How can I stop my dog from being afraid of being touched?

Do you have a hard time picking up your dog or touching his collar? Does he run away to evade your hands? Is putting on your dog’s leash a major undertaking?

Many dogs are afraid of hands near their face and/or afraid of having their collars grabbed. Being afraid of hands is often assumed to be a sign of abuse when in fact it is not. This problem can be caused by a lack of sufficient handling as a puppy, by a sensitive temperament, or as a result of just one bad experience.

Being afraid of hands and being picked up is especially common with smaller dogs. Human hands can seem huge to a small dog and almost always come from above, where they look even more intimidating.

Fortunately, this problem can be addressed with some very simple desensitization. We use a combination of treats and gradual touch around the head, face, and collar to change our dog’s opinion about being touched.

Get a generous amount of a very desirable treat. Feed your dog while very gradually moving your hands toward your dog’s head from the side or underneath, not from above or the front. Over time (this may take many sessions) you should be able to touch your dog and gently grab the collar.

When you can gently grab the collar, starting using the “gotcha” cue. Rather than making it a game of chase, you are making offering the collar (in return for a reward) a behavior, just like “sit” or “down.”

Keep sessions short and fun. It’s much better to have a few one or two minute sessions a day that one marathon session.

Here is a video.

(Neither of the dogs in the video have a problem with their collars being grabbed. Unfortunately the two dogs I am working on this problem with right now are also afraid of cameras. )