Discover How to Build Trust with Your Dog
Guide to build trust with your dog.
Transcript
00:00One of the hardest and most important things for any dog owner is gaining their dog's trust.
00:06Sure, dogs will usually love and adore many different people, but trust is an entirely different matter.
00:13One of the most crucial things to know about dogs is trust is more important than love in their book.
00:19If you have your dog's trust, you have the most loyal companion for life.
00:23And it's actually not that hard to do, as long as you remember a few key things.
00:31Number one.
00:33Let's admit it, we all probably find ourselves regularly overwhelmed by how utterly adorable our pooches are.
00:40You just want to pick them up and cuddle them, and play with their ears, and stroke their fur, and keep them in your arms forever.
00:48But hold that impulse.
00:50If you want to build trust with your dog, then you need to let them know that you're a safe person to be around.
00:57Randomly scooping them off the ground and showering them with affection might sound nice,
01:02but until they know you well enough to know that you're not going to hurt them,
01:06you can't guarantee that they won't interpret this as a threat.
01:10Instead, be sure and take things slowly.
01:14Start by reaching your hand up to your pup's nose so they can get your scent,
01:19and then gently reach out to pet them on their head.
01:22Keep your movements slow, and if your dog looks like they're trying to move away, back off and try again later.
01:29Never force your affection onto your dog.
01:33Number two.
01:35If you want your doggo to recategorize you as the most trusted companion,
01:40then you need to start giving them reasons to think of you that way.
01:44One of the easiest ways to start building a positive relationship with your pet is by feeding them.
01:50The way to your dog's heart really is through their stomach.
01:54Instead of leaving out food for your dog all the time,
01:57try giving them regular mealtimes and letting them see you put down the bowl
02:01so they know that you're the one providing them with food.
02:04Outside of mealtimes, try giving your dog some random treats throughout the day
02:09so that they start associating you with positive experiences.
02:15Number three.
02:17Speaking of mealtimes, dogs love routines.
02:20They may not be able to tell the time or read a schedule,
02:23but after a few days of a new routine,
02:25you'll find that your pooch is better than you at remembering when it's time for walkies.
02:30This is because your dog relies on their routine to help them feel safe and secure.
02:37Most of your dog's life is completely out of their control.
02:41They don't get to decide what they eat, when they go outside, or where they go.
02:46These things are all decided for them by humans,
02:49for reasons that our dogs have no way of understanding.
02:53A routine gives your fur baby some control over their life.
02:57They may not have the ability to control what happens,
03:00but they can at least predict what's going to happen next.
03:05Number four.
03:07If you've ever been in a situation where you were under a lot of stress,
03:11then you'll know that one of the best cures for anxiety
03:14is find a way to keep your mind off things.
03:17The same applies for your dog.
03:20Unlike you, your dog can't chill out by reading a good book
03:23or watching their favorite comfort movie,
03:26but there are ways that you can distract them.
03:29Exercise is a great way to work off some of your pup's excess nervous energy.
03:34Try taking them to the park for a run or a game of fetch to help tire them out.
03:40If they're exhausted from running around having fun,
03:43then they're going to be too tired to feel nervous of you.
03:47Play is also one of the main ways that dogs form bonds with others in their social group.
03:53What you're trying to do when you get a new dog
03:56is to essentially convince them that you and them are now a pack.
04:01Playing together is one of the best ways to communicate that idea
04:04in a language that your canine companion can understand.
04:09Number 5
04:14When training your dog, you should always avoid punishing them for getting things wrong,
04:19which will only confuse and upset them,
04:22and instead reward them for getting things right.
04:25When training them to sit, you shouldn't yell at them for not sitting when you tell them
04:30you should keep at it and then give them a treat when they finally do sit on command.
04:36Think of getting your dog to trust you in the early days as a form of training.
04:41When your dog does something that shows that they are starting to trust you,
04:45such as coming up unprompted to lie at your feet while you're watching TV,
04:49or allowing you to pet them without fuss, reward them with a treat.
04:54It might feel like bribery, but it's really less about the treat
04:58and more about letting your dog know what you want from them
05:01and which behaviors they should be trying to keep up.
05:05Number 6
05:09This might seem counterintuitive, especially after the last point,
05:13but the one time you should avoid giving your pup a treat
05:16or even petting them or telling them they're a good dog
05:19is when they seem to be showing signs of anxiety or nervousness.
05:23You might be thinking that this sounds heartless.
05:26When your fur baby is upset, why wouldn't you comfort them?
05:29You'd want someone to do the same for you.
05:32Well, the problem is, as we mentioned in the last point,
05:35when you give your pup a treat, whether it be a food treat like a biscuit
05:38or a less tangible reward like pets or verbal affirmation,
05:42you're communicating to them that the behavior they are showing
05:45is a positive one that they should keep up.
05:49Therefore, when you do this in response to your dog being anxious and scared,
05:54you're inadvertently telling them that you want them to act and feel that way.
06:00Once you've built up a bit more of a foundation of trust with your dog,
06:03then there's the initial risk of reinforcing their fear.
06:07Your dog knows that you are much more knowledgeable and powerful than they are
06:11and hopefully will come to realize that they can rely on you
06:14to protect them from the scary things in the world.
06:18If when they get scared, you overreact in your efforts to comfort them,
06:22then you risk teaching your dog that their fears are real and justified
06:27because even the human is freaking out.
06:31Instead, you should try gently distracting them from their anxiety.
06:36Try initiating a play session to keep their mind off it.
06:45There's always a bit of a learning curve when you're welcoming a new pet into your life.
06:49You need to work out your new routine, figure out your training schedule,
06:53dog-proof your home, and do as much research as possible on how to be a good dog parent.
06:59It's understandable, therefore, that you might make some mistakes in the early days,
07:04or that you might get a few weeks or months into your new life with your dog
07:08and suddenly learn about some whole new technique that you've never heard of before
07:12but now want to try out.
07:14As a pet parent, it's always important to be open to new ideas
07:17so that you can try to give your fur baby the best life they can have.
07:21But be careful about introducing too many new things too frequently.
07:26Dogs value consistency.
07:28They need to be able to predict your behavior in order to feel safe and secure,
07:32and you constantly switching things up is going to make it impossible for them to know what's going to happen next.
07:38We're not saying you should reject any new ideas you encounter
07:42or keep up with habits that you now know aren't helping your dog.
07:46We're just saying that you shouldn't go overboard.
07:49Consistency doesn't need to be at the top of your priorities list,
07:53but it should definitely be somewhere on there.
07:59For more advice on how to build a good relationship with your pet,
08:03check out this video on the pros and cons of kissing your dog.