Activities to Strengthen the Bond with Your Pet Dog

One of the most beautiful parts of owning a dog is spending time with it and finding ways to bond with it. If you have a powerful pump, you can check out what I read about Pentair superflo here, you can take swimming lessons in your backyard, or you can play games with it and even try to tech it some tricks. 

Exercise

In this busy world that we live in, it is often recommended to practice a sport or exercise to relieve the stress we accumulate on a daily basis. Just like humans, dogs also need to exercise in order to feel good.

One of the simplest ways to do so is to take your beloved companion on long walks in the neighborhood. This way, you can both explore unknown areas together and you can expose it to new sights and smells. If you are a nature-loving person, you can also go on hiking trips together. 

Whenever you spend time with the pet, you should devote all your attention to it. By this, we mean that you should not chat on your phone or catch up with friends. Instead, talk to the dog, pet it, and show it the attention that it deserves. 

In the weekends, if the weather is nice, you can play fetch or frisbee in your yard or the park, as it will surely love this change of pace. If you own a pool, you can also teach it how to swim, as most dogs love the water. 

Because dogs are not necessarily natural swimmers, you should take some safety precautions before you start the lesson. For instance, you should purchase a life jacket that it can use to help it stay afloat. This step is particularly important if you have a heavier pet that is not very agile.

Be patient

As you probably know, when it comes to looking after a pet, patience is a key element that we often lack. Because each dog has its own unique personality, you might discover that your pet might take a bit of time to get comfortable with new surroundings and new people. You must accept and respect this, especially if you have decided to adopt a pet.

Therefore, if you notice that your dog is somewhat reluctant when it comes to spending time together, and it does not seem so happy to see you when you come home from work, you should not take this personally.

Instead, make sure to give your beloved companion the space that it needs to warm up to you. To ease this transition, you should remain calm and as positive as possible whenever you interact with it. 

Schedules are important

Dogs are animals that love routines. To help your pup adjust to your way of being, the experts recommend that you stick to a schedule. This will help the pet feel comfortable around you, and it will provide it with a sense of stability.

Consequently, you might what to consider feeding it at the same time of the day, going outside at the same hours and even going to bed around the same time every night. For increased stability, you could also make it a priority for you to spend time with it at certain moments of the day. 

By this, we do not mean that you should build your own life according to this routine. Yet, in the first weeks of owning a pet, doing so is important as it can help the dog adjust to its new environment.

Set rules

Rules and having fun are two aspects that some consider that do not go together. However, if you have a new dog, it is essential that you set out several rules that it has to follow. Even more importantly, you should make sure that all the members of your family know which behaviors are acceptable, and which are not.

By doing so, you won’t risk confusing or, even worse, frustrating your new companion by rewarding and by punishing the samebehaviors. For instance, if you decide that the dog is not allowed in bed or on the sofa, you must make sure that all the members of your family know and respect this rule.

So, before you set any rules, it is advisable that you have a talk with your family and that you discuss and agree on which behaviors are acceptable, and which are not.

Furthermore, you should consider the fact that getting introduced into a completely new family can be overwhelming for a pet. This is the reason why you should give your pet the space it needs to feel comfortable. A good way to do this is by purchasing a special bed where it can retreat whenever it wants to sleep or simply be by itself.

Cuddle and encourage positive behavior

The easiest way to bond with a new pet is by cuddling. So, next time you decide to watch a movie or a TV show, invite your pup to join you for some cuddle time. If you do not allow it to get on the bed, you can stay on the floor next to it and chill together.

At first, you might not like the way that your pup behaves. A great way to get closer to it is by rewarding those behaviors that you appreciate. For example, if your dog remembers to check in with you while you are visiting the dog park, you should praise its behavior. To do so, use sentences such as “Nice work”, or “You are a good pup”. To get the message across, you should also smile while saying these things. 

When you do so constantly, the pet will eventually understand the rules of the house and it will repeat those behaviors that it knows you like.

Just like humans, dogs too have things that they do not like. If you want to bond with your companion, you should also pay attention to its body language so that you can spot the things that it hates. For instance, some pets don’t like being patted on the head or getting hugged. 

As time goes by, you might notice that your pet hates going to the vet, having its teeth brushed or getting haircuts. However, these are all things that are important to its well-being and should not be neglected. One thing that you could do is to reward the pet whenever it does one of these activities. This way, you can show your appreciation. 

A nice way to do so is by taking the pet to the toy store and letting it pick the toy that it likes the most. To avoid confusing it, give it a minute to decide on a product then purchase it and go home and play together with the new acquisition. 

Letting the pet pick the toy is not something that you should do often. However, by allowing it to make a decision, you can show it that you care about it. This will definitely strengthen the bond between you two.

It takes time

Dogs, and, especially, adult pets, take a bit of time before they are ready to trust their new owners. So, building a strong bond with your pet can be somewhat time-consuming, as your new companion has to learn how to trust you. Once this happens, the pet will show you unconditional love, and you will be linked by a special relationship.

To get to this point, you have to give the dog the time that it needs and you should respect the boundaries that it sets up. Also, whenever the pet does something that annoys you or that upsets you, try to remain calm. Under no circumstances should you lose your temper and throw things at it, as this will only scare it and make it feel frightened by you. 

Besides, you should remember that dogs are very intuitive animals. This means that they can feel if they have upset you and they often feel bad whenever they do something that makes you sad. 

A good way to handle this situation is to keep calm and to explain to it what it has done wrong. Whenever this happens, make sure to reinforce the rules in a clear manner, without getting too emotional.