How To Teach a Shy, Fearful, or Nervous Dog! 

I watch his show every saturday and bought the book ru-vid.comUgkxGQVgV21bQ7B9b9duQ1ByImyT9xHbjOKq because i like his method. He's very talktative in the book about his dog training experiences with several different breeds over the years. When he does get to the training chapters, you need to read more slowly, take mental or written notes and try to apply his advice to your pet. That's where i'm at now. Another review is in order aftet i've trained my blue mountain shepherd with brandon mcmillan's method.

More videos with unmotivated and shy dogs would be great but all of your videos so far have been excellent and extremely helpful thank you

My dog just chills at home. No barking, no whining, no running. He usually just walks up to anyone in my family and sits next to them. I tried to train him but he just walks away from me!

My dog’s shy and very reserved. She’s a rescue and I’ve had her for a year. There’s times she doesn’t let me touch her because she goes back to not trusting but she’s a very sweet dog (has never bit me). I treat her very different to compare to my other dog because of her past circumstance. It takes a lot of patience to build a dog’s confidence. We are currently teaching her to climb up and down the stairs so we are trying to build her confidence. New year, great start!

For anyone reading this: I know that dog training can be difficult sometimes, but you're doing great. Keep up the good work, and your dog (and your own sanity) will thank you for it! ❤️💕

I got a dog from a shelter about a month ago. While she completely loves me, she runs from my family. When I am at work she hides out in my room all night. I appreciate the videos like this to train me to help her become the best dog she can be. Now if only I could get her to acclimate to the family.

Another great video and I love Bree's magnet analogy! I use clicker training a lot and when I was doing professional pet sitting I would bring my clicker and teach my doggie clients a trick or two for their family to enjoy when they got home. One senior dog that I cared for had never learned a single trick, avoided eye contact/ touch and was so fearful of my clicker she would bolt the instant she heard "click!" I ended up using a very gentle "yes" as a reward marker and was successful in teaching her the first tricks she had ever learned, and saw her confidence begin to bloom. Positive dog training is so awesome!

This video was so helpful, could you do more videos on dogs with anxiety and trust issues

My rescue is very shy but is slowly taking interest in other people. I so believe in lots of patience and praise . She came with severe separation anxiety and hurled herself around in a crate....so stop crating her and gave her a kong whenever we left her and she has adjusted very well.We are so thankful that we have her!

I adopted a 6 month old poodle who had a lovely home with her mother, father, brother, uncle, cat, and a big fenced in yard. She was very outgoing when I met her, but since I got her she is extremely timid outside. Every noise, person walking by, loud insects (cicada noise at night) makes her stop and sit for a long time. It's hard to get her to walk because of this (and my street a pretty quite residential street. She also isn't much interested in treats - boiled chicken, freeze dried chicken, and a few other things I've tried. She will take the dried chicken in her month, but sometimes doesn't eat it because of some sound. Is is very loving with me. I've not introduced her to other animals or people--I'm guessing she just needs an unusually long time to get used to her new environment. I cuddle with her a lot, but trying to train her without a good reward seems useless right now. I'm just going to take is slowly and hope she comes out of it. Oh, she seems healthy and not in pain. I'm going to have a vet check her this week, but I don't think there is anything wrong.

This is such a wonderful video! My terrier mix is a rescue dog and I've only had him for a month or so. He's really timid and scared of my husband and men in general and of course other dogs as well. Some of your videos don't work on him just because he would rather not take the lure than to follow simple commands. It would be great to see more videos like this where the dog has anxiety and reserved. Your book helped a lot and he's slowly getting better everyday!! My father in law kept insisting that I need to dominate my dog and be the "alpha" so he learns who's the boss. He said that's how he taught his old dog, but his old dog was very afraid of him and will only go to him as a last resort. I kept quoting your book and teaching my father in law new ideas, even though he is not exactly receptive of the idea. If I didn't read your book I would've taught my dog in the old way because that was the only method I knew. So thanks a lot!!!

