10 Ways To Bond With Your Dog

I’m serving my dog CESAR® home delights™ as part of a sponsored series with Socialstars. #CesarHomeDelights

Pets are a wonderful thing aren’t they? They can serve as stress relievers, companions and best friends. How do you bond with your dog though? I’m giving you 10 ways to bond with your dog that will ensure a lifelong friendship and will give your dog the sense of security they crave. Let them know they are part of the family with these fun bonding activities!

1.) Spend quality one on one time together. In our busy house of six, it can be difficult to get one on one time with anyone, let along the dog! It’s important to focus on spending quality time with your dog so he knows that you care about him. My dog has become particularly close with my daughter because she spends the most one on one time with him. It makes a big difference in the relationship they have together.

2.) Keep your dog active and engaged with mind stimulating dog games like this Seek & Find dog game. It rewards the dog with a treat when they uncover the correct spot! Just hide little treats under some of the balls. Keeping your dog entertained is key to preventing boredom and giving them that attention they crave.

3.) Pay attention when you pet your dog! It’s important to let your dog know that you are paying attention when you pet them. Instead of mindlessly petting them, try focusing on them and talking to them while you pet them. They’ll enjoy the interaction and feel connected to you.

4.) Spoil your dog in good ways! Instead of feeding my dog the table scraps that he’d love to get his chops on, we feed him equally delicious CESAR® home delights™ premium dog food. They have doggy versions of all of our favorite family meals including beef stew, slow cooked chicken and vegetable dinner and pot roast with spring vegetables varieties! Your dog will feel spoiled, while still receiving a healthy meal instead of table scraps (which aren’t so healthy for them!).

5.) Communicate effectively. It’s important to be able to communicate with your dog in order to build a lasting bond. Be consistent with training signals and your dog will learn them and feel connected to you.

6.) Remember that your dog pays more attention to your actions, than they do to your words. Use signals to communicate with them when possible and model the actions you want them to emulate.

7.) Pay attention to your dogs body language. Your dog communicates with you primarily through body language. The position of their ears, tail and body can all indicate different things they are trying to communicate to you. For example, when my dog Max comes up to me urgently and bounces around at my feet, I know he needs to go outside. Pay attention to their cues.

8.) Know what your dog likes and dislikes. Each dog has their own personality and knowing your dogs likes and dislikes will help you to build a trusting relationship with your dog. If you know your dog likes along time instead of snuggles, then you can give him his space. If you know your dog hates loud noises, then you can anticipate leaving him home during a fireworks show and parade. Building your familiarity with your dog’s likes and dislikes will establish a foundation of trust between you and your dog.

9.) Keep your cool when your dog does mess up. Dog’s need reinforcement and training. Yelling at your dog and swatting them isn’t the correct way to train them to not engage in destructive behaviors. You’ll make them uneasy and anxious. Instead stay cool and use your training techniques to teach the proper behavior.

10.) Make special moments for your dog each day. Even if you are just running a quick errand, bring your dog with and include him in it. He’ll be glad for the outing and you’ll have yourself some company to make that errand less boring. Small moments mean a lot to your dog so just one or two each day will add up to create a strong bond!

What ways do you bond with your dog?

Leave me a comment below. Follow CESAR® on Facebook and Twitter for more fun doggy inspired ideas and tips!

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