How to Connect with Your Dog on a Deeper Level
You want to improve your relationship with your dog!
That’s awesome!! Dogs are such an amazing species. No other animal is as connected with humans as our canine companions, and building that bond is truly rewarding. It’s why I do what I do!
Play!
There is no more fulfilling relationship with your dog than a playful one. Play shows them where to be who they are, where they can chase and run and bite. It also fulfills their genetic need to be social and have a long fulfilling interaction with their favorite person, you! If done properly, it can even build their confidence to really healthy levels which they will come to associate with their interactions with you.
For some reason, our culture has become emphatic on walking your dog. And there isn’t anything inherently wrong with walking your dog, but why do we do this? Potty breaks, exercise, and spend time together. You will always need to make time and space to potty your dog, but walking doesn’t even come close to the physical and mental exercise that comes from play and especially the social bond that comes from play. Learn more about play here:
https://www.thetrustedcompanion.com/thetrustedcompanionblog/play-why-its-important-and-how-to-do-it
There are so many ways to engage your dogs genetics!
There are a lot of cool things you and your dog can get involved with to develop their natural abilities and your relationship with them!
Tracking which teaches your dogs to find things based on scent in open areas.
Nosework which teaches your dog how to track scent through items, furniture, and cabinets etc.
Bitework which teaches your dog how to bite something and hold their bite building confidence, even if you don’t ever want them to bite a person.
Agility competitions
Frisbee competitions
Dock diving competitions
Herding competitions
Flyball competitions
And many many more!!
The levels of competition in these areas can grow pretty extensive and intense, but you don’t have to be the best to have fun! Your pup doesn’t care if they win or lose, they just care about having fun with you doing these really cool things! Dogs at their core are predators. And where we don’t let them (for the most part) go hunt and kill things, giving them an outlet for those drives really brings them to life and you’ll find joy in your dog they maybe haven’t experienced with you yet!
Bonding with your dog through obedience
Obedience is another fantastic way to develop your relationship with your dog! If you don’t matter to them, and they blow you off for whatever distraction or concern passes by, then you both would benefit from developing trust in your relationship. We accomplish this through obedience and communication. Asking a dog to do something they wouldn’t normally do to show them that listening to you works in their best interest builds trust and a bond with your dog above the relationship of you being just a fun person who gives them pets and treats. With the right communication, you can build a relationship with your dog that teaches them that when you are together, they are safe. They can trust you on a level where they know you’ll take care of them in any situation. Dogs that don’t have this relationship often develop insecurity and anxiety, and these dogs need a new trusting relationship. But even dogs that don’t seem to need this relationship, certainly deserve to have that relationship with their owners. All dogs benefit from knowing their owners are looking out for them and from knowing they can fully trust their owners in any situation even if they aren’t connected by a leash! I can help you with that.