Building a better relationship with your canine: the basics
- sadlerbass
- Feb 22, 2022
- 3 min read
Sadler Bass Feb 2022
Whether you are a dog owner, trainer, or simply a future dog owner, one thing we all want is positive strong relationships and bonds with our dogs. I am sure you spend a lot of time loving your pup, giving him the best treats and toys. There are other ways
to show love to your dog to build your bond, better your training, and both your mental states.
Improving your relationship with your dog is extremely rewarding, lots of owners struggle with behavior issues and many of these issues can improve with an improved relationship.
Tip #1 - Quality Time
This is an obvious one! Remember to take time out of your day to do things with your dog that you both enjoy. That may be a beautiful hike, a swim at the lake, a game of fetch or Netflix on the couch! Taking the time to be involved with the things your dog loves and genuinely enjoying it along with him will help both of you build a stronger connection.
Tip #2 - Learn how to communicate better
Communication is key. Dogs don't speak English- while this may be an obvious statement it is easy to forget. Everyone likes to talk to their dogs and many times we feel as they understand. Dogs learn and pay attention to us through our body language and tone of voice more than anything else. Pay attention to how you interact with your dog, how your body language may appear to him, and how he is responding with his body language. When you learn about dog body language and how they communicate anxiety, fear, joy, etc you can respond accordingly. This will make your dog feel more comfortable with you and help you understand how your dog is feeling.
Tip #3 - Add More Structure
Structure is extremely important in a dog's quality of life. With dogs who struggle with fear, anxiety and other issues having structure is vital. When a dog feels that their life has structure, that they know what they can and can't do as a given time, this relaxes them. Think about a person, or even yourself. When you are feeling especially anxious, scattered, and unsure having clear guidelines and structure can make a huge difference. Dogs are living in an alien world, they understand us more than most of us understand them. Imagine living in another country where no one speaks your language, everyone misunderstands your communication and you don't really understand the strange world around you. How stressful would that be? Adding clear expectations, guidelines and structure helps a dog feel safe, to feel that they do not need to react or control a situation because they know you will handle it for them.
Tip #4 - Look Inward
Did you know dogs can smell cancer? They can smell things up to 6 weeks old too! It would be crazy to think they couldn't smell our hormones, cortisol levels, and emotions. Being such good smellers and observers of our body language dogs very easily can tell how we are feeling in a situation. If you walk in somewhere new with your fearful dog and you are feeling anxious about how your dog will be, gripping the leash tight, holding it high. Your dog can definitely sense that tension and anxiety which may lead to her also feeling uncomfortable in the situation. Working on yourself is never easy- sometimes I find it easier to work on myself knowing it will benefit my dog. Try to pay attention to your emotions when working with your dog, practice some deep breaths. help yourself to help your dog, both of your mental healths will thank you!
Tip #5 - Keep Learning
There is always more you can do to improve you and your dog's relationship, continuing to learn about dog behavior and your own dog as an individual is important. Keep watching your dog, learn from her body language and be compassionate and understanding, believe your dog's feelings and struggles, and work through them confidently and empathetically.
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