My dog is so so shy and hates being approached by people. I never know how to stop people from doing it. You’re so gentle with this little pup. I wish you could help my doggie but I’m 99.9 percent sure he would not even eat the treats you have for him cuz he’s so picky and spoiled.

I especially love the last comment you made, "If you agree that dogs are individuals..." I absolutely know that they are! We breed dogs to provide service dogs to disabled people and over the years I have been blown away but the individuality of every single puppy and dog that we have dealt with. I love your philosophy, Zak, and appreciate your videos so much!

Great video. I have a 2 year old?? mini-dachshund adopted from a shelter 3 weeks ago and this is exactly where we're at

We visited a dog today at a shelter that we have decided to adopt. He (described as a Boston terrier mix) was definitely shy and avoided contact for the first 10-15 minutes. We enticed him with treats and eventually he warmed up, letting us pet & hold him. We even got him to "sit" and were able to get him to look us in the eye. Your videos , which I watched a few of yesterday, were very helpful with tips on how to introduce ourselves to a new dog. We pick him up in a few days, after we've had a chance to get the necessary supplies. Thanks much, Zac! I'm sure your videos will help ease this process!

Lovely to be able to go back through your back-catalogue. We have a 2 year old super-confident mini Dachshund, and a shy but barky 11 month old mini Dachshund. The success we've had with Katie (2 year old) lured us into a false sense of security, and when we got Darcy, her shyness took us by surprise. It breaks my heart that she isn't as confident and social as Katie is, and we're doing everything we can to help her x

This, as well as other videos from you have helped me with my 8-year-old girl (just rescued lady July), she was left outside for 8 years in terrible conditions and starved. I slowly worked with her though and now she is my best friend and we're inseparable

My dog is scared of everything we do

Pleaseeeee do more training videos for shy and reserved dogs Zak, we really really need it and would do appreciate it! ❤️

Great video! Her interaction is very much like my Pablo. Thanks for showing a Chi in a positive light, and being so patient with little Lucy! She really is a sweetheart!

My dog is super duper shy. We adopted a kitten and he has helped her anxiety greatly. She finds a lot of comfort in having him near her. They're best friends!

We just adopted a 3 month old German Shepard puppy yesterday and she is totally like this. I understand she's more on the reserved side for now because she doesn't really know us all that well yet. But she does seem to be a shy, fearful dog. I do hope though it is only because she's a puppy and just needs to get used to us. We'll continue to work with her of course! Thanks for all these helpful videos, especially the potty training video.

I adopted a super nervous and shy dog. Probably has that reservations from being on the streets. I love her and I can see she is VERY smart. I'm so excited to use these techniques to build her confidence! I love you patience. I have patience but now I know what it looks like to be patient when training a dog!

This was great! I've got a mix breed dog and she gets tricks super quickly at the house, she even did them at the park the other day with patience. (And surprisingly, all the following "issues" aren't an issue at the park...she's gotten friendlier with people at parks, not sure about dogs at the park though since there's never any there) However, she is pretty nervous when going to Petsmart and also going on a walk... She's done better the last time we went to the store, mainly walking her around the perimeter where she was comfortable, then when she actually showed interest in this small puppy, we walked a bit closer. She got nervous in the middle of the big isle so we went back to the small isles on the side of the store. I'm not sure how to deal with her on walks though. She's been on the route plenty of times, some times she stops dead in her tracks before we go under the underpass, other times we make it past that but there is a certain house she will NOT walk by. Not sure why, but we just walk on the other side of the street, if we get past that I can't go down one road because she gets super scared (she turns around, tail between her legs, pulling SUPER hard) so we just turn around but I think that promotes her pulling...? She also gets distracted and nervous when she sees people/animals outside. I can pretty much get her attention back for a little bit when she sees someone and I reassure her they are okay and we can move a little forward each time I get her attention. All of these happen randomly...Sometimes she is perfect on all streets of my neighborhood, other times she wont go down a street. All of these set backs are pretty much gone when I am walking her with my mom, dad, siblings and at least one other dog. Your videos remind me to be patient with her, even though she is perfect in my house, she does need extra care when outside and you remind me to not get angry with her when she doesn't listen or go the way I want.

