All relationships need work and effort to sustain. While a dog’s loyalty is unquestionable, you need to return the favor and build a relationship based on love, trust, and respect. There are a number of methods you can use to strengthen the bond between you and your dog:
- Pay attention to your dog
Like human beings, dogs also love attention and can tell whether or not they have your attention. You can give your dog the necessary attention by playing together and creating time to cuddle. You should also notice your dog’s attention-seeking habits, which include whining, barking, or even jumping at you.
- Create time for your dog
You spend at least half an hour of quality time with your dog regularly. You should engage in the dog’s favorite activities during that time, whether it be a game, grooming, or taking a walk. You should also focus on your dog and avoid being distracted. In this way, you’ll have a base of shared experiences on which to build a stronger relationship.
- Know your dog’s personality.
Dogs, like humans, have individual personalities. Spending time and paying attention to your dog will permit you a deeper knowledge of your dog’s personality. You need to know whether your dog is confident, shy, or independent. This is very important in helping you design your dog’s training program and in deciding the situations in which a dog harness may be required. Learning your dog’s personality will also reveal which situations create discomfort and anxiety in your dog.
- Communicate
Dogs communicate using body language. Learning your dog’s body language will enable you to know about its likes and dislikes. It will also help you to notice signs of stress or discomfort. This will go a long way in strengthening the bond between you because it will allow you to respond appropriately. It would help if you also communicated with your dog using more visual cues than words. These signs and signals must be consistent.
- Daily Training
Mental stimulation is essential for your dog. Therefore, training should be a part of its daily routine. Dogs also love treats and this should be included in their training. Using treats to reinforce training also fortifies your dog’s trust in you, hence preferable to other more forceful methods that create fear and anxiety. It would be best if you also taught your dog new tricks as well.
