If you want to know how to get a scared dog to trust you by working on overcoming dog fear, you are at the right place. 

We have dedicated this guide to fearful dog rehabilitation so you can learn the most common aspects of how to gain a dogs trust.

 Here’s How to Get a Scared Dog to trust you the MOST!

Whether it’s yours, someone else’s or a stray one. So with that said, let’s get started:

Quick jump...

1. How Do You Know if Your Dog is Scared of You?
2. Fearful Dog Rehabilitation: How to Help your Dog Gain Confidence?
3. The 10 How-To on “ how to help a fearful dog gain confidence ” 
4. How to Get a Scared Dog to Come to You?
5. How to Repair a Relationship with a Dog?
6. How to Get Your Dog to Like You the Most?
7. How to Get a Shy Dog to Warm Up to You?
8. How to Get an Aggressive Dog to Trust You?
9. How to Get a Stray Dog to Trust You?
10. How to Get Someone Else's Dog to Like You?
11. How to Get a Scared Dog to Come Inside?
12. How to Approach a Scared Stray Dog?
13. How to Make a Dog Not Scared of Thunder?

Conclusion

How Do You Know if Your Dog is Scared of You?

There can be many signs that your dog show when he/she is scared of you. These signs can be behavioral as well as physical so you need to keep a close eye on your dog. Let’s see some common signs:

1. Avoiding eye contact
2. Flattened ears
3. Barking
4. Tucking tail between hind legs
5. Cowering
6. Trembling
7. Drooling
8. Panting

There can be more symptoms than the ones mentioned above but these are the most common symptoms that can help you identify if your dog is scared of you.

Fearful Dog Rehabilitation: How to Help your Dog Gain Confidence?

Low confidence doesn’t suit dogs as they are the friendly and playful creatures that run around without a worry in the world. So if you have a dog that fears people due to low confidence, you might want to try these fearful dog rehabilitation tips:

Tell people to just ignore your dog and let him/her decide if they want to approach people or not. This will help dogs adjust to nearby people on their own.

Direct eye contact at the start can be threatening or intimidating to dogs so make sure to look at the side or to the floor.

Don’t stand over the dog, approach him by crouching or sitting on the floor.

Throw treats to the dog while crouching form a distance. Keep throwing one treat at a time until the dog comes to you and takes the treat from your hand, you can interact with him then.

Avoid petting on the head as most dogs find it unpleasant. Instead, pet on the chest or under the chin.

Make sure not to put your dog through a stressful situation as it will set his progress back. Give him time and be patient.

The 10 How-To on “ how to help a fearful dog gain confidence ” 

How to Get a Scared Dog to Come to You?

When you bring a new dog to home, he will obviously be scared of you and the home. So you need to make him feel relaxed in the home first and for that, start with one area at a time so it’s not overwhelming for him. Keep the dog in one room until he’s fully relaxed in it and then moves to another.

Create a schedule for their food and stick to it to make your pet adjust to that schedule. Once the dog realizes that you are his only source of food, he will start to trust you.

Dogs need a safe place to back to when they are overwhelmed or confused and you need to provide your dog with one. It can be anything from a bed to a blanket. And whenever your dog runs away from you, let it go to that safe spot, this way, the dog will approach you on its own when he’s ready.

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How to Repair a Relationship with a Dog?

Quietly sit with him in a room and don’t interact with him. Let him come to you or near you and when he does, reward him with a treat. This way, he will eventually happily start sitting near you.

Start playing his favorite game with him and if during the game, he growls or nips at you, stop playing and immediately leave the room for a few minutes. This is a ‘time out’ for the dog and will teach him that this is not good behavior.

Use positive reinforcement by teaching him basic obedience commands and then offering a reward when he does it correctly. This way, he will start to trust you again.

Lastly, feed him directly by hand. If he is fearful, then put food in front of him first and then work your way up to feeding him directly from your hand. This will make your bond with your dog stronger.

