You’ve Got a Friend In Me

You’ve Got That Loving Feeling. Hang onto It!

Finally! You’ve found each other! After looking high and low, the magic happened. You looked into each other’s eyes and BAM! Love at first sight. Now you’re inseparable. You’ve signed the official papers. You’ve moved in together. You’re an honest-to-goodness couple. Years of happiness and shared experiences stretch before you. You both beam with inner joy.

Thus begins your life as a dog owner.

Bonding with your dog is a lot like falling in love. Heck! It is falling in love! And becoming a dog owner is committing to long-term relationship. After all, most dogs live 13 to 18 years. How do you want those years to look? Monotonous and boring? Or vibrant and diverse?

Solid, happy relationships don’t just happen. They’re made. The owner-dog relationship is no exception.

At Got Sit, fostering the owner-dog connection is a primary objective. It’s key to realistically integrating your dog into your life and helping him/her become a well-behaved, life-long companion. The great news is your Got Sit training makes nurturing your owner-dog bond easy and fun.

So what can you do to keep the love alive? Here are three activities that reinforce your dog’s training while strengthening your rapport.

1. Go on a date. That’s right. Take your dog on a date. Pick an activity outside your normal routine. Go for a hike, take a camping trip, even an outing to the coffee shop offers new sights, smells and experiences. While you’re out, practice come, heel, sit, stay, and place. Find opportunities to use any advanced tricks (down, spread-em, spin, etc.). The new environments, situations and distractions will reinforce their dependence on you for guidance while being exciting and interesting.
2. Cozy up. Dogs are pack animals. They prefer sleeping in big, cuddly piles. Although sleeping with your dog on a regular basis is not recommended (alpha dominance rule), every now and then, getting snuggly is fun. Taking a nap with your dog or cuddling with them on the floor is a great way to express acceptance and caring. They need that feedback as much as you do.
3. Play, play, play. It’s been scientifically proven that play improves and strengthens relationships. It’s a way to connect. This holds true with dogs as well as humans. As a dog owner, play is a powerful way to increase your dog’s connection to you. Not only are you the food source, you’re also party central. This translates into more focus on you in general which in turn results in better behavior. So go toss a ball, fling a Frisbee or tug a rope! Let the fun begin!

The relationship you have with your dog is special. You’ll never have another like it. Giving it the care it deserves produces long and lasting dividends, a big one being a well-behaved dog who thinks outside the leash. Take the time and effort to keep the owner-dog love light on. It’ll make being a dog owner a much richer and satisfying experience.

Need an example? Check out Marvin and Tango as they spend quality time together. No wonder they’re an awesome pair.

Show us the love! We want to see how you’re fostering your owner-dog relationship. Share thoughts and ideas in the Comments section below or go to our Facebook page to share pictures and/or videos. If you have questions or want information on how Got Sit training can improve your owner-dog relationship, call us at 425.405.5748 or 206.954.4788.