How I win over the shy ones

When I get a very timid dog, I don’t try to win them over with love. Loving on a freaked out dog will only add to the freak-out. You have to let the dog come to you. My technique is to sit in my chair and let my hands just dangle. That allows the dog to come up from behind me – no pressure from me – and sniff at my hands. If he comes up with the courage to walk by me I will swing my hands out slightly to rub down the dog’s side.

“No sir, that wasn’t a pet, I am not trying to love on you, no sirree, I am just sitting here, no threat, no pressure, just doing nothing all by myself”…Well, the dogs actually buy that act.

This works like a charm for me, I haven’t had a dog that I cannot win over with this technique. Thanks to the Dog Whisperer, now I know why it works.

I never thought about this before seeing that Dog Whisperer show. When I rub my hand against the dog’s side, I am getting my scent on him and his scent on me. And in the dog world is “the beginning of a beautiful friendship”