Since ancient times, humans and dogs 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, on our site we are clear that the first links created between these two species were forged from mutual trust. For this reason, we have made a compilation of useful tips to know how to gain a dog's trust.
Each dog has individual characteristics and although there are breeds that are genetically more predisposed to socialization and others that are more skittish, what most defines their personality are their experiences. Bad experiences like gaining the trust of an abused dog or gaining the trust of a stray dog can make a dog especially fearful or mistrustful. To help you solve this problem, we have prepared a series of tips to gain a dog's trust Keep reading!
Keep calm and don't be rough
How to gain a dog's trust? To convince him that you are not a threat to him, it is best that he does not see you as an enemy. Therefore, you should not be afraid of it and that can be achieved with calm and patience.
Play with him games that do not generate excitement to encourage him to come and not force the approach, is key. If you are at home or in controlled territories, you must set him free and don't grab him by the collar so as not to restrict his escape. This way you will see that you can run away if you need to and gradually stop doing so.
If you want to make a dog trust you, don't hug him. Hugs for us is a sign of love and affection, for them they are a great repression. They feel that they cannot move and it is a strong invasion of their living space. For us to put ourselves in their place, it is as if we had a straitjacket.
Positive reinforcement to gain a dog's trust
The three vital functions that define living beings are: relationship, nutrition and reproduction. The nutrition is the one we can take advantage of the most in this case. Nutrition is a need that keeps most dogs in constant search. So if you don't know how to gain a dog's trust, this is an asset you can use to your advantage.
Leaving food on the ground and waiting, he will come and get it. Each time you have to leave it closer to you until he takes the food directly from your hand. This does not have to be forced, it must be done very little by little to be rewarded for his effort. Thus, the animal will associate you with a very positive stimulus for him and you will gain the dog's trust.
Take advantage of his 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, because they are the first to gossip. You can also use this quality to your advantage to gain a dog's trust.
If you want to make a dog trust you and come to you, you have to get his attentionwith a ball, for instance. Proceeding from the point that the dog is shy or has had some bad experience, he will not want to play initially, but the balls awaken in them their hunting skills, of persecution. If you play with the ball close to him, he won't be able to resist coming and participating.
To facilitate the animal's participation, it is very positive to get down to the height of the dog. 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.
Do regular walks and routines
The natural biorhythm affects all living beings and the fact of maintaining a stable routine with the meals and walks at the same times, favors the regulation of biorhythms. This simple habit will make your distrustful or fearful canine internalize some habits that his body gets used to. With this you will ensure that when you go out, he already feels like it and then he will feel rewarded.
On the other hand, by maintaining the routine, your dog will be able to anticipate and feel in control of the situation Going out on time that your body needs to go out and eat at the times your body tells you to, it will reduce your anxiety because you have an essential part of your organized life.
Once again, we see how do not force the animal and opt for positive reinforcementis the key to gaining the dog's trust and, little by little, establishing a stronger bond.
Play with him often
Playing is one of the things that most unites and strengthens dog-human relationships. Nothing is written about games and each person develops their own tricks with their dog. Learning new tricks keeps your dog's brain activeand strongly boosts his self-esteem
We hope these tips have been useful to you, remember that the most important thing to gain a dog's trust is not to seem like a threat for him. To do this, it is best to be patient and spend many hours in his company.
You may also be interested in these tips on socializing your dog, since once you have established a bond with your dog, the next step will be to strengthen your relationship with other animals and people.
