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My dog doesn't fully trust me. How can I build a stronger bond?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

How can i help my dog build more trust in me?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on January 2nd, 2017

Reward-based training is a great way to build the bond between you and your dog - it's something fun that you can do together, and helps your dog understand how to "read" you better, which in turn fosters trust :) If you have any training classes like this in your area, I would suggest signing up for one to see if both of you like it. If not, I would highly recommend the book "How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves" by Dr. Sophia Yin. It does a great job of explaining how dogs learn and how our behavior influences them, and has lots of specific training suggestions that you can try.

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