Why your dog still doesn't trust you

Is your dog sometimes (or always!) timid or fearful around you or other family members? My dog Pancake was afraid of me for a long time, and it was so heartbreaking. It's difficult to work with your dog to build their confidence, when they don't trust you.

One common mistake I see made over and over again with fearful dogs whose progress is "stuck", is failure to recognize more subtle signs of fear and discomfort. This can really damage the bond you have with your dog. Because the signals aren't always obvious, I often hear from the guardian that their dog is "fine" in a given situation. When we look at video together, we're able to work out that their dog is actually pretty uncomfortable. But if you can't recognize that your dog isn't feeling good, how can you help them to feel better? 

In the video below, I show some videos of dogs who look afraid or uncomfortable. When you watch the first run-through of each clip, pause and jot down notes about what you noticed. Then watch the second version of the video, where I tell you what I'm seeing. 

Did you learn anything new? Have you begun to notice more of these subtle signs of anxiety in your own dog? Shoot me an email and tell me about it at [email protected].