others had a traumatic incident during those early weeks. Or maybe they suffered an attack, injury, or chronic abuse at another time. Medical issues can also lead to shyness in dogs.

Don’t Force Your Dog
The absolute most important of our tips for shy dogs is that you should never force him into an unnerving situation to “make” him get over his shyness. So, don’t tie your dog up outside a coffee shop while you go inside, as people will likely come up to pet him. But you also want to be cautious about bringing him to dog-friendly West Palm Beach restaurants with too many people. Maybe leave him at home until you make some progress.

Start With Basic Training
One of the best things you can do to give your pup a head start on overcoming his shyness is to focus on regular training. Just some basic training, such as learning “sit,” “stay,” and “come,” will be a good starting point. The idea here is that your dog won’t panic because he’ll know what you want from him.

Be Subtle and Let Him Set the Pace
Whether your dog is shy around you or around new people, tackle the problem slowly and subtly. If the issue is meeting new people, have someone come over and sit in the same room as him, but without interacting with him at all. For even better results, have your friend randomly drop treats on the floor so your dog associates him with something good. Over time, you can have your friend get a bit closer, stand up, or even go outside.

Find a Canine Helper
While you don’t want to surround your pooch with as many dogs as he would interact with at dog daycare West Palm Beach, one or two other dogs being around can be helpful. For this to work, you want those helper dogs to be relaxed and confident. Have them help with the dog training for shy dogs by showing your pup how to be more confident in situations where he’s uncomfortable. If he sees his friends being calm and not nervous, he may realize there is nothing to fear. You can also use a trusted person instead of a canine helper.

The Bottom Line
Your dog doesn’t have to be the most social canine on the planet. But you want him to be confident enough to occasionally see others on walks and meet your guests. With the proper dog training for shy dogs, this is possible.