Four-legged friends have long been more than just everyday companions. They are a family member, soul comforter, relaxation aid and much more. But the harmonious bond between two and four-legged friends doesn’t always work out right from the start. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience, empathy and a leap of faith until furry nose and human harmonize. These seven tips will help.