Aww ❤️my pup is quite shy too she's 4 months now but she trusts me and my mom but with other people she can be nervous but also will lick she has not an ounce of aggression she's just rather nervous/shy

Our dog was shy. At 7 weeks we took Roxy home. So at 12 weeks. . She sits. . Plays tug a war. . Fetch. . And is all potty trained. She goes to the door. . We have no bite marks on us as I taught everyone to say OUCH. . From the beginning. Lol. Our vet played with her as she is young and can do so much. Soon serious leash training. What a great puppy our kids love her. And she is good with all dogs and people as we introduced her to neighbors dogs. She was terrified. But in 3 days. . A different puppy. So worth putting the time into her. Yay now we just enjoy her. All the training videos helped. Our vet says she is so fun to play. .so her appointments are longer for Vet playtime hahahahaha!

Great video! My chihuahua is the same way, if I even make a quick movement she backs away with her tail tucked. I have to take things slow for sure! If I try to move too fast she gets stressed, basically she has to acclimate to every single new thing in the world.

I just adopted a 9 month old pup that is very skittish and shy. If there are any loud noises (Even positive cheering), she will mistaken it for scolding and runs for cover. lol Poor baby. I have been working closely with her and have been very patient. She's learned a few tricks now and is becoming more and more open with my husband and I. I can tell she is extremely eager to learn and just as hyper and easy-going as my other dog once she's feeling fully comfortable and in her natural zone. Thank you for the helpful tips and videos!

getting my Yorkie today. We have had a meet and greet. He's fine with my cat. my cat is fine with him. the cat is bigger than the dog. He is very shy as he was from a very chaotic home and had to be rescued. He has been here at my house and been allowed to "check the place out'. I am keeping him for 48hours to see how we all 3 mesh. this video was great. I have a public speaking voice by nature. You reminded me I need to use my library voice. Will be a subscriber of yours.

This is the MOST AMAZINGLY USEFUL video that I have been able to watch and it it is using the EXACT breed of dog that I have and this dog is just like my dog but my baby is actually hyper. But THANK YOU SO MUCH for this video!!!!

I volunteer at Howling Woods Farm rescue socializing and training domestic-bred wolves, wolfdogs and northern breeds. Wolves and most wolfdogs are by nature shy and fearful of humans. Some even arrive feral because owners gave up trying to socialize and train these very timid animals. I've used all of your techniques in this video to bond and build confidence with complete success, after I've earned their trust by being consistent in my behavior and routines. Kudos on the mention of even toned praise, it's so important because it may startle the shy and fearful and do more harm than good. I just wish I had resources like your video when I started.

Thank you for this video. We just adopted (three weeks ago) a hound-mix puppy from a local SPCA. He is now almost 4 months old, and likes to play a little but prefers to cuddle and sit on laps. We knew he had a timid temperament when he chose him. He gets scared easily by things like the vacuum cleaner or accidentally dropping a book on the floor or things we can't figure out and seems tentative around a people he doesn't know, but seems comfortable and happy around our 3-year old female husky. The husky is very maternal toward him. We will try the confidence-building techniques you showed with Lucy.

Just adopted my 6 month old chihuahua, Lily! At the shelter I was told she was very bonded with her siblings and when she was separated she became fearful, shy and scared of everyone :( I’ve spent all day with her so far, carrying her close to my chest, she hides her face at my neck, and in her bed she hides her face too. I have another dog, Charlie, he’s a 3yr old chihuahua/min pinscher and he’s happy to see her, when I introduced her to him she just stood still and shy and tried to hide from him. For now I’m keeping them at a safe distance. Hoping she will open up to me over time! 🥺💕

I adopted a super shy, fearfully aggressive dog from the shelter a bit over 3 months ago. I use a mixture of positive and negative reinforcement, using leash snaps and corrective words/noises when her gaze is locked on someone (a precedent to an outburst). In the time I've had her she has made great progress, but I have to say that training fear out of a dog is a lot harder than training aggression out.

