The importance of a bond with your dog can never be overestimated; a strong bond allows your dog to feel comfortable and safe around you, which means they’ll more often listen to given commands. With time and effort, your bond with your pup will become unbreakable but there’s never a point in which you should stop trying to strengthen your bond.
Certain dogs require more effort to generate trust and respect with you; rescued dogs are notorious for their slow-growing bonds. It’s vital to remember that all dogs will differ in the time they take to bond to you and display their trust in different ways. Most commonly, dogs will make prolonged eye contact, get excited when you come home, respond to your commands, display relaxed body language, and seek physical attention if they’ve developed a strong bond. If your dog displays these behaviors – good job; your dog respects, trusts, and loves you!
Most dog owners consciously work at building their bond with feeding, training, cuddling, playing and grooming, but that’s just the beginning of what you can do with your pup! There’s mental enrichment, understanding dog body language, thinking like a dog, giving them a space to call their own, never punishing them, and consistency.
Mental enrichment can be using puzzle toys, treat dispensers, snuffle mats, and even playing hide and seek. This is anything that makes a dog use their brain to figure out how to solve a problem for a reward. Some activities include physical stimulation as well as mental, which makes mental enrichment activities perfect for any dog regardless of their capabilities!
Understanding not only dog body language in general but also your dog’s body language is vital to continue building your bond. Some dogs bark excessively or maintain intense eye contact when they’re excited and playing although the textbook definition of aggression includes those behaviors! You need to realize what your dog is saying in each situation. Remember: you are your dog’s advocate; you are the only one who can pull your dog away from dangerous situations or teach them that not everything is scary. Knowing what your dog needs based on their body language is vital for your pup to know you won’t push them into a dangerous situation or any situation for which they’re not ready.
As I’m sure all of you know, Best Friends Fur Ever is a proponent of crate training. It keeps your dog happy and safe when you leave them home alone or at a boarding facility. If you ever board your pup or send them to the groomer, they will almost certainly be crated and, if untrained, these events will potentially traumatize your pup. Additionally, your dog should learn to love the crate at home! It should become their safe space where they can go whenever they’re overwhelmed, tired, or want to chew a bone in peace. Feel free to feed your pup in their crate and give them yummy treats as well! Makes sure they understand the crate isn’t just a place they go when their favorite people leave them for who-knows-how-long.
On the same wavelength, never punish your dog. Punishing your pup for behaving poorly will only teach them to stop showing warnings and to be reactive with you. Punishments aren’t putting your pup in a five-minute time-out when they’re overstimulated to give them a chance to calm down. Punishments are hitting your dog with a rolled-up newspaper, forcing them into a submissive position to show your “dominance”, grabbing their muzzle to keep them from biting or growling, shoving their nose in an accident they had in the house, or other similar displays. Dogs don’t understand why they’re being punished and only become more confused.
Finally, consistency is vital to making your dog understand the flow of your home and making them feel comfortable in knowing the rules. Sometimes the structure in their lives is a loose structure: they eat between certain hours, usually go on walks before eating, and sleep in one of three places whenever you go to bed. Other times, structure is stricter where they do specific activities at the same time every day. The structure depends on what best fits your dog and your life. However, consistency is about more than structure, it’s about being consistent with praise and rules in the home. It’s best to be consistent with everyone in the house about rules.
Bonding is a life-long process with your dog. Your dog will listen better, trust you more, and forgive you quicker when you accidentally step on their paw if your bond is strong. They will learn that a “good boy/girl” is just as good as rewarding with pets or treats because it means they made you happy. They’ll learn to read you and your feelings better. Overall, continuing to build your bond will lead to happier canine and human lives.
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