Building a better bond with your dog

The key to the best relationships in work, partnerships and friendships is communication. This is true in all parts of our life and remains true with the relationship we have with our dogs. Dog ownership is a joy and a pleasure but it’s important we treat it and manage it the same as other relationships in our lives. Most negative behavioural issues and habits that our dogs can develop come about when the communication between you and them is flawed. Often even the most difficult behavioural issues can be solved by investing a little time in building the bond between you and your dog. Below is a list of the best ways you can improve your bond with your dog.

Invest some time learning about canine behavior, especially body language and facial expressions that indicate stress. Dogs give off stressors when they are stressed or uncomfortable. These stressors are called calming signals and can be exhibited through body language like stiff or rigid postures, lip licking, whale eye (showing the whites of their eyes), fixed staring. Dogs give out calming signals when they need to be removed from a situation with other dogs and people. When you can identify the signs that your dog is stressed, anxious or scared, it will be easier for you to protect or remove your dog from situations that make him uncomfortable. If your dog can count on you to keep him safe, the trust between you will be better and so, therefore, will your relationship. This will greatly improve the relationship you have with your dog and can help prevent behavioural issues that can potentially develop such as leash reactivity or separation anxiety.

Have more playtime with your dog. We are aware our dogs need physical and mental exercise to keep them happy and healthy. However, you can build a bond with your dog and improve your relationship with them too by spending more time playing. Buy a tug toy or teach your dog to play fetch and spend some time each day tossing a toy with them and bonding. It will help your dog better respond to you for training purposes and improve their communication with you as well burn excess energy and tire them out.

Improve their nutrition. There are lots of choices on the market for commercial dog foods. Providing your dog with the best nutrition possible doesn’t have to cost a small fortune though. Investing in a good quality, nutrient dense food for your dog. Spending some time ensuring they have the best diet will better improve their life, their health as they are less likely to develop health issues in later life, and their happiness. You can do this by researching a little on dog nutrition and finding our the best option for your dog and by checking the nutritional composition on the back of dry dog food. Meat should always be the first ingredient listed and the rest of the ingredients should not contain any nasties or words you can’t pronounce. This indicates that it is highly processed and contains chemical nasties that your dog doesn’t need in their diet. Dogs can have sugar highs and lows, too, which can cause them to sugar crash. A good quality dog food will provide your dog with everything he needs to be happy and healthy and better respond to you, improving your communication with your dog.

Training time with your dog. Every dog no matter the age, breed or personality type needs to be trained and learn how to behave and be easily managed. A dog whose owner has invested some time and energy into their training helps creat a well rounded, balanced dog. Just ten minutes of training a day will immensely improve the communication between you and your dog, they will respond to you better and learn to focus on you when needed and this will prevent all manner of behavioural issues from developing throughout their life. There are lots of reputable training videos on YouTube, or invest in some classes or training one to one sessions in your area. You might even find it beneficial to give something new a go with your dog like agility or fly ball. All of which will help build a solid bond between you and your pooch.