Help for Your Nervous Dog

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There's always help for a nervous dog

Your dog cowers when a stranger comes into the house, barks when the trash can has moved, or hides when a large truck drives by. These are just some of the things that a nervous dog might do in reaction to something they’re afraid of. The good news is that there are many ways you can help your dog.

The most important thing to understand about your nervous dog’s behavior is that they’re not misbehaving or trying to make your life more difficult. Whatever situation is making your dog nervous, it is a very real concern to them. Something has happened to them to cause them to react this way. It is your job, as a good pet owner, to work with your dog to overcome these fears to create a happy and healthy dog.

Helping a dog overcome being nervous is a slow process that requires consistency and no pressure to interact with the thing they’re afraid of in a stable, calm household. For those dog s with mild nervousness, you can work with them at home to overcome it. Those dogs that have more intense nervousness may require work with a trainer and/or the vet to overcome the behavior.

Strangers or Visitors

One of the more difficult reasons for having a nervous dog is when it is a reaction to strangers or visitors to your home. When you have a visitor to the house, tell them to ignore the dog completely – don’t look at him or talk to him at all. You should drop treats in front of the dog to reward him for staying where the visitor is without interacting with the dog (meaning, don’t hand feed the treat to the dog, just drop it as you’re walking by). This will help your dog to feel more comfortable with the visitors and see that they are not going to hurt them or are not an intruder.

As the dog gets more comfortable around specific visitors, you can start introducing them by having the visitor get on the dog’s level and calmly wait for the nervous dog to approach them. Make sure they use small, non-threatening gestures and talk softly. Also make sure they do not make direct eye contact as a dog will see that as a challenge. These will help the dog see they are not going to hurt them. If the dog gets nervous, let him back away and try again another day.

Inanimate Objects

This is one of the easier causes for your dog’s nervousness to deal with. If your dog is upset about the trash can being in a different place, you can always move it back. If you need to move it for a short period of time, like to mop, it is best to have your nervous dog either in another room or outside until you’re done. If you need to move it to a new location, move it a little bit every day so that it isn’t a sudden change for your dog.

Using Other Dogs

One way to help a dog overcome their nervousness is using other dogs to model confident behavior. Introduce your dog to a similar-sized play mate that is not nervous. Your nervous dog will be able to pick up on cues on how to be brave while they play and interact. Make sure you avoid dogs that have aggressive tendencies so as not to introduce new negative behaviors.

Having a nervous dog is not the end of the world; it can be overcome with time, patience and love as well as the suggestions above. Helping your dog overcome debilitating fear will allow your dog to be happy and healthy as well as make for a more enjoyable experience for you.

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Tags: direct eye contact, dog behavior, featured, full-image, nervous dog, strangers to dogs

Category: Advice About Dogs