Does your dog get scared or nervous whenever it’s time to go on a walk? Are they constantly acting worried about what’s around the next turn? Do you wish you could enjoy a nice stroll with your four-legged friend without them being anxious and hating things the entire time?

Well, you’re not alone, but the good news is that you can quickly start seeing progress by making some small changes to how you go about things with your dog. Soon, your dog will be confident and not scared of walks. Keep reading and we’ll answer everything you need to know about your question “how do I make my dog more confident on walks?”

How Can I Get My Dog to Stop Being Scared of Walks?

To get your dog to stop being scared of walks:

1. Keep things familiar by walking the same route every time.
2. Keep walks short until your dog shows you they’re ready for something longer.
3. Plan a route with little or no distractions, particularly ones that might worry your pup like other people or dogs.
4. Bring small treats to give to your dog when they’re doing well for positive reinforcement.

These will all begin to help stop your dog being scared of walks. Soon enough, they’ll enjoy them so much you might even have to learn to stop them from pulling on the leash!

You’ll still likely have anxiety issues to address (which medications exist for, though studies have proven them ineffective). Continue to the last section for more on how to fully treat that.

How Do I Help My Shy Dog Gain Confidence?

To help your shy dog gain confidence, help them get over the things that cause them anxiety by using positive reinforcement. Expose them to what worries them in very small amounts in a safe environment, and pair it with a treat.

For example, if your dog gets scared of strangers on walks, then invite a friend over to the house to meet your dog. Keep the meeting brief and pet your dog while giving them treats. If your dog responds well, have your friend do so as well.

Slowly but surely increase your dog’s exposure to the things that cause them anxiety — paired with positive reinforcement — and you will help your shy dog gain confidence.

How to Ease Dog Anxiety on Walks

To ease dog anxiety on walks, you’ll have to get rid of their worries by showing them that you can handle everything. Our tips on getting your dog to stop being scared during walks and to gain confidence will go a very long ways but you’ll still have stress issues at other times, of which the cause also needs to be addressed.

Planning out your route on walks or positively introducing them to strangers will help with those particular situations, but won’t do anything about others. To really put an end to all your dog’s stress and anxiety so they can handle everything that might come their way, you need to work on yourself.

“Wait, how exactly is that supposed to help with my dog’s confidence and anxiety?”

Well, ultimately the root of what is causing your dog to get so worried and to lack confidence is that they don’t see you as a capable and effective leader.

You’ll remember that all dogs are pack animals, and that in every pack there will be a pack leader.

It’s a pack leader’s responsibility to protect themselves and everyone else in the pack, so when your dog doesn’t see you as being up to the job, they get very anxious about what will happen in unknown situations — like, for example, when you’re both out on a walk.

By showing your dog that you are a capable pack leader — able to handle both yourself and your dog — you’ll put an end to all their stress, anxiety, and lack of confidence. No longer will your dog be afraid of the unknown, because they’ll have you — their trusty leader — right there and they know you’ve got everything covered.

“Yeah, that sounds great and all, but how do I do that?”

You should watch an excellent free video series that’s on this very subject (how to be your dog’s pack leader) by a renowned trainer named Dan. And don’t worry if you have no experience with this type of thing, because his videos are made exactly for people like you. He makes everything very easy to understand and teach, and he gets right to the point so you’ll start seeing results right away.

Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. Soon, you’ll get your dog to be confident on walks, and they’ll be free of anxiety and stress during other worrisome times too. Is your dog barking or experiencing separation anxiety? These are rooted in pack leader issues also, so you can say bye bye to those and other related problems too!

I’m sure you’re looking forward to all of that, so I’ll let you get started on things. Remember the 4 tips on how to give your dog confidence on walks to help you in the short-term, but you should also begin on behavioral training right away for more permanent, long-lasting results. Good luck, and don’t forget to pin and share this!