Since ancient times, human and dog have maintained a strong relationship of mutual cooperation. Despite the fact that discipline has historically been valued as a very important part of the human-dog relationship, at we are clear that the first links created between these two species have been forged from mutual trust. For this reason, we have made a compilation of useful tips to gain the trust of a dog.
Each dog has individual characteristics and, although there are breeds that are genetically more predisposed to socialization and others that are scarier, what most defines their personality are their experiences. Bad experiences, as well as no or bad socialization at an early age can make a dog especially fearful or distrustful. To help you solve this problem, we have prepared a series of recommendations that may be of great use to you.
Keep calm and don’t be brusque
If we must earn the trust of a dog, it is basically because he mistrusts us. And to convince him that we are not a threat to him, the best thing is that he does not see us as an enemy. That is why we should not scare him and that is achieved with calm and patience.
Playing slow games with him that do not generate excitement to encourage him to come to us and not force us to approach is key. If we are at home or controlled territories, we must let him free and not grab him by the collar so as not to restrict his escape. This way you will see that you can flee if you need to and will gradually stop doing so.
We must not hug him. The hugs that for us show so much love for them are a great repression, because they feel that they cannot move, it is a strong invasion of their vital space. For us to put ourselves in their shoes, it is as if we had a straitjacket.
Positive reinforcement: every animal is conquered by the stomach
Of the three vital functions that define living beings as such, relationship, nutrition and reproduction, nutrition is the one that we can take advantage of the most in this case. Nutrition is a necessity that keeps most dogs in constant search, and if we are to earn their trust this is an asset that we can use in our favor.
Leaving food on the ground and waiting, he will come to get it. Each time we will leave it closer to us and it will continue to approach until it takes it directly from our hand. This does not have to be forced, it must be done very little by little to be rewarded for your effort. Thus, the animal will associate us with a very positive stimulus for it, food, and we will gain the dog’s trust.
Likewise, a part of your daily food ration can be reserved to give it directly between our games.
Take advantage of their innate curiosity
Dogs are very curious, they love to explore and discover new things. It is easy to recognize this quality in our pets when we have a new toy or someone comes home, as they are the first to gossip to see what happens. We can also use this quality to our advantage to gain the trust of a dog. If we want the dog to come closer to us, we have to get its attention and we can do it with a ball, for example. Starting from the point that the dog is shy or may have had some bad experience, they will not want to play with us initially, but the balls awaken their hunting and chasing abilities in them. If we play with the ball near him he will not be able to resist coming and participating.
To facilitate the participation of the animal, it is very positive to lower ourselves to the height of the dog, that is, to sit on the ground. In this way we are not so big and threatening and it will be easier for him to look us in the face to interpret our expression.
Regular walks and routines
The natural biorhythm affects all living beings and the fact of maintaining a stable routine with meals and walks at the same times, favors the biorhythms are regulated. This simple habit will cause our distrustful animal to internalize habits to which its body becomes accustomed. With this we will achieve that when he goes out he already feels like it and then he will feel rewarded.
On the other hand, by maintaining the routine he can anticipate and feel in control. Going out at the times your body needs to go out and eating at the times your body asks will reduce your anxiety because you have an essential part of your life organized.
Once again, we see how not forcing the animal and opting for positive reinforcement are the key to gaining the dog’s trust and, little by little, establishing a stronger bond. With positive reinforcement we not only refer to sweets or food, but also to the fact of going out for a walk, playing or a simple caress.
Play often to keep your relationship strong
Playing is one of the things that most unites and reinforces dog-human relationships. There is nothing written about games and each person develops their own tricks with their dog. Learning new tricks keeps our dog’s brain active and strongly reinforces his self-esteem.
That said, we hope these tips have been useful to you, remember that the most important thing to gain the trust of a dog is not to seem like a threat to him. To do this, it is best to be patient and spend many hours in your company.
You may also be interested in these tips on socializing your dog, since once you have established a bond with him, the next step will be to strengthen your relationship with other animals and people.
