When you own a dog, your relationship with them is not just to feed them and make sure they are in good health. Dogs need our time and attention regardless if they are young, adult or if they are in their senior years. You need to spend time with them to create and maintain an emotional bond.
Having a good relationship with your dog means that you are being a responsible owner. Moreover, building a good relationship with your dog is a stepping stone for obedience training or any other dog training methods. In fact, a lot of dog owners spend most of their time correcting their dog's behaviors because there is no connection between them. Dog owners approach their dogs with their human point of view because they don't have enough knowledge of how dogs actually think.
In order to build a relationship with your pet, first you need to change the way you look at your pet:
Yes, we are the owner of our dog and the dog belongs to us. But our dog doesn't know that. We are seen as a fellow pack member and it is up to us to let our dogs perceive how we are seen in a pack.
Although our dogs live in our house, they don't know the concept of living in a house. It is common for our dog to wander away because it is their way of living.
Yes, we feed them and provide necessities for them since you offer the food directly to them it is a question to them where the food is coming from, or if they should be grateful for it. Dogs have a different perception than humans and when you think they are not grateful, it's just because they don't have that same perception as we do.
The expectations of our dogs contradict their way of nature. We expect them to be polite and obedient but they expect as pack members. Our aim is to lad them or follows them in their day to day dog activities.
These are the important points to remember when building a relationship with our dog.
How to Develop Better Relationships with Your Dog
Spend time with your dog
A good relationship starts when you actually spend the time with them. Spending time with your dog is a great way to build relationships with your pet. The time you spent with your dog together strengthens the relationship particularly if it's a meaningful one. Dog's don't care if you spend a few minutes or a few hours with them as long as you are there with them.
Here are some ways you can spend time with your dog:
Talk to your pet. Talk to them while you're cleaning, making dinner, etc. This shows to them that you care.
Bring them along errands. Bring them along with you when you shop at pet-friendly stores, visit friends and family members or take them with you on vacation trips.
Make grooming time more fun. The reason your dog probably doesn't like to take a bath, clean their teeth, etc could be because you don't take the time to connect with them. Talk to them during these activities to make it more fun and exciting process.
Work out with your pet. Jog, go on a hike or let your dog tag along with your on a run or bike ride. You'll get a good workout, plus you get to spend quality time with your pet.
Train your dog
A good relationship requires good communication. In training your dog, you learn how to communicate with them in ways that your dog understands it better. Training also teaches your dog that there are rules that they must follow. You reward them when they've got good behavior and reprimand when they have done something wrong.
Play with them
Playing with your dog not only keeps the body moving, but it also relieves the stress of the owner and the dog. Moreover, it helps develop communication skills; thus build good relationships with your pet.
Research shows that owners who play with their dog are more attentive and respond to commands quicker than those who don't play with their pets. This goes true even if you don't allow your dog to "win" at games. However, it highly affects the dogs attention-seeking behaviors when they are allowed to win often.
Pay attention
Pay attention to your dog's body language. When you know the signs that your dog is scared or anxious you can easily protect them or remove them from situations that they are uncomfortable with. Your pet will trust you more; thus have a better relationship compared to when you don't understand your dog's body language.
Know your dog's likes and dislikes. Know his favorite food, toys, etc. When you give your dog what he wants, he'll know that you understand him. Also, keep track of what your dog doesn't like.
Stay Calm
Dogs are very sensitive to your reactions and emotional levels in the household regardless if it has something to do with them or not.
If you are having a bad day and feel like you are at your tipping point, don't show your emotions in front of your pet. Keeping calm will put everyone in the household at ease thus develop a better relationship with your pet.