Dealing With Shy Dogs

Some dogs, due to certain or unknown circumstances, are not confident in themselves. This article will explore ways to help build confidence in a dog that is shy or scares easily, as well as dogs that may not be shy, but are on the bottom rung of the hierarchy ladder: the omega dog. Both of these types of dogs will share some characteristics, however usually their reasons for being less confident differ. Even so, many of the same techniques may apply to both types of dogs so I have included them both in the same article. First we will discuss shy and scared dogs.

A shy dog, or one that scares easily many times has been physically, verbally, and/or emotionally abused in their past. Other dogs may have not had any or enough human contact when they were puppies. And dogs that are brought up lovingly in a household but do not have the opportunity to leave the house and meet new dogs and people do not develop the confidence in themselves to handle new situations. Another problem these types of dogs often exhibit is separation anxiety, especially after becoming emotionally attached to a human in the household.

In order to help these types of dogs help themselves, one must make it a priority to build the dog's confidence.

• Enroll the dog in a basic obedience class. Unless the dog is so neurotic that taking it outside the home and into an obedience class is impossible, this is your first step.
• Whether you take your dog to an obedience class, take your dog out of the house for an outing at least 3 times a week, ideally once each day. Take him to the gas station, take him to the convenience store, etc. If you live in a hot climate, be sure to take your dog out of the car or leave the air conditioning on for him. Getting out of the house and experiencing new people, places and things will help your dog gain confidence in himself.
• If the dog is scared of the collar, try a harness. If he is scared of a leash, introduce the leash as a new toy. Drag it on the ground and let him chase and pounce on it. Tie a favorite chew-toy to the end of it, or even real meat. When he begins to enjoy the leash, attach it to his collar or harness and let him drag it around (supervised) for a few minutes at a time. Always associate the leash with fun.
• Try to protect the dog's personal space. Do not let strangers overwhelm him, etc. You may not be aware of a passersby actually petting the dog. It is amazing what really goes on. Do not allow people (even family members) to pet the dog on the top of the head or behind his ears. Instead, pat and scratch the dog on his chest and neck. This is much less threatening to a dog.
• Teach the dog how to play with you. Entice the dog for a game of chase, with the dog chasing you. If he won't chase you while you're running, try crawling. Crawl on the floor on all fours away from him, then lie down and roll. Cover your face and make high-pitched whimpering noises. This should entice the dog to come over to you. This is success, praise the dog and then walk away and try it again later.
• If the dog is scared of people, instruct people to sit down with their backs facing the dog. Then, hold out a their hand (behind them) for the dog with a food treat in it. Gradually, the person can turn so that they are sideways, and then facing the dog. Avoid eye-contact until the dog is no longer scared of this particular person.
• If your dog is scared of things outside, practice a "Go Fast" command to distract him.  Sprint for the first block on your walks. Run full out with the dog and give this a name like "Go Fast!" or "Run!" or something. Pretend this sprint is a great, fun thing to do. When you're done sprinting, jump up and down and praise him for his great "go fast." This works well if the dog will inevitably freak out at some point - if not down the block, then some other time. As you notice his eyes becoming beady and shifty, and his ears going back and down, and are expecting him to freak out at any moment - say "Go Fast!" And begin to run with him at full speed which is what he was wanting to do anyway. But, now he will be doing it under your direction, your command. When the sprint is over (when you reach the house, car, or a safer place), jump up and down and make a big deal out of how good he is. You will see the anxiety in his eyes, but pretend you don't. Pretend that everything is fun... and eventually he will start believing it is so. He will also realize that he can trust you at the other end of the lead.
• Do not stroke a scared dog and say "It's OK.". This is perceived as praise by the dog and will make it more likely that the dog will repeat his fear again next time. Instead, give robust pats on the sides and act happy, pretend there is nothing to be scared about, and if at all possible, remove him from the frightful situation.
• Yawning is a calming signal for dogs. When your dog is nervous or unsure of a situation or person, you (and that person) should sit down by your dog, turn your head and focus slightly away from the dog, and yawn continually. I am not talking about 30 seconds of yawning, rather 3-30 minutes of consistent, passive yawning. Try it, over time it should make your dog more comfortable.
• It is important to avoid eye-contact, especially if the dog is used to running away or submissive peeing. When you are able to be close to the dog, kneel or sit down so you are on his level and turn your head away from the dog and lick your lips. Continue doing this until the dog either ceases being nervous, or brings their face closer to yours in a gesture of friendship. If/when this occurs, praise the dog's efforts with kind words and a gentle chest rub, however still avoid eye-contact. Whenever you are close to a scared or submissive dog, it is important to avoid eye-contact so the dog will not feel threatened in any way.
• Do not over-stimulate or push the dog too far to fast. Let the dog regulate how close he can get to other people, places and things. If you push a scared dog too far, you will create a neurosis that will be more difficult to treat.
• If the dog is scared of human contact, even from you, pet the dog unexpectedly as you walk by. Do it quickly and friendly, and then keep walking. The dog will probably be scared and surprised, for if he knew you were going to pet him, he would've run away and not allowed it. By sneaking in friendly petting with no consequences (you simply walk away) the dog will learn that being touched is not a bad thing.
• Being scared is very stressful. Exercise is one of the most beneficial ways to relieve stress, so make sure your dog gets plenty of it. If your dog likes other dogs (if you don't know, find out) I strongly recommend that you find a dog for him to play with on a weekly basis (more often, even better). Canine companionship is very important to dogs, and especially a dog that does not trust many humans, another canine can relieve more stress than anything else. Be sure to allow the dogs to romp around and play unrestricted (except for a fence) until they tire out. This may be one of the best therapies that you can give a shy dog.