My chihuahua puppy was at puppy class and a very vocal German shepherd pup arrived. Since this my pup barks a lot, previously he was able to watch other dogs, people, cars etc and now he's on high alert !!!

We just adopted a 1 yr old miniature poodle. Hes super shy. This video helped me know how to start training. Thank you.

Getting our 2nd rescue dog on Monday, driving 3 hours to Dusseldorf airport to get her. She comes from Spain and was going to be put to sleep :( Not surprisingly, she is quite nervous having spent her entire little life (7 months) without a proper home or family. Will be using these techniques to help her settle down. I love Zak, he is so kind and really loves the animals. Ruby is joining our family of one male 19 month dog, 2 female cats, 2 teenagers and my husband and I. Our family is now complete!!! :)

Mine is both. She's energetic and gets excited easily but she's also a coward/panicky. So yeah, quite a handful. We do a lot of repetition on the easiest tricks for confidence building as a break between new things, because she gets *really* stressed out whenever she doesn't understand a command. Poor girl needs a lot of help and patience, but this is what makes her unique and she's the best dog ever

Good I found this. Just adopted a new very shy dog and these tips help

ty this is a great help, alot of dogs adopted from shelters have had bad pastes and its great to get some help to better their confidence!

I just adopted a senior dog from pond and she is untrained but trainable this is a great help for us thank

Hi Zak, i have a 11mth old min schanu, Flynn, got him after he'd been sold as pup n readvertised.. so don't know his past. Flynn is of course vocal, a breed trait to schnaus, barks at neighbours, noise, everything. He is very nervous and seperation anxiety when i have to go shopping - i leave him no more than 3hrs. Flynn is a strong boy, leash pulls and inquisitive to his surroundings. I'm a lady live with just my schnau but since getting him, i have diagnosed physical health issues plus my long term anxiety.. I previously had a poodle family over 25yrs, sadly lost Sonny my last boy 18mths ago.. he was born blind and i taught him by touch with his paws..he was a cool dude!! I easily trained my poodles, also can clip as i do for Flynn. I am desperate for advice as to help my boy get exercised and mental stimulation despite my health probs. I luv Flynn so much and want to give him the right guidance. I watch yr videos on youtube - we live in the UK, i have subscribed to yr channnel, but i don't do social media like facebook.. i hope you can give advice. Thanks Zak.

My dog Rogue is a year old ridgeback mastiff cross. To be honest she is a mix of emotions! shes very hyper, and loving with us. She has her safe places like the dog park and loves daycare! However in new places, meeting new people or stranger in the yard shes a completely different dog! She has fear aggression. Highly socialized since day one but working at it one day at a time. shes not perfect but shes perfect for us, seems only fitting that my husband and I who have anxiety would get a dog with some herself.

I have a 2 yr old Papillon/Aussie mix. 9lbs. He was a breeder in a puppy mill and I've had him about 14 months. Very shy and afraid of new things. He backs up and doesn't like to get close when I'm training or walking with him, partly out of fear and partly because he is so small. This video was very helpful, I will be working with some of these tips asap.

I got my dog yesterday and we already fell in love. She is a 2 year old dachshund/Chihuahua mix. She is comfortable around me and my sister but not my step brother she just met. She growls if he makes a slow movement and barks when he makes a fast movement. The boy is 9 years old. Btw she is spoiled rotten and does not listen.

