How to Help an Anxious Dog Get Over a Fear of People

During this Omaha dog training session, we worked with Orion, a 10-month-old Portuguese Water dog on how to help an anxious dog get over a fear of people, especially his new family.

Why is My Dog Scared of Humans?

Dogs may be afraid of people for various reasons. One reason could be that they have not been around others enough. Another reason could be a bad experience they had with someone. They could also be scared if they have met someone who was mean to them.

Orion’s family adopted him at 8 months old from a breeder who also shows dogs. I’ve never been a big fan of the show dog scene.

Many show dogs don’t know basic commands like sit. This is because their owners want them to perform specific behaviors for judges. These behaviors include stacking and walking in a square pattern. After that, they get sent back to the kennel so they can parade another dog around the ring.

Orion was a classic example of this. At 8 months old he didn’t even know the most basic of commands; the sit.

He was also clearly under socialized. I wouldn’t say he was a fearful dog so much as an anxious one. He was fortunate to be adopted and find a caring family who wants to help him. He is still young and has the chance to make positive changes.

How to Help an Anxious Dog Get Over a Fear of People

The family could talk to Orion a little, but he didn’t want to talk to the mom. This was sad to see as the mother is such a nice woman. I’m guessing the breeder or another adult woman had some negative interactions with Orion. I think it’s a safe assumption based on his flight movements any time the mother was near by.

The mother spent over 10 minutes each day petting Orion in his kennel to show him she was kind and he was safe. Orion stayed still during this time. While she had the best intentions, and not uncommon, petting a fearful dog can make them even more fearful. This is a key difference between dog psychology and humans.

I shared several tips in the video below to help anxious dogs feel more comfortable around people. Watch the free dog behavior training video for more information.

Although Orion wasn’t taking treats in the above video, he was doing so before. We ended up having to film it twice as I got a phone call halfway through the first attempt.

What to do When a Dog is Fearful of Humans

I asked Orion’s mother to bring him to our puppy classes and let them borrow my dog Cali for the weekend. This was to help Orion have good experiences with his mother.

I was delighted to hear that the mother was able to hand feed Orion some food a few days after the session. The family also started having the boys offer Orion a treat any time he came near them in the backyard. But they avoided calling him or showing much interest. This allowed him to come over on his own time and speed.

By the second day, someone told me that they were able to leash him up too! A great example of the benefits of giving a dog time and space to do things when they’re ready.

When a dog is fearful of humans, it may be a sign that it needs extra patience and gentle socialization to build trust.

The mother can show Orion that she is safe and supportive. She can do this by engaging him in fun activities. She should also give him space when he needs it. Finally, she should allow him to approach her on his own.

It will take time and patience, but luckily for this stressed dog, this family has plenty of both. And you don’t have to become a professional Portuguese Water dog trainer to do so.

To help Orion’s family remember everything from this in-home dog behavior training, including tips and tricks to help an anxious dog get over a fear of people, we made a ‘Roadmap to Success’ video. You can watch it below.