How to Get Your Dog to Like You the Most?

Get familiar with him before bringing him to your home

Be the only provider when it comes to food. Maintain a strict schedule for eating and stick to it no matter what, dogs like the person providing them food the best.

Be the only one providing your dog with affection and belly rubs whenever he needs it.

Become his playmate and take him for a regular walk.

Lead your dog by making some rules and teaching him good behavior. This way, you will earn his respect.

How to Get a Shy Dog to Warm Up to You?

Give your shy dog his space and time and let him approach you when he’s ready. If your dog is new to the house, give him time to adjust to the house and start with a medium-sized room first. Place his bed in that room so that he can hide in it if needed.

Avoid big gestures like belly rub at the start and keep your voice soft so that the dog doesn’t see you as intimidating.

Dogs love walking so you need to take your dog for a walk to spend some quality time with him. At the start, take him into quiet neighborhoods for a walk so he doesn’t get overwhelmed and run away.

Give your dog his treat, sit in the room quietly for 15 minutes and leave. This way, your dog will be able to set the pace on how close he wants to get to you.

How to Get an Aggressive Dog to Trust You?

Go about your business and ignore the dog, there is a high chance that it will grow curious of you and will initiate contact and if he makes contact, don’t do anything and let him go away on his own.

Don’t look the dog directly in the eyes, instead, look at the ears or above the head and also interact from the side or a non-direct position because this reduces their aggression.

Once you decide to get close to the dog, don’t approach directly, instead, move in an arc and take a few steps at a time.

Toss treats on the ground near the dog so he can start to trust you. If he is hesitant in eating it, try looking away to encourage him to eat.

Once you have spent enough time with the dog and he’s responding positively, get care closer to him and extend one of your hand for him to sniff. If he sniffs it, it’s a good sign.

How to Get a Stray Dog to Trust You?

Learning how to gain a dog's trust is simple, firstly, read body language to make sure he’s calm

Lure the dog with food to make him feel you care about him

List ElemTry to feed him with your hand and if you are successful, try to pet him entire

Now you need to show affection by massaging his forehead or behind his ears. This will get the stray dog to trust you.

How to Get Someone Else's Dog to Like You?

How to get a dog's trust? Well firstly, don’t be nervous in front of the dog, be relax and calm when approaching him.

Next, bring treats whenever you meet the dog as all dogs like treats.

Don’t approach the dog directly or from above as it can be intimidating.

Always approach while crouching and from the side to make them feel comfortable with you and start liking you.

How to Get a Scared Dog to Come Inside?

Learning how to get a scared dog to trust you is simple. First, try to stand inside the door with a treat and call the dog.

If he comes inside, shower him with praises so the dog starts coming in on his own.

If this doesn’t work then try holding and shaking a fun toy or ringing a bell, this might make him come inside.

And when he comes inside, have a treat ready for him as a reward.

How to Approach a Scared Stray Dog?

You might be wondering how to get a scared dog to trust you especially when it is a stray dog, well it's simple. Firstly, try moving to it slowly and speaking in a soft tone.

Now, you need to learn how to gain a dogs trust and for that, you need to turn sideways and toss him treats to dissolve the tension between you both.

Next step to fearful dog rehabilitation is to allow the dog to come to you, don’t push him or he’ll bolt.

Once he reaches you, you can try carefully feeding him from your hand and this will further strengthen your bond.

How to Make a Dog Not Scared of Thunder?

Don’t cuddle or punish your dog when he shows anxiety due to thunder.

Provide a safe place to hide when there is thunder.

You need to get your dog gradually used to the thunder's sound.

Play recordings of thunder in short intervals at low volume and gradually increase them to make your dog feel comfortable with thunder.

Conclusion​

So now that you know how to get a scared dog to trust you and overcome dog fear, you might be ready to try these tips on your dog and build a solid bold with your trusty friend. Just make sure to always be patient with him and don’t rush into things, your dog will move at his own pace.