Ok Zak George you asked. Ill tell you. I have a little Shetland Sheepdog pup who's alittle over 5 months old. She's a wonderful ❤pup. Smart. Training has been going well. Especially, because of your videos. Crate, basic tricks, potty training mastered, leash trained to walk with. Im working right now on socialization with people and doggies when possible. I'm noticing something, and I'm curious. She out going with me, stubborn sometimes, she's a high energy breed but seems reserved in many ways. Also I'm noticing she spooks or scares easy with some things. Her first few storms here with me I talked her thru it. She handles those better, but things like mowers, little kids, teens are ok, bikes, cars, motorcycles, even old pickle buckets. She wanted so bad to be with me in the garden till I had to put buckets on top of the plants for this last frost and now she terrified of the garden. No buckets in the garden just plants and she's acts like I'm dragging her to her death. Could you explain how to handle this? If possible with a dog, or my dog in a video. For real. I need some help and encouragement as I'm trying but I'm catching this stuff after the fact some of it.. I do want to say thank you tho even if you don't respond to my question(s) as I have developed a whole new way of thinking all because of how you explain things. What you say makes a whole lot of sense. She's off to a great start so thank you for the tips, tricks, and encouragement. May and Wee Wee from MO

My little Terrier mix Peanut is a super shy and super anxious rescue blessing. He's very sweet but easily overwhelmed so we have to work slowly and very calmly/quietly.

I loved this video. My dog is shy like Lucy so this video really tugged at my heart strings. I don't know how long you have Lucy but could you do a few more with her? It is really sweet to see how much she has bonded with Bree too in just a few days.

Love the way you interact with the training! I don't even have a dog and I really enjoy watching these videos you do!

Zak this has been a great video for myself. My partner and I have just rescued a dog that came from Romania to the UK. She is such a sweet loving character but she really lacks confidence and has a lot of fear and anxiety. A blade of grass will make her jump :D I coughed the other day while she watched me eat and she jumped out of her skin and ran into the garden. We've had her just over a week and I started to teach her sit, lay down and come. We both need practice that's for sure! Love your videos and the way you teach pal 👌🏼

Yes .. this is what I needed ! I've gotten my very 1st very fearful very shy dog .. I've never had a dog thats like this and I'm having difficulties understanding how to help him thru this and this helps! First step of many but I'm willing to put the work in and hope I find more videos that help me help him be the best fur baby he's meant to be.

Oh this is very useful, they're all individuals. The basenji I walk is a little timid, he does not learn the same way as my collie. He can be a little defensive with other dogs and kind of untrusting/aloof but at the same time he needs a little physical guidance with tricks, such as a touch on the shoulders for lie down, or a tap on the paw to lift it up, whereas the collie can be guided into most things thinking for himself, they're so different! The collie is very people loving but as he is a rescue he is very scared of sticks (e.g. ball thrower, me sweeping with a broom etc) especially if you raise it above say knee height, I'd be really interested to see how you deal with issues like fear and aggression. I really love that you do videos with dogs you don't know well and those from a rescue centre, as so many dog trainers use their dogs that are already familiar with them and the commands!

I have a miniature Schnauzer that used to be very confident and playful dog, she was doing a great job in her training, she was able to do all the dog park obstacles unleashed running and enjoying it, After she was frightened by a big agressive big dog we met in the streets, she doest not want to play at the dog park she just stays next to me and keeping an eye on the other dogs, If I take her with the leash she does all the obstacles pretty good but I realize she does not enjoys anymore and keeps worry about the other dogs even they are not agressive. Whe she is in the neighborhood where we lived she is totally confidence,playful and brave, she plays with the dogs that are her friends and barks to the ones she does not like, But I really wish she was playful and confidence again at the dogspark actually outside our neighborhood.

Excellent job Zak, thanks for showing us. I appreciate how you take your time with the dog instead of rushing, you show great patience which is hard for us humans.

I have a very shy dog that I rescued from our neighborhood. She has been getting better and better with time as she gets more comfortable with me and my husband. She learned sit pretty quickly, but I'm trying to get her to feel comfortable sitting on my lap. I would also like to get her to want to play with people. She plays with my other little dog who is also bit shy.

we just bought a dog from an animal shelter and she appears very shy. this video definitely helped. thank you. ..:)

I’m hoping to adopt a very shy and scared pup. 10 months old who lived previously at a homeless encampment. It was love at for me, and she warmed up pretty quickly to me. Really hoping she’ll warm up to my kids on our next visit.

