Amy Cuddy, a TED speaker, talks about how our body language shapes who we are. She says that if we spend just 2 minutes each day in a high-power pose: think wonder woman (hands on hips, shoulders back, chin up) or hands behind head, elbows out, body expanded – we can alter how we act and feel throughout the day.
By taking on these power poses we actually increase testosterone (what we need to do to feel powerful and assertive) and lower our cortisol level’s (which improves our reactions to stress, making us more relaxed).*
We also know that if we hold a nervous or shy dog’s tail up in the air we can alter their emotions. I believe it’s TellingtonTouch which showed that if we wrapped a dogs tail up and over their back, we could help instill confidence.
So I wonder if we can combine the two together? Holding our nervous or shy dogs in a 2-min power pose each day to see if we can also affect their physiology.
Amy’s research proved that not only do our minds change our bodies, but that our bodies can also change our minds. Let’s use this with our nervous, shy and timid dogs. Try it before their next outing, in the car, on the driveway, maybe even during the walk after a scary experience.
I would also encourage your dog to do these poses from an elevated surface. I often work dogs on platforms. It gives them a specific location to be in/on but also raises them to a higher level and encourages impulse control. For nervous dogs, working them on a stairway or at a higher height can also help build confidence.

*Note: the opposite is also true; if we spend time in low power poses (small, tight, constricted) we lower our testosterone and increase our cortisol levels….think of dogs with their tails tucked and hunkered close to the ground.