An omega dog may or may not be shy and scared. If so, you can implement the suggestions above.  However some omega dogs are not shy at all, they simply have a low confidence level due to their omega status in the dog pack.

The first and most important thing you can do for your dog pack is to reassure your dogs so that they understand where they belong on the pack hierarchy ladder. The omega dog belongs on the bottom. Because of this, she gets petted last, fed last, and has last choice for toys. In the wild the omega dog can lead a stressful life, but in a household where humans are the true alphas, we can help the omega dog build her confidence so she can lead a life without anxiety. All of the suggestions above can also be used to help build the confidence of an omega dog.

• Enrolling her in an obedience class is one of the most important things you can do. Take her to class by herself, not with any of the other dogs. This allows her to spend quality one-on-one time with you. It also allows her to socialize with other people and dogs on her own. You may find that your omega dog may display dominant characteristics when she encounters certain dogs in class. This is very good for her self-knowledge and independence.
• Although the omega dog may not get first choice of toys, sleeping areas, etc., when in a human household it is your responsibility to make sure these things, once chosen, are not stolen by the other dogs. The only time stealing, bullying, and staring matches should be allowed is for a brief period of a day or two if you need help deciding which dog is alpha and which one is omega. Once decided, the omega dog should receive the respect she deserves as well, meaning that once she finds a place to sleep, another dog should not be allowed to kick her off her spot. In the wild, this would not occur, however since you are the true alpha of the household, you decide when and how much leeway is given to the omega dog.
• Some omega dogs do not accept treats well or at all when in the presence of the other dogs. This is because, in the wild (and when you are not home) the other dogs may pounce the omega dog to steal her belongings, especially food. If this is the case with your omega dog, you can, periodically, give a food treat to the omega dog first, and then give the treat to the other dogs. This needs to be done only periodically so not to disrupt pack order. If the dogs are secure in their placement, and secure in knowing that you are the master, the true alpha, they will accept your decision and no problems will arise.
• The omega dog may feel more confident to eat her food, or chew her chewy if the human alpha is in close proximity to her. Sitting next to your omega dog so she builds confidence to eat or chew is something to consider if you are having difficulty getting her to eat. As you sit next to her, avoid looking directly at her.
• Do not allow other dogs to stare at the omega dog while she is eating her food or chewy. Tell the other dog to go lie down, or block their view with your body or a pillow, etc. Otherwise, a top-dog's stare may force the omega dog to stop eating.
• When spending quality time with the omega dog, one-on-one, without the other dog(s) around, play fetch, chase (dog chasing you) and hide and seek. You should spend one-on-one time with each of your dogs daily for 5-20 minutes per day. This is ideal, but as many times per week you can do this, the better.
• Play tug-of-war with your omega dog and let her win at least half of the time.
• Build your omega dog's prey drive by enticing her to chase after moving objects such as a long rope with a toy tied on the end of it. Allow her to pounce the toy and even run away with it, if she so desires. Ideally, she will bring it back to you, but don't worry if she doesn't at this point. You are not teaching fetch, you are reinforcing her prey instinct to build her confidence.
• Be sure to take the omega dog on outings by herself periodically. Fun outings like swimming, walking, hiking, doggie playgrounds, etc.

Dogs that need to build their confidence need our help. Taking the time to bring them out of their shell is certainly worth the effort!