I have a six month old great Dane x he will not let anyone near him but him I have done one on one with my pup myself and a friend it goes up now and sniffs but no one can touch him only I can I love the video I try different training things for about six weeks then try something else just trying to work out the best way to train him that all people aren't bad he won't take food out of my hand when another person is around but once it clear he take it

My 4 month old Shiba is afraid of everything. We’ve had her since she was 8 wks old & has only improved her fear at night. We’ve been gentle, & calm with her, yet she is still afraid. She won’t go out on her own in the back yard during the daylight, but will go without problem at night. She’s also afraid of the kitchen, which is the way she has to go through to get to the back door to go outside. She hates walks, she’s reluctant to come to us, she definitely doesn’t want us petting her, let alone hold her. I have gotten her to master the sit & down commands, but due to her fear, the come command is hit or miss (unless I lure with treats, & even then, she keeps a 2 ft distance). When I am able to hold her (she doesn’t like it, but I can pick her up sometimes at night) & try to relax her with calm gentle voice, I feel her heart still racing even after a few minutes. I’m trying to get her to relax, so when I hold her, I can inspect her mouth, touch her ears, paws, tail, etc., so visits to the vet will not be traumatic for her. When holding her, I try to reward with a treat, but she is so nervous, she can’t seem to eat it properly. I am being as patient as I can, but it’s been 2 months that we’ve had her now & the only progress (what little there is) comes only at night. If I lay still on the floor, she will come up to me and if I have a treat, she will climb on my chest, but the moment I touch her (slow & soft), off she goes. I can get kisses from her (sometimes & rarely). I have never had a dog this afraid of me before. Every other pup we’ve adopted has had that initial nervousness when we first met, but within a day or two, they were happy to be with us, be held, & go on walks & start training. With our new pup, it seems we’re having to try & conquer the fear before we can really get to training. And as I’ve said, it’s been 2 months now, yet our progress is small while her fear is big. It’s so disheartening.

My dog is somewhere in between. This was my first video of yours. Very insightful and genuine. Thanks!

Sam this is the most helpful video in helping me understand my fearful pup. Thank you so much.

So glad you made a vid on this! I like to adopt shelter dogs, (my first two being rescues) and they're often rather skittish and nervous, so this was a huge help!

Zak, thank you for this video. In the past my dogs have all been confident and medium or high energy. Presently, I have a new puppy who is the opposite of this: very shy in public and around all people. She is attached to me in a positive way, but learning this new style of training and teaching myself how to behave around her especially during training has been very new to me, yet invaluable. Thank you for this video. If you can continue to include training tips for shy, reserved, low energy dogs that would be enormously beneficial to everyone! Myself and my dog included!

Hello Zak. My 6 months old beagle girl started to be very scared to walk outside. All noises are driving her crazy. She was better 2 months ago than now. She just sits and pooling back home. I wish I can make her happy and comfortable there. When she is with dogs, she is very fine and playing like crazy.

Wish I'd seen this years ago. Had a sad, unhappy and unplayful stray we rescued. We tried to play with him, but he never wanted to, never wanted to learn anything. I think maybe we tried too hard and he needed gentle quietness. We may be bringing home a dog from the humane shelter who is a pit bull mix. He is quiet and very reserved, but it's like a school of hard knocks so I don't need anyone and no one matters to me attitude. Doesn't like the other dogs much and if they bother him he gives them what for. I hope he will want to make a human connection, it seemed he liked when my son just sat by him quietly and gazed at the mountains with him..

Mine is super shy. He was a rescue and been abused before. Hes gotten so much better since i have him but theres still things i would love to train him. Like socializing with people and other dogs.

