
08/15/2025
⚠️ Not everything labeled as “confidence building” is truly helping your dog.
I’ve seen trainers placing dogs on shopping carts, ladders, and other store equipment under the name of “building confidence."” While it might look impressive, these situations aren’t things your dog will encounter in everyday life. For some dogs, it can actually create stress while they’re performing the task instead of making them more confident.
Yes—pushing a dog just past mild discomfort can absolutely build confidence. But context matters. For example, I’ll have my dogs jump onto public benches, tree stumps, or stable objects, and I’ll even bring my own equipment to break down challenges in a safe way. These are purposeful, practical situations.
But am I going to go out of my way to find a ladder for my dog to run through? Probably not. Could I? Sure. But why? It doesn’t prepare them for the real world, and it adds unnecessary stress.
✅ Real confidence training is about giving dogs safe, achievable challenges that build trust step by step:
• Walking across new surfaces
• Navigating stable obstacles
• Working around everyday distractions
• Succeeding through consistency
The goal isn’t to overwhelm a dog with random stunts—it’s to build resilience, trust, and real-world confidence. 🐾
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