Have you ever wondered how to tell your furry friend you love them? Maybe you shower Fido with toys, hugs, or even pamper them with treats! But sometimes we humans express our love for our pooches in ways that are hard to understand for them and might not be designed to meet their needs. For example, if you buy another cute outfit for your puppy, it is your way of expressing your love, but it probably does not really make your pup feel better. Below are a few helpful tips to help express your love for your pooch, in healthy ways that will really strengthen the bond you have with them.
Physical Exercise
When your dog doesn’t get proper physical exercise, that may cause them to become destructive, jumpy, anxious, or even become overly fixated on things. Every dog is different to what they need, but some ways you can exercise your dog are to go on a long walk, play fetch or practice obedience commands.
Mental Exercise
There are more ways to tire out your pup and that is with mental stimulation. Your dog may become bored with their normal routine so you can switch things up by playing enrichment games. Using dog puzzles to hide treats or learning new obedience training will get them thinking outside the box.
Giving Proper Praise
You may unconsciously be praising Fido incorrectly; meaning, you may be praising naughty or just straight up bad behaviors. When your dog scratches at you, barks and demands attention/affection (which admittedly, my dog does) and you react by giving them what they want, they learn to become pushy and sometimes rude. Learning when to praise and when to correct is key to communicate effectively with your dog.
Correcting bad behaviors
Just as important as it is to know when/how to praise your dog, it is equally important to correct unwanted behaviors in the way dogs understand. By stepping up and setting healthy boundaries for naughty behaviors, you will notice your pup will start listening to you more, respond to your commands, and best of all, become a more well-rounded, obedient dog!
Stability
Having stability isn’t just providing a roof over your dog’s head, food, or even ‘luxuries’ of the modern world. It’s about providing structure and leadership to maintain a healthy mindset. As pack animals, dogs naturally need a leader or Alpha to provide structure and stability in their life. This alone can be a game-changer. When dogs don’t have proper leadership, they can become reactive, have fear-based aggression, become overstimulated or even be fearful and unpredictable.