Bonding With Your Dog: Some Tips
One of the most exciting moments in a family's life is the acquisition of a new pet. It doesn't matter whether you've adopted a dog from a shelter or have a newly weaned puppy; a dog will bring you tons of joy and happiness. It is wise to keep in mind that while dogs love being with people, it can take them some time to form a bond with their new family. To make it a bit easier, here are some ways to speed up the bonding process.
Dogs might not be able to talk, but they have their own special ways of communicating and as the dog owner, you need to pay attention to their behavior so that you can figure out how your dog is feeling. If your new dog has the tail tucked down, ears back or cowers from you, these are signs of timidity or fear. Sometimes a scared dog will pace or even chew up things, and certainly they are uncertain about any new environment. Try to use calm, soothing tones during their first few days in your house and be very gentle and calm. Let them come up to you and make the first move, and provide gentle praise when they head over to sit with you. It takes time to build trust, and especially with rescue dogs, you need to be especially patient.
As Pavlov found, dogs are creatures of routine and if you set up a typical daily routine, this can help your dog become very comfortable in your home. If they know how the day begins and what to expect in general, they tend to have less anxiety. A schedule also helps with the housebreaking process, so start off each day with a short walk or trip outside, feed them at the same time and maybe even schedule a play time. While it's impossible to keep to any schedule 100 percent of the time, try to keep to a specific schedule as much as possible during those early days.
Dogs certainly can be destructive, but it is wrong to say that a dog that chews up items or scratches at the door or on furnishings is simply naughty. Dogs damage items typically because either they are worried, stressed or bored or simply don't know any better. Puppies often chew because they are teething and untrained. Providing a good amount of daily activity can curb this destructive behavior. If you have a breed with a lot of energy, be sure to provide as much exercise as possible with lots of walks and play time, although all breeds do need some exercise daily. These walks and moments of play also increase the bond between the two of you, which is another huge reason why you should play with your dog or walk them daily.
Dog training is important for several reasons, and not only will you end up with a highly obedient dog, the time you spend together while training helps the two of you get to know each other better and this builds trust. A patient owner who remembers to praise when the dog completes a task successfully will have a very happy pet. Dogs want to please their owner and they want to spend as much time with them as possible, and proper obedience training is a great way for them to bond with you.
You have many choices when selecting a training program, and our busy schedules often make it difficult to go to a class or have a trainer come to our home. Opting for a set of dog training DVDs can be an excellent way to fit training into your schedule. Consider The Dog's Way for your new pet. This dog training system includes 12 DVD lessons with easy-to-follow instructions as well as a workbook that follows along with each lesson and helpful reminder cards which you can take on walks. It takes some time, but this is time well spent as you will end up with a pet that truly becomes a loyal, happy and fun companion.
Dogs might not be able to talk, but they have their own special ways of communicating and as the dog owner, you need to pay attention to their behavior so that you can figure out how your dog is feeling. If your new dog has the tail tucked down, ears back or cowers from you, these are signs of timidity or fear. Sometimes a scared dog will pace or even chew up things, and certainly they are uncertain about any new environment. Try to use calm, soothing tones during their first few days in your house and be very gentle and calm. Let them come up to you and make the first move, and provide gentle praise when they head over to sit with you. It takes time to build trust, and especially with rescue dogs, you need to be especially patient.
As Pavlov found, dogs are creatures of routine and if you set up a typical daily routine, this can help your dog become very comfortable in your home. If they know how the day begins and what to expect in general, they tend to have less anxiety. A schedule also helps with the housebreaking process, so start off each day with a short walk or trip outside, feed them at the same time and maybe even schedule a play time. While it's impossible to keep to any schedule 100 percent of the time, try to keep to a specific schedule as much as possible during those early days.
Dogs certainly can be destructive, but it is wrong to say that a dog that chews up items or scratches at the door or on furnishings is simply naughty. Dogs damage items typically because either they are worried, stressed or bored or simply don't know any better. Puppies often chew because they are teething and untrained. Providing a good amount of daily activity can curb this destructive behavior. If you have a breed with a lot of energy, be sure to provide as much exercise as possible with lots of walks and play time, although all breeds do need some exercise daily. These walks and moments of play also increase the bond between the two of you, which is another huge reason why you should play with your dog or walk them daily.
Dog training is important for several reasons, and not only will you end up with a highly obedient dog, the time you spend together while training helps the two of you get to know each other better and this builds trust. A patient owner who remembers to praise when the dog completes a task successfully will have a very happy pet. Dogs want to please their owner and they want to spend as much time with them as possible, and proper obedience training is a great way for them to bond with you.
You have many choices when selecting a training program, and our busy schedules often make it difficult to go to a class or have a trainer come to our home. Opting for a set of dog training DVDs can be an excellent way to fit training into your schedule. Consider The Dog's Way for your new pet. This dog training system includes 12 DVD lessons with easy-to-follow instructions as well as a workbook that follows along with each lesson and helpful reminder cards which you can take on walks. It takes some time, but this is time well spent as you will end up with a pet that truly becomes a loyal, happy and fun companion.
About the Author:
Garrett McMahan loves watching dog show. For further information about how to train a dog on a leash, or to discover dog training DVDs online, please go to the The Dogs Way website today.
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