5 ways to strengthen your relationship with your dog

If you want your relationship with your dog to grow, try to find new ways to connect with your pup on a deeper level. This can include trying new activities together, making changes to your daily routine, or learning to better understand their nonverbal communication. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of five ways to strengthen your relationship with your dog.

Make every meal special

For many dogs, the fastest route to their heart is through their stomach. If this sounds familiar, a great way to strengthen your relationship with your pup is to feed him fresh, nutritious food that will make every meal a special treat. If you switch to Freshpet, you can even play around with different types of recipes so there’s no chance your pup will get bored with their meals. Currently, our recipes are available in three distinct formats:

• Bags: A number of our recipes come in the form of ready-to-serve meals that come in a convenient, resealable bag.

• Rollers: Our classic slicing rolls let you choose the size and shape of your pup’s meal.

• Home-style creations: Our original Homestyle Creations recipes consist of two parts – patties and mixers. Patties are designed to be cut, broken or shredded to be eaten as a complete, balanced meal or topped with complementary mixers.

Each recipe is developed under the supervision of four veterinary nutritionists and prepared to keep ingredients as close to their natural state as possible, while adhering to FDA and USDA standards.

Learn to read your dog’s body language and actions

Your dog may not be able to speak, but that doesn’t mean he’s not trying to communicate with you. Dogs use a combination of body language and facial expressions to display their emotions and show they love us. Taking the time to learn more about dog body language and how they express their emotions will help you better understand what your puppy is trying to tell you. For example, you may recognize some of these behaviors, but do you know what they mean?

• Your dog’s head is up, eyes are open and focused, and ears are pointing forward or moving slightly. If you see your dog doing this, it means something has caught his attention and he is assessing the situation.

• Your dog’s eyes are wide and fixed, his mouth is closed except when he licks his lips, and his ears are set back slightly and move as if trying to figure out where a sound is coming from. If your dog is doing this, he is feeling anxious.

Being able to read these and other behaviors – and react accordingly – is an important part of strengthening the relationship you have with your dog. You can read more about this in our blog on how to understand your dog’s emotions.

Discover new things together

Another great way to build an even stronger relationship with your dog is to have new experiences together. This can include making memories on a road trip or vacation, but it can also be smaller everyday experiences, like taking a new route for your walk or finding fun ways to keep your spirits up. of your active dog. Here are some fun ways to do it:

• Play games that expand their “vocabulary”: Dogs can learn up to 165 different words, making the “name game” great fun to play. Start by giving your dog’s favorite toy a specific name and using it regularly during playtime. Over time, and with lots of positive reinforcement, your dog should be able to associate the name with the toy. You can test this by putting the toy among others and asking them to bring it to you.

• Go on vacation with pets: If you want to think big and take your dog on vacation with you, be sure to check out our tips for traveling with pets.

Don’t treat training like a chore

When it comes to training, most pet owners assume that when their dog has mastered the basic commands, such as sit, stay, and come, then they are ready. But in reality, ongoing training can be a great way to strengthen the relationship you have with your dog. Dogs are happiest when their minds are challenged, and doing little training exercises throughout the day is an easy way to not only keep their brains busy, but also teach them some pretty cool tricks. ! If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to training, take a look at our blog on Positive Reinforcement Training – a scientifically proven way to train your dog.

Set aside time each day to give them your full attention

The relationship you have with your dog is like any other relationship – if you want to strengthen it, you need to invest time in it. One way to do this is to set aside part of your day for one-on-one time with your pup. How you spend this time will vary depending on the dog, but it should be spent doing something it enjoys. Some ideas include:

• Walk in the woods

• Visit a new dog park

• A ride by car

• Try a new activity, such as agility or dock diving

Whatever activity you choose, try to spend at least 30 minutes a day focusing on it with your puppy. Rotating through different activities will help keep things interesting and also strengthen your bond in different ways. For example, learning a new trick or trying a new activity will strengthen your bond through teamwork, while snuggling up on the couch will strengthen your bond through physical contact.

Do you have any other ideas for strengthening your relationship with your dog? Share it in the comments so other pet owners can try it out!