I have a 4 and a half year old GSD. She's not shy around people when she's in the house. But she is petrified of being outside or any noises inside or outside. She has got slightly better because at one point she wouldn't go on a walk at all and would cry, scream and jump about everywhere listening to every little noise. Now she will go on walks when me and my sister are both there and my other GSD. I have quite a bit of experience with dogs but never seen a dog like her before.

Thank you Zak! Your videos inspired me to train my previous Sheltie. She was very well behaved, did tricks and fetched frisbee. She had a wonderful life with me for nine years. Now- I have a very shy and fearful adult Sheltie. I think she missed out on socialization. She is afraid of clicker sound (and every other sound..) and she can't pay full attention to treat because she is too nervous. I've tried to teach sit but keep failing. I can't even get calling name-eye contact consistently. I shouldn't be excited and scream "good girl!" because she will run away. lol I think time and patience are the only answers when working with a shy/fearful dogs..

I’m working with an abused, scared, untrained dog that was rescued from a terrible situation. Not sure if she has been inside a house or not. She is in a humane society, shelter. She has finally let me pet her, and pet her belly. She takes small treats from my hand, though still very timid. After weeks of spending a few hours a day with her, I finally got a wag and ears up. Any tips to help her along would be great. Like putting a collar on, using a leash, taking her to my home for a foster care night, go in a car, etc. Any direction to informative sites would be awesome. She’s a sweet little dog and deserves to have a fun and love filled life.

my dog is so shy that she won’t even sit when we are outside, she’d rather stand there even for several hours, if she starts to get sleepy she just starts falling asleep standing up.

My littest dog, Taz, is a happy little thing. He loves new people when they come into the house and he does great on walks. He's fine with strollers, skateboards, cyclists, football players, and people jogging by. He is nervous of children and elderly people. I can understand he's nervous of kids, they are unpredictable. He's also afraid of puppies. He doesn't like their energy. He will go up and sniff an adult dog's nose and be fine though. So I'd say he's in the middle.

Our new dog is nervous and doesn't like new people, he is super energetic outside but sleeps or chews on stuff inside. He has grown protective of our family and doesn't like when visitors touch us or hug us; he will growl. He is scared of our cat but they are getting used to each other.

I just got a charcoal lab 3-4 weeks ago. Your videos have helped a lot. We've got him house trained, crate trained & he does all the basic tricks. The only issue is his shyness. He has no problems around other dogs but if a human stranger approaches, he clings to me or ducks from them. We've been trying to socialize him by taking him out with us but not much improvement yet. Any tips?

How can I get my shy dog to play with me? I have a hard time to get her to do anything play-like :(

Awwww look! Zak and Bree are babies!

My chihuahua is shy, timid and fearful. But very lovable when she gets comfortable

we just adopted a Spaniel mix a week ago. She looks like boarder collie and wiener dog and you can see maybe Caviler Prince Charles in her face. Anyways shes extremely shy and we are trying to bond with her every way we can. Shes the sweetest dog. We have a cat we are trying to slowly introduce and its hard to read her body language because shes so shy. So far she hasnt barked or anything at her just perks her ears up to watch her. They are fenced off and separated. She is also having a hard time Crate training. I feel bad for her but I try to be as neutral as possible to help her see its not a big deal and make her more nervous. In time Im sure she will open up. Thanks for the video I want to try and help her with commands to boost her self esteem.

Thanks, Zak! We're picking up a very shy rescue on Wednesday and looking forward to trying these tips out!

love the video. My dog is aggressive toward strangers and will try to bite there ankles but runs from them at the same time. Also is so scary of quick movements by visitors and me. He jumps in fear of noises he is 4 years old.

Thanks Zak! Mine is not really shy...he seems aggressive as if he needs to be the chief or leader. Maybe, though, it comes from his being nervous? Any future videos on this would be great!!!

We have a blue heeler who is very energetic and we just got an 18 week old Belgian malinois who is very timid and shy.

