Hand Feeding Doesn’t Actually Help your Shy Dog
One common technique to help the scared dog make friends is to have the stranger or guest hand feed some treats.
This isn’t the worst thing you could do, but I prefer to gently toss the treats onto the floor right at the dog’s feet or just behind him instead.
What’s Wrong With It?
If you hand feed, the food becomes a form of force that pressures the dog into approaching before he’s actually comfortable. Once he eaten the treat, he’s very close to the scary thing without the food to buffer. The dog can become easily overwhelmed at this point, especially if the person tries to touch him—which most people can’t resist doing!
Why Is Tossing Better?
Tossing the food gives you more accurate information about the dog’s feelings. Approaching a stranger who isn’t obviously offering food communicates a lot more confidence than slinking up to someone’s outstretched hand. The dog in the photo looks pretty uncomfortable!
Here are some more tips for helping your scared dog feel safe!
Keep it short and sweet. The most efficient way to train your dog is to bring him out for 5 minutes of concentrated training with your guest and then put him in a crate or bedroom for the remainder of the guest’s visit. This structure drastically reduces the chances of an Oops! moment where he accidentally gets scared.
Low-Stress entrance. Put your dog in a crate or bedroom prior to the guest’s arrival and then ask your guest to text when they arrive instead of knocking or ringing the bell. Help your guest get settled with instructions and then go retrieve your dog.
Non-threatening. Ask your guest to sit in a chair, and look at you instead of the dog. It’s even better if they can situate themselves so the first thing the dogs sees is their profile.
$100 bills instead of pennies. Provide high value treats like small pieces of chicken, cheese, tuna fish, or meatballs for your guest to gently throw towards your dog. This will make a bigger impression on your dog than kibble/dry dog food.
Hands off. Guests must not touch the dog until it’s glaringly obvious the dog is 150% comfortable with them and actually wants to interact.
PRO TIP: People can usually keep it together until the dog sniffs or touches them and then they have a really hard time not sneaking in a scratch. Make sure to be very specific with your instructions!
If you need personalized help for your Stranger Danger dog, let’s talk!
