Relationship Building With Your Dog

Upgrade Your Relationship With Your Dog

More often than you might realize, I see people whose relationship with their dog is missing something essential.

Yes of course. They feed the dog. Cuddle the dog. Maybe even sleep with the dog. Walk the dog, while on their phone. Sit at the dog park and read a book while the dog plays.

We are missing engagement. True enriching engagement.

Game Play. Motivation. Energy. Joy. Endorphins. Pleasure. Fun.

We are missing being valuable to the dog beyond the resources that sustain life.

Game Play With Your Dog!

When I try to get people to "play with their dog" -- they sometimes do not know how. Some feel silly or embarrassed. They can be boring. Have really low energy in what should be a very high-drive, enthusiastic game. They often do not know how to build rules into a game like tug.

Many people are so frustrated with a dog's behavior that they spend most of the time focused on problems, annoyance, and irritation and telling the dog "no".

You must have a balance in the relationship to have some fun with the dog, to give them a release outlet for their own frustrations and instinctual needs. You cannot do this with cuddles and snuggles. You can't do it with treats and cookies either.

See Rewards-Based Dog Training — where you are the reward!

Solidify The Relationship

Friends, you're missing some magic if you're not nurturing the Play of your relationship with your dog. Find a game that the dog plays only with you. It might be tug, flirt pole, hide and seek, red-light green light, it doesn’t matter. Just find something that engages your dog with you for fun. Notice I did not say fetch. Yes, you can play retrieve games with your dog, but these often become repetitive and your dog is more concerned with the ball than with you. You’re just a means to an end in fetch. You need to BE the game to have real engagement with your dog.

It has enormous payoffs in your recall success and overall behavior.