I tried the paw thing on my pit bull I thought it would not work but it worked so well!!

I love your videos Zak!! They have really changed my relationship with my puppies and perception on dog training!! Excellent job! Also I have two puppies brother and sister and the sister is shy and reserved.

I have a 3 y.o. JRT/Chihuahua mix, Foxy (my profile pic!). She is very shy and a bit fearful around new people/dogs. I don't force her to interact, and praise her if she does, let her go to a "safe" spot if she needs to. I have new people offer her a treat, hopefully she'll start to associate the two!. We adopted her from a rescue 5 mos ago, and believe she came from a hoarder/backyard breeder. Don't think she got good socialization as a pup.

Sh is the sweetest dog ever!!!

My dog is not shy he is more afraid or everything and if you come near him he runs away and you cannot touch him so how do I train a dog like that?

Our new puppy is a Mini Australian/American Shepherd, and she is shy, like a previous Aussie we had.

Hello Zak....!its so helpful to watch ur videos and then train by myself.....my golden is very fearful....she will fear frm almost anything...a large truck passing close by, other dogs.....etc....having a hard time training her...!:-)

My dog used to be like this when we brought him home. Now he's confident and fearless. He is a little more reserved with other dogs but he is now approaching them. He gets caught off guard when other dogs are too persistent.

Need help... I'm not sure if my dog is shy or scared or nervous but here's the issue... She is a shihtzu 2months old and i recently got her for a relative and i dont what kind of experience she had there... Since day one until 2 weeks with me everytime i approach her to pick her up or even just passing by her she always run away... Everytime i stand up and try to touch her she act as if she is scared and most of the time she run away as if she is afraid but when feeding time and im holding her food she is not afraid but when i put it and i stand up and go in her direction even not intentionally towards her she act fast and move away like avoiding me... It's frustrating coz i take good care of her but i cant pick her easily sometimes if i call her she dont respond or even if she respond even in close distance once i start getting closer and try to touch her she back off fast and run... I dont know why... In short she avoid me when i am moving

Our new 3.5 yo rescue is shy & fearful, but has gotten more comfortable with my husband (he loves me). But any kid of noise in our backyard distracts him & scares him. He walks around our table like he's trying to get away, but not.

I have an American Staffordshire Terrier that is super hyper. Loves hiking, loves running around, would play all day. But she is very shy when she is meeting new people. I don't mind that, she is a strong mix of shy and hyper

Zak, how about teaching a dog to be more confident around other dogs? My dog is very outgoing with people but gets very shy and reserved around other dogs (except my sister's dog who he's known all his life).

Currently fostering a shy, reserved Chihuahua mix. Thanks for the video!

I have a foster puppy that is 5 months old that is very energetic and won't stop nipping when she plays.

Lucy is not shy. It waves the tail and calm. My chihuahua is very shy. It does not come to me when called, does not eat from my hand, pulls the tail back between the legs when I watch or go close to him. He is not barking or biting though and let me pamper him or raise him up. I took him home two days ago from a small village where he lived in a house and a garden. Now he lives with me in a flat and in a big city. It must be a big change for him and he was clearly not socialized properly, although he lived with other dogs so he is naturally curious about dogs, pigeons, etc. I hope he will learn a lot, I try to give him the best and teach him as well.

I have a new puppy she’s 12 weeks old is the first time she’s ever been away from her pack, she is very food driven, so I got her to go PP on the leash, but she had never been on the leash, so she’s just very hesitant and timid. I think this will help me. I just need more refreshing I have trained puppies before but she’s the first one that has been so timid.

I’d love to do some vids like this about my dogs and training! Very helpful.

Get this to the top guys! Lol Hey Zak! We have a golden that absolutely loves people, but is so shy when it comes to dogs. She tolerates them and will let dogs sniff her and shows no signs of aggression but she is just so reserved around dogs. Can you make a video to address this issue? If you want to come to San Diego and use her, she’d love to meet you.

4:44 - the face of triumph.