Have you ever wondered how training builds your bond with your dog? We know that our dogs love to please us and love to be with us. When you train your dog you are combining those two loves:
- Giving them a chance to please us
- Spending time with us
Whether you have an older dog or puppy, teach him new tricks. Good manners and simple commands are also great to train. They include sit, stay, lay or heel.
How Training Builds Your Bond With Your Dog
All dogs crave our praise and any kind of delicious treat you may want to give them for a job well done. Ask any dog trainer and he or she will tell you dogs love to learn and many dogs thrive when they have a “job.” That job could be:
- Chasing a ball
- Herding
- Performing tricks
- Hiking
- Learning basic commands
Here are some of the reasons training will help you and your dog form a deeper bond:
A well-trained dog is a joy to be around. Teach him not to jump on guests. Teach her to greet you quietly at the door. Namely, if you have a tiny lap dog or a large dog who thinks she is a lap dog, let her know when it’s the proper time to be with you, on your lap or on your bed.
- When you take your dog for a walk it is more enjoyable for you if he walks at heel, doesn’t bark at people you happen upon or lunge at other dogs he sees. If you are like us, you never want to walk alone. Hence, a dog who is well-behaved on the leash will be a joy to walk.
- Teach your dog to “drop it” or “leave it.” These training commands could literally save your dog’s life. For example, if he is continually eating things he finds on the ground or in your house, he could get sick or worse. Teach your dog to drop, or leave, it by distracting him with a better treat or toy. As a result, distraction from a negative behavior to a positive behavior is a positive way to train your dog.
- Finally, once your dog learns basic commands spend some time teaching him tricks. Those tricks could be elaborate, like jumping through a hoop or adorable like shaking your hand, rolling over or even catching a frisbee.
In summary, anytime is a good time for positive reinforcement training. Spending quality time with your beloved fur baby and reveling in how well trained he or she is, is great for both of you.
Robbi Hess, Woman In The Pet Industry Solopreneur Finalist and award-winning author, is multi-petual. When spending time with her pets, she is a speaker, efficiency and effectiveness guru, content creator, social media manager and blogger. She writes at All Words Matter, My Divas Dish, and is the story editor and chief cat herder at Positively Woof/Crimeless Cat.
