There are so many ideas out there about what you “should” do for your dog, it can be overwhelming and make it hard to commit to doing any of it. Our goal at Dogby is to make it easy for you to live a great life with your dog by empowering you with information about dogs and ideas to implement it in your daily life. We want to make it easy for you to know what to do and why to do it.
In that vein, here are 3 of our favorite science-backed tips for deepening your connection with your dog. They are all simple, free, and low-effort but can make a big difference in your dog’s quality of life and the strength of your relationship over time. As you read through, see what resonates with you and think about how you could use it with your dog today!
1. Tune in to your dog’s body language to tell how they’re feeling.
If you really know how your dog is feeling, you can adjust your behavior as needed, offer them support when they are scared or anxious, and do more of the things they love.
Research shows that by default, people tend to use situational cues rather than a dog's behavior or body language to guess how they are feeling. But, other research also suggests that reading dog body language is pretty easy for us, even for people who don’t have a ton of dog experience. That’s great, because it means that if we can remind ourselves to tune into what our dog’s are showing in their body language and behavior, it will be easy for us to get to know them better.
So, try to break out of that and question your assumptions about what your dog does or doesn't like in order to learn all of their individual preferences and quirks. One way to do this is to list out what you see in your dog that makes you think they are feeling a certain way. “Kona’s ears are tucked back, her brow is furrowed, her head is low, and her tail is tucked. I think she’s scared.” “Max’s mouth is open in a smile, his tail is waving in crazy circles, and his eyes are soft and almond shaped. I think he’s happy.”
2. When you want to teach your dog a “no” find a “yes” for them to do instead.
A lot of dog training is about getting dogs to stop doing things we don’t like. All that focus on what we don’t like can be hard on our relationships with our dogs. First of all, paying more attention to the bad than the good can make us not like our dogs quite as much. Second of all, getting scolded, punished, and rejected over and over doesn’t help our dogs like us. And the kicker is that it’s not the most effective way to address unwanted behaviors!
Instead, focus on a “yes” behavior, something you want your dog to do instead. Having a clear “yes” to focus on and get rewarded for makes it easier for your dog to stop the “no” behavior and it keeps them from getting up to a different naughty behavior instead. Plus, focusing on a “yes” allows you to treat your dog with encouragement and affection and reminds you to see all the good they do.
A few of our favorite “yes” behaviors:
-
Laying on a mat in the kitchen instead of begging.
-
Standing with four paws on the floor during greetings instead of jumping.
-
Checking in with you instead of running away off leash.
3. Incorporate 5 minutes a day of force-free, treat-based training into your schedule.
Research consistently shows that force-free training improves a dog's confidence and boosts their bond with their person. It’s also a great way to strengthen your communication as you both get practice reading each other. And the fact that it is mentally stimulating for dogs and helps them burn off excess energy means they will be less likely to release that energy in ways that hurt your connection, like chewing your stuff, pulling on leash, and barking out the window.
It doesn’t really matter what you train, you’ll get these benefits just by working together. If you need ideas, check out this Tricktionary!
What will you try with your dog? Which of these tips most resonates with you? How can you implement it with your dog today?
Learn, Play, and Grow with Your Dog
Learn more fascinating facts about dogs and how they experience the world, and get toys and gear to explore their world with them with our Discovery Kits.