Not every animal feels comfortable around humans—particularly those they aren’t familiar with. Fortunately, if your pet is shy, there are several ways you can help them become more social without traumatizing them. Committed to providing gentle pet care in Wisconsin Dells, WI, Dells Animal Hospital offers a few tips on how to introduce people to your anxious companion.

Pet Care Tips to Help Shy Animals Feel More Comfortable Around People

Start With a Sniff

Dogs and cats depend on their noses to learn about the environment around them, so their sense of smell is much more refined than that of humans. When introduced to someone new, these animals like to sniff to get a better identification of the person. After sniffing, they may be more open to interacting with the person—and may feel more at ease when that individual is around in the future. To say “hello” with a smell, simply have a person hold out their hand for your dog or cat to sniff at their leisure.

Pet With Caution

After sniffing, your pet may become more open to human contact. However, it’s important to understand that any abrupt movements may startle the animal. As such, it’s best to have people pet your dog or cat in a gentle fashion. Typically, the best place to start petting is under the animal’s chin. To avoid surprises, make sure the person doesn’t reach to pet parts of the animal’s body that they can’t see—such as their back.

Avoid Loud Noise

Loud noises can scare animals and make anxious ones even less social. If you’re introducing your pet to someone, ask the person to use a soft, quiet demeanor until the animal feels more comfortable. To avoid overwhelming your four-legged friend, it’s also wise to introduce people on a one-on-one basis, rather than surrounding the pet with a bunch of strangers.

Embrace Play

Even if your pet is receptive to another person, they may be reluctant to relax or have fun around them. To help break down these barriers, people might find playing with toys to be helpful. For instance, a dog may enjoy playing fetch, while a cat can find chasing a toy mouse exhilarating. In addition to providing fitness, playtime is a wonderful pet care strategy that helps animals trust strangers and form stronger bonds with humans.  

While following these tips may help your shy pet become more sociable, problematic animal behaviors can still get in the way. If your four-legged friend is particularly aggressive, anxious, or depressed, the specialists at Dells Animal Hospital can help. As a leading veterinary clinic in Wisconsin Dells, this provider is equipped to address behavioral problems and overcome anxiety with sensitivity. To learn more about their pet care services, visit this veterinarian online. For appointments, call a friendly staff member at (608) 253-7361.