Confidence builders...

[whatthedeuce]

I've got a husky mix whom I've posted about before. He seems like he's improving but still has some big confidence issues.

I've enrolled him into obedience class as I hear that is a great way to boost a dog's confidence. I wanted it to be easy for him (he shuts down quickly when he's learning something new) since we're doing things he knows but now with the distractions of a new place and lots of people and dogs.

Outside among strangers he is in heaven, strangers (and dogs and kids) are his absolute favorite things in the world. However he has some major confidence issues at home.

In the morning when he sees me or my husband for the first time, he won't look at us. He stays in his crate and avoids eye contact. He will quickly move his head all the way from one side to the other though (it looks almost like a snake dance), in avoidance, glancing very quickly at us while doing so. When he does look at us, we try to praise him in a very happy voice and we offer treats as often as we can when he makes eye contact.

During the day if he's sitting in the office with me while I work, if I make a move like I might be getting up (including just shifting in my chair), he will dart out of the room and go lay in his crate.

If he is just hanging out in the main part of the apartment and I walk out there, he will run from wherever he is and lay down in his crate.

His crate is very much his safe place and one trainer made a note that he is being respectful by putting himself in there. We never close him in there because if the door is shut he will panic (learned this about a year ago). I am okay with him going in there if it is a respect thing, but sometimes I worry that he's in there because he's scared of something.

Any ideas of some simple things we can do to boost his confidence at home? We have been told to keep praising and rewarding for eye contact,, but so far it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. Then I worry that we may work too much on eye contact, which I know some dogs find intimidating.

[anybobnmb2]

AGILTIY COURSES ARE A GREAT CONFIDENCE BUILDER. ALSO, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED ODEDIENCE TRAINING? THAT SHOULD ALSO HELP TREMENDOUSLY. GOOD LUCK!

[Horace's Mum]

I don't know how long you have had him, but sometimes when we are watching for the slightest bit of eye contact so we can reward it, we inadvertently put pressure on the dog with our body language, which will have the opposite effect to what you want. Also sometimes we can be TOO enthusiastic with rewarding, which again can overpower the dog a bit. I spent a lot of time ignoring any anxious behaviour with Horus, if he showed any I either kept going doing what I was doing quietly (if it was safe and he wasn't in attack mode) or I would stand still and wait for him to calm down (if he was in attack mode!). With things like hoovers and brooms he often panicked and I just ignored it and stood still while he had his moment, and quietly carried on when he had settled again. Is it worth trying just to quietly ignore your dog, not in a bad way, keep talking away but just talking quietly, get up and move around lots but taking no notice of his behaviour. When he does offer you something good at home, or stays still when you get up, quietly praise and drop a treat, but don't make too big a deal out of it.

Clicker training simple stuff in the house might help him become more comfortable in the house too. It might be that all the bad stuff in his previous life happened in a house, but he was fine outside, and he is more confined inside too. I'm sure given time and no threats at all, and lots of playing and training to help him trust you, he will come round and start to relax in the house.