Bonding with your new dog is critical to your dog’s good mental health. By attaining a good bond with your dog you can ask more during training, and the dog will willingly give you more. My goal when bonding with my dog is to get “googly” eyes. What I mean by that is that when he looks at me, he has a look of pure love, devotion, and trust. Yes, most dogs look lovingly at their owners, but I am looking for more. When I get a new puppy to compete with I spend the first several weeks bonding with him. I will be the only person allowed to feed him, fill his water and give him treats. This is a good time for me to “Load The Clicker” even if the breeder I got him from had done it previously. Any training I do is very minor. In fact, the training would be mostly considered play for these first couple weeks. If it is a puppy that I have received, I may even carry the puppy around. Most of my dogs have been larger breeds, so this does not last too long.
Lola hanging out with her daddy learning the click is a good thing
In the above photo, I have Lola inside my jacket, doing a little clicker loading. She learns that I am her partner and that she is an important part of the team because she is so close to me. Even at this young age, I do some clicker training, but it is very easy with lots of treats. I keep in mind that this is a puppy so the lesson must be kept at a basic level. The more the puppy thinks I am just playing with her and giving her treats for that play the better. I consider the time I have Lola in my jacket loading the clicker as training. It’s fun, she’s learning, but she thinks it is just play time.
Grooming is an important way to build your bond. If you watch animals in the wild or even a bitch with her litter of puppies, you will see her grooming them. Dogs groom by licking. The mother will constantly clean the puppies by licking them. As the puppies get older we can begin grooming them.
Puppy getting his bath
By giving this puppy his bath we are not only getting him clean, but we are bonding with him, letting him know we are there to take care of him. We build the level of trust with the dog so that as we ask more of them as they grow up they will be willing to do what we ask not just because they were told to, but because they trust that we would not put them into a position that will harm them. Remember, let your puppy be a puppy, but don’t allow them to do whatever they want. One of the mistakes I see folks that get a competition dog do is to get the dog, and within days, sometimes that day, try to begin formal training. This is especially true when they get an older dog that has already been trained. Without spending the time to build the bond with the dog the training is going to fail. Yes, the dog may do as you ask, but you will not attain the “team” mentality needed in many dog sports nowadays. Not only that the dog will only do the minimum of what you ask. If you wait and bond with the dog first, and let him get used to his new surroundings and environment the dog will be willing to do more for you without you having to force him.
Even if you want just a nice home companion, you need that bond. The bond sets the rolls in the home. A dog being allowed to do as he pleases can be just as bad as the dog that feels he gets in trouble for doing what dogs do.
Bonding “Do’s” and Dont’s”
- Groom your dog. Just a few minutes a day with light brushing is great.
- Be consistent. Remember, what you let them do as a cute puppy they will want to do as an adult.
- Play with the puppy.
- If you do any training make sure it is very light and fun, with lots of rewards.
- When getting an older dog, let them get accustomed to his new home and environment.
- When setting boundaries make sure they are not vague.
- If the new dog does make a mistake, don’t over correct, re-direct.
- When training uses lots of treats. The more treats the better.
By building a strong bond with the dog you will have many years of fun with your furry companion.
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