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Many dogs are fearful of people whether it’s new people in the home or seeing strangers out on their walks, people can create a lot of stress for a lot of dogs. There are many reasons why a dog may be fearful of people and reluctant to offer them their trust. Sometimes, in rare cases, the dog may have been mistreated by a human. More often though, what we see are dogs who are adopted after their critical socialization period and just didn’t have quality opportunities to make friends with strange people. Take the pandemic for example. So many dogs developed reactivity to people because we weren’t allowed to socialize. I’ll never forget the first time I walked into a client’s home after the pandemic, the dog was so frightened. Of course she was, it had been months since someone had been to her home.
There are some common mistakes people make when helping their dog to overcome fear of people. Let's take a closer look at the top mistakes I often see.
Misuse of food.
When you have a friend over, please do not hand them hot dogs and ask them to offer your fearful dog treats. Firstly, this puts your guests directly in harm's way if your dog decides to protect themselves. It’s just too risky. Secondly, I don’t know about you but I can still eat food when I’m stressed out and actually, I eat more of it. Some dogs are like this too. So, they’ll stretch their bodies out to take candy from the stranger only to realize that when the food is gone, they are uncomfortably close to Uncle Robert. Food acts as a magnet that pulls your dog over the threshold of what they are comfortable with. Many times a dog will take a treat and then snap at that same hand. Treats should come from the people the dog trusts most.
Quality over quantity.
This is why the second mistake to avoid is overexposure. There is no hard and fast rule here as it depends on the individual dog. Go slow with your dog’s training and avoid having them meet person after person. One quality interaction is so much more valuable to their learning than several iffy ones. This may mean that when you are out and about with your dog you advocate for their space and tell people no when they ask to pet your adorable pup! Which leads me to the next mistake.
No forced interactions.
I can’t tell you how many times when I’ve asked a person on a trail if I could pet their dog, and their dog was not interested, they then held the dog’s collar and told me to “go ahead.” No amount of forced interaction is going to help a dog overcome fear or learn to trust. Trust is built in droplets of water and lost in buckets! Go slow and let your dog decide what they are comfortable with. This also means that when people visit your home, if your dog wants to hide, let them. If your dog doesn’t want to be pat, advocate for them so that they don’t have to socialize unless they want to.
Go at your dog’s pace.
Some dogs will meet a new person and befriend them in the same greeting. Other dogs are going to take several meetings before they learn to trust a new person. We cannot rush this process without the risk of breaking our dog’s trust and making them more fearful or worse, aggressive. I usually recommend that the greeting stay short and sweet and when the dog is done, the visit is done. That may mean your guest stays over for just 5 minutes. Have a plan to accommodate this. A safe space may help your dog have a sanctuary in the home so they can go there while you finish entertaining.
Hopefully, this helps steer you in the right direction for your nervous pup. If you’re just getting started with your dog’s training and want some help along the way, I’m available for 1 on 1 help. We can meet together to create a custom plan just for your dog. And, if you’re not ready to dive in then let me give you my free Beginner’s Guide to Dog Reactivity. This guide will help you set your dog up for success by implementing strategies that can dramatically reduce stress in as little as one day! Grab your copy here.
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