Teach your dog how to do simple tricks such as to sit down, stay, go, lay down, or some fun and different trick you can work on with your pet, just make sure it isn't too challenging (Schade). Dogs love the chance to please their owners, so learning new tricks makes them feel more connected to you. It is necessary to reinforce their efforts through lots of praise or treats. In addition, dogs treasure the attention that comes with training and also love any opportunity to use their brains. As long as you work with your dog, keeping an open mindset and avoiding the goal of perfection, you will both benefit from learning to understand each other.
Another way to strengthen your bond is to play games with your dog. By being energetic and encouraging your dog to do the same, you speed up the bonding experience (Schade). It is also important to be creative with new games or new twists to keep your dog in the mindset that this is not just a repetitive task (Schade). This could be done through fetch, tug-of-war, hide and seek, and a chasing game. Dogs are smart, so if you seem disinterested or distracted, they won't be as involved either. If you take these games as a fun commitment, you and your dog will get a lot more out of it.
The most important things to keep in mind is that you need to praise often and be unpredictable (Schade). Positive commentary throughout the day, even for mundane tasks such as eating their food or doing their business outside. Positive praise helps your dog to trust you and feel that they are making you happy, even though they always are. By being unpredictable, you open up new adventures and opportunities to be had with your dog, and simply changing one thing a day will make your dog pay more attention to you and your relationship.
Works Cited:
Schade, Victoria. “Training Tips to Strengthen Your Bond With Your Dog.” PetMD, PetMD,
www.petmd.com/dog/training/training-tips-strengthen-your-bond-your-dog.
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