What Are The Best 7 Ways to Build a Lasting Bond With My Dog?

Dogs are known as “man’s best friend” for a reason. They provide companionship, loyalty, and unconditional love to their owners. But how do you form that bond? How do you create a relationship with your dog that will last a lifetime?

In this blog post, we will discuss the best ways to start bonding with your dog as soon as you bring home that new puppy. We’ll also explain why creating a great relationship with your dog is so important and how it can have lasting effects on your dog.

How can I bond with my dog from day one?

Here are my ideas for how to bond with your dog and build trust from the start.

1) Affection

Most people know that physical contact is important for building a strong bond with their dog, but why is this the case? Well, it all has to do with a dog’s ability to socialize.

Dogs are social animals, and they crave physical contact with their pack members. When you show physical affection to your dog through pets, you’re reinforcing their bond with you and letting them know that they can trust you.

This is especially important for rescue dogs, who may have had bad experiences with humans in the past. So, next time you’re feeling low, give your dog a good belly rub or pat on the back. It’ll make you both feel better!

2) One-on-One Time

Almost all dog owners are aware of the importance of spending time with their furry friends. Dogs love people and thrive on quality time with their pet parents. However, many dog owners find it challenging to find a way to get bonding time with their dogs on a regular basis.

Life gets busy, and it’s easy to let days or even weeks go by without being able to spend time with your dog. But if you want to build a deep and lasting relationship with your dog, it’s important to make effort every day to have quality time with them.

Even if it’s just a walk around the block or a quick game of tug. Most dogs can sense when they are being ignored or treated as an afterthought, so take the time to show your dog some attention and affection, and you’ll be rewarded with a loyal companion that adores you.

3) Playing Games

There’s nothing quite like a little competition to bring out the best in your dog. It’s a great way to strengthen your bond with them, and it’s also a lot of fun teaching your dog to play with a variety of toys.

Plus, it’s a great way to give them some mental stimulation, which is great for their mental health and training. Benefits that they might not get if they’re just lying around the house all day watching TV.

So next time you’re looking for something fun to do with your dog, why not try a fun game? You might just be surprised at how much fun you have. And fun is the key to building a strong relationship with your dog.

4) Learn Their Language

Dogs trust their pet parent with their lives, and they do everything they can to make us happy. They will greatly appreciate it if you put in the extra effort to learn about your dog’s body language.

Many dogs have a way of speaking to us through their body language and this is something humans can often understand by accident. People tend to think a wagging tail equals a happy dog, however, this is not always the case there are subtle differences between a happy dog and an anxious one that you can only notice if you take the time to learn the differences between these cues.

Dogs thrive on non-verbal communication and can be taught just about anything without the use of words at all. So if they pay this much attention to us, why not pay attention to them and what they are communicating? This is a great way to gain your dog’s trust and understand your dog’s mind.

5) Training Your Dog

Every dog learns differently, but all prefer positive reinforcement and clear communication. When you train your dog to listen to your voice and make eye contact with you you are creating a stronger relationship and stronger bond.

Training can be sitting and teaching your dog to enjoy being touched on their paws, ears, and tail to socialize them to being touched and trust humans. Or training can come in the form of teaching your dog a new trick or teaching loose-leash walking, all while using treats to encourage and motivate them.

If you want to quickly build a strong bond with your dog, you should consider setting time aside daily to work on teaching your dog something new or reinforcing old training. Dogs love to exercise, but they crave a purpose and enrichment in their daily lives too.

6) Food and Rewards

If you just adopted a new puppy, both you and your dog will be working to build a new bond together. Treats are a great way to show your new dog that you are safe and a source of good positive experiences.

Giving your dog healthy fresh food for every meal or praising them for good behavior will help your puppy to enjoy being around you. Even older dogs love to eat a healthy treat when they offer good behavior, tricks, or a toy to you.

If you spend time at the beginning of your dog’s life teaching and rewarding them with a treat for good behavior this will create a strong bond between you and your furry friend. A dog will usually bond closest with the person who feeds, walks, and plays with them the most.

7) Be Predictable

Strong bonds are built on mutual trust between you and your dog, and just like you want your dog to be predictable even in new environments, they want the same thing from you as well.

If you have a bad day and are aggravated and don’t feel like walking your dog this may throw your dog’s exercise schedule off and make them feel anxious, stressed, and out of control.

From your dog’s perspective, you have taken away something your dog likes and he doesn’t understand why. So try to stick with a routine for things like meal time, naps, and playtime with your dog. This way they know they can count on you for the necessities every day.

FAQ

What are things I can avoid doing to build trust with my dog?

The best things to avoid are yelling, shouting, or becoming unpredictable with your dog. From the moment you take a new dog home, they are studying everything you do and trying to figure you out. If you are consistent and calm with them then they will return the favor and be that way with you.

What do dogs like to do?

All dogs are different and like different things, but most dogs love to problem solve, learn a new trick, or receive calm pets from their humans. Walks can help a dog release endorphins which make them feel happy and relaxed. But mostly family pets just want to be included in family activities and treated like fellow members of the pack.

How can I make my dog like me more?

If you want your dog to like you more all you really need to do is spend extra time with them. Teach them something new, bring them to the pet store for a treat, sign up for a training class, or even do agility dog work.

How long will it take for my dog to trust me?

If you pay attention to your dog’s body language you will be able to tell if they are excited, calm, happy, anxious, or fearful around you. If you just adopted a new rescue dog it can take months to rebuild your dog’s faith in people. Training and patience will be best to help your dog quickly learn you are a good person and begin to trust you.

Conclusion

Building a lasting bond with your dog takes time, patience, and consistency but is so worth it in the end. You will have a new companion for life that will always be happy to see you and will offer you companionship, love, and support through everything. Dogs are such special creatures that deserve our best efforts to create a great relationship with them. So go out there and spend some time bonding with your furry friend today!

And don’t forget to share this post with any dog lovers you know! Thanks for reading. 🙂