7 Tips For Raising A Confident Dog

Building confidence in your German shepherd is one of the most important things you can do for their overall well-being and encourage good behavior. It’s vital to helping them navigate life by your side.

If you want your dog to be comfortable in a variety of places, circumstances, and behave appropriately, you’ll want to ensure you focus on helping your dog achieve a high level of self confidence.

Why is building confidence in your dog important?

Confident dogs know what is expected of them because they know how to behave in a variety of situations. They’re more self-assured and experience less anxiety and fear. They’re more responsive to commands and less reactive to what’s going on in their environment.

When dogs are confident, they are more secure and comfortable. They experience less stress. This makes them more adaptable to whatever life throws at them and also makes them more trainable.

Whether dogs are at home or out in public, confident dogs are happier, more relaxed, and less likely to engage in undesirable behavior. They’re more focused on their owner and able to enjoy life more than dogs riddled with insecurity.

When dogs lack confidence they may suffer from…

• Behavior problems
• Lack of focus
• Fears
• Anxieties
• Stress
• Shyness
• Destructive behaviors
• Negative reactions to people and other animals

Confident dogs are more…

• Easily trainable
• Focused
• Socialized
• Happier
• Less stressed
• Relaxed
• Trusting
• Trustworthy
• Less distracted
• Able to experience more in life

Building confidence in dogs takes a lot of time and effort. But the benefits are worth it. Here are 7 tips to help get you started on building your dog’s confidence today:

1. Trust

Confident dogs trust their owner and look to them for guidance. To build this trust, you must develop a strong bond with your dog. You begin to build this trust from the day you bring your puppy or dog home by spending lots of time with them, showing them love and kindness, and protecting them from danger.

2. Socialization

Socialization of German shepherds is vital to their well-being and will help to prevent a variety of negative behaviors from developing. Exposing your dog to a variety of places, people, situations, sights, and sounds (in a way that provides your dog with positive associations) will build their self-confidence and help prevent fear-based reactions.

3. Training

Basic obedience training is a great way to help build your dog’s confidence. By training your dog, you’re providing them with the skills they need to set them up for success. The more they learn and are praised, the more their confidence will grow. With the right training, you’ll be able to take your dog on lots of fun adventures.

4. Challenges

When you provide your dog with challenges to overcome, you also build their confidence. You can do this by providing them with mind-stimulating activities, such as nose work, puzzles, obstacle courses, and games. As your dog accomplishes each task, it will give them a sense of accomplishment and grow their self-confidence.

5. Routine

By sticking to a routine, your dog will have more confidence because they know what to expect and what is expected from them. A routine helps them feel more secure. When your dog knows what time they’ll be fed, exercised, played with, when you’ll be home to let them out, etc., they’ll feel more secure.

6. Positive Reinforcement

No matter what your training methods are, using positive reinforcement, rewards, and praise will help your dog feel good about themselves. Each time your dog does performs something desirable, let them know by giving them lots of praise, a treat, or reward them with a toy. The more challenging the behavior, the higher the reward value should be. Never punish or cause your dog to become fearful of you.

7. Gradual exposure

If your dog is insecure about something, gradually expose them to the trigger until they realize they have nothing to fear. Never force them because it can result in more fear and resistance and end with a negative connotation. By slowly introducing your dog to the things they feel uncertain about, you will help them become more accustomed to and comfortable with new experiences.

We hope these tips help boost your dog’s confidence. As always, please feel free to share them with your friends.

You might also like: Socialization 101: Exposing Your German Shepherd To New Experiences