Free Tips for Addressing Anxiety in Australian Shepherds

In this Omaha dog training session, we helped Emma, a nervous 1-year-old Mini Aussie. Her guardian set up this session to learn more about anxiety in Australian Shepherds and ease her fear of new people visiting her home.

When helping a dog overcome a fear of new people, what you don’t do can be just as important as what you do. With Emma, I made sure to ignore her—I didn’t make eye contact, try to pet her, or talk to her.

Many people think the best way to comfort a scared dog is to be affectionate, but the best approach is usually to give them space and let them come to you when they’re ready.

How to Prevent Anxiety in Australian Shepherds

After Emma settled down, I used a few dog behaviorist tricks to help her learn that strangers aren’t anything to be afraid of. I used lots of positive reinforcement and let Emma do the heavy lifting.

To help the guardians remember this strategy to help a nervous dog get over a fear of new people, I pulled out my camera and asked the family to record this positive dog training secret.

When working with a fearful dog, it’s important to use positive reinforcement and avoid actions that might make them more anxious. One of the worst things you can do is punish or correct a dog for reacting out of fear. If a dog is already feeling uncomfortable or unsafe, punishment can reinforce their anxiety rather than help them feel secure.

Emma’s behavior seems to stem from several factors. As a herding breed, she has a natural instinct to be in control, but she lacks clear rules and consistent structure. She exercises in an unstructured way and decides when and how to interact with her humans.

Emma, in a way, thinks she’s in charge, but her humans don’t always respond to her the way she expects, which creates more stress. Her guardians should practice petting with a purpose and passive training. Exercises like these will help her learn to respect her family and view them as leaders.

She also struggles with separation anxiety, making it difficult for her to relax when her guardians are gone. When they are home, she feels like she has to protect them, leaving her in a constant state of alertness. This cycle of anxiety and duty can be overwhelming for a dog.

One common mistake people make with reactive dogs is using punishment, like squirt bottles, when the dog barks or acts out. If a dog is barking because they feel uncomfortable with a guest, and their discomfort is met with punishment, it only reinforces their fear.

Imagine if you were scared of something, and instead of someone comforting or reassuring you, they slapped you and told you to stop reacting. You’d likely become more anxious and frustrated. Instead of punishing the dog’s reaction, it’s important to understand why they are reacting. We should help them create a positive association with the situation.

Tips to Help a Nervous Dog Get Over a Fear of New People

Another mistake people make is unintentionally rewarding fear. Many owners instinctively say things like “It’s okay” in a soothing voice when their dog is nervous. However, dogs associate rewards with the behavior they’re exhibiting at that moment.

If a dog only hears “It’s okay” when they’re barking or lunging at a guest, they may start associating the phrase with reacting negatively to visitors. Instead of comforting a fearful dog with petting or reassurance, the best approach is to create space between them and the thing they’re reacting to.

Emma is particularly reactive to movement, which is common in herding breeds. If someone stands up too quickly, she’s likely to startle or react. The best way to help her feel comfortable with new people is to use a clear plan. This plan lets her build confidence at her own speed.

One effective technique is to toss treats at a distance and let the dog decide to approach. The goal is to create a pattern. The dog moves toward something new, gets a reward, and then moves away. This helps the dog learn that approaching is a good experience.

When using this technique, it’s important not to force the interaction. Don’t look at the dog, talk to them, or reach out to pet them. Simply toss a treat on the ground at a comfortable distance, click (if using a clicker), and let the dog take the treat.

If they hesitate or take the treat and immediately retreat, that’s a sign they are still unsure. In that case, throw the next treat a bit closer to them instead of toward yourself. Gradually make the distance smaller over time. If the dog won’t take the treat at all, they may be too stressed to engage, and it’s best to give them more space.

Over time, as the dog becomes more comfortable, you can gradually place treats closer to yourself. A “jackpot” reward system can also be helpful, where the closer the dog gets, the more treats they receive.

Eventually, placing treats on your shoe or near your hand can encourage them to come even closer, but only when they’re ready. The key is patience and allowing the dog to make their own choices without pressure.

Signs of progress include the dog lingering near you, sitting, lying down, or turning their body away—all indicators that they are feeling more at ease.

This process can take time, and success won’t happen overnight, but with consistency and positive reinforcement, a fearful dog like Emma can learn to feel safe and relaxed around new people.

Using Positive Reinforcement to Help a Fearful Dog Get Over Anxiety

By helping Emma with some tasty treat motivation and letting her approach me on her own schedule let her gain confidence. As we practiced, she came closer and closer, eventually sniffing me then finally taking a treat from my hand.

The great thing about this method is that the dog learns on their own. We do not have to micromanage them. This means you don’t have to be a professional dog trainer to use this positive dog training approach.

It can be frustrating trying to help a fearful dog get over anxiety around strangers, but if the guardians practice this method a few times a day and visitors watch the free dog training video above, she should start to get over her fear of new people.

I shared a number of other tips in this in-home dog behavior training session. We filmed a roadmap to success video to help the family remember them all.