How To Build Your Dog’s Confidence
What does it mean to build a dog's confidence?
Building a dog's confidence is all about helping them feel secure and capable in a given situation. Just like us, a dog’s confidence grows through positive experiences that boost their sense of achievement, helping them become more self-assured over time.
While we can’t ask dogs how they feel, we can observe their behaviour. Confident dogs tend to walk with a steady, relaxed pace, show curiosity about new things, and recover quickly from surprises. On the other hand, dogs who lack confidence might struggle because they haven’t had the opportunity to develop certain skills. When a dog doesn’t know how to handle a situation, they can easily become anxious or unsure.
By providing opportunities for success and using positive reinforcement, we can help them build confidence and develop skills that make it easier for them to navigate the world. This approach helps them feel more capable and in term less anxious.
How to begin to build your dog’s confidence.
A simple way to start is to focus on a behaviour your dog already does well.
Look for a behaviour that:
You won't hesitate to reinforce just about every time your dog does it, the way they do it right now.
Can be done in lots of places, whether your dog is stationary or moving.
Is multi-purpose, or useful in many different contexts.
Some ideas of something they might naturally offer you:
Checking in with you
Coming inside when called
Sitting calmly or settling in their bed
Investigating new things with interest
Choosing just one behaviour to start with tends to lead to better progress and less overwhelm.
Reward them every time you see this behaviour, and do it in as many different places as possible. Consistently reinforcing what they’re already good at helps build their confidence, making them feel more secure in their ability to handle new situations.
Confidence building is a gradual process, but with patience and consistency, you’ll see your dog become more comfortable and ready to take on new challenges.
If you need my tailored 121 help we can work together on this in person or virtually.