Hand Shy Dogs: The Real Cause

When a dog is “hand shy,” he usually ducks his head away when someone tries to touch him. If you watch closely, it’s not only “hands” that cause some dogs to shrink back, but also anything in fast motion (e.g. falling leaves or closing doors). If you’re really paying attention to a dog’s body language, you’ll notice he moves away whenever someone walks toward him too.

There are a few things you can do to build your dog’s confidence and end ducking and weaving dogs. One easy exercise is to pair delicious dog treats with your hands. Pairing food with touch seems simple enough, but there are a few things you’ll need to know before teaching a scared dog that human touch is rewarding. If you understand why dogs become hand shy, it’ll make the process of teaching new dog behaviors much easier.

What Causes Hand Shy Dogs?

Fear, But Not Abuse

Let’s discuss fear for a moment. We’ll compare it to human emotions because analogies paint a clearer picture of dog behavior, as we can relate it with our own behavior. Believe it or not, fear is different than abuse.

Fear is powerful. It’s a vital response needed to protect ourselves when we feel threatened. It’s deep within our very being. It’s instinctual and, at times, we can’t control it. Some individuals struggle with fear more so than others–you probably know someone who makes everyday decisions based on fear.

These people will usually discourage themselves from trying new activities and make statements, such as, “I want to run track, but I might fall down” or “I would love to open a new business, but I’m afraid to fail.” Everyone has these fears, but some people feel fear on a deeper level. It’s like their fear volume knob is turned up higher than others. The same applies to dogs. Some dogs are much more fearful than others.

RELATED: How to Train Fearful Dogs

Abuse is different. It’s something that happens to us. It’s neither an instinct nor emotion. Now, abuse can certainly alter our perspective on certain matters, but we can either rebound or succumb to abuse. It’s all about how we deal with it. Could abuse destroy a deep-rooted fearful person? It depends. If an abused fearful person learns self-confidence and practices it daily with great results, I think he or she can certainly live a wonderful life. This applies to dogs as well.

Abuse is a Dangerous Label

Yes, I firmly believe people hide behind the label of abuse. It’s almost an excuse for failure and, worst of all, not even trying. Humans seek to understand our meaning in life and abuse is a thick security blanket to hide under. It halts our learning because we think we can’t do this or that since we’re abused. Or worse yet, someone does a terrible deed, but it’s excused because he was abused. Since dogs can’t talk, they’re labeled with abuse too.

When dog owners make excuses for their dogs, they ‘re holding them back from life. I’ve seen terrible animal abuse cases and 80 percent of these dogs seek human contact–almost like craving warmth from sunshine. If any dogs should hate humans, it should be these poor tortured dogs. However, they don’t shrink back in fear. They’re rebounding from abuse.

Common Symptoms of Fear

Reactivity, aggression and anxiety are symptoms of fear, which is important to understand before trying to change any behavior. Many times, people focus on changing reactive (balking, cringing, charging) behavior instead of the cause, which is fear. Dog owners punish aggression (growling, lunging, barking), which is never a good thing. Addressing only aggression is like treating a stuffy nose caused by the flu. It’s short-term, but you’re not addressing the real issue.

RELATED: Dog Aggression

Training Exercises to Help Hand Shy Dogs

Now that you have a deeper understanding of why your dog cringes when touched, you’re now able to troubleshoot along the way. I’ve split this process into small chunks because it’s impossible to learn everything at once. You and your dog will become overwhelmed and then ultimately frustrated and give up.

If your dog barks, lunges or growls at you or other people, it’s important to contact a veterinary behaviorist. These signs indicate your dog is extremely fearful and needs additional assistance.

Grab some super yummy treats, such as baked chicken, hot dogs or cheese, and cut into pea-sized bits. Next, you’ll need a clicker. If you’re new to clicker training or need a refresher, take a peak at Clicker Training 101.

During these exercises, never force your dog to interact with someone. It will most certainly make his fears worse. Instead, reward your dog for voluntarily walking toward you, engaging in your hand and happily standing still as someone touches him. Once your dog happily walks toward you, it’s time to reward him when you’re moving toward him.

Touch

Start slow and reward your dog as he moves toward you and touches your hand with his nose. You’ll click (or say “yes”) when you feel him touching your hand. If this is too much, then reward any forward movement toward you even a shift in body weight or a step forward. After your dog learns to touch your hand, move to the next exercise.

Collar Touch

Most dogs cringe when their collars are touched. They’ve learned that fun ends or they’re in trouble when their collars are touched. If you’re not comfortable with human touch and someone grabs your face or neck, you would cringe too. Click and treat as you’re moving your hand toward your dog, then reward him for letting you hold his collar. Move slowly. If he moves backwards, go back to rewarding hand movement toward his collar again.

Chin Rest

Teach your dog to rest his chin in your open hand. I save this one for last because it takes a lot of trust, which I’m sure you’ve already built during “touch” and “collar touch” games.

Always move at your dog’s speed. If he begins to regress, take a step back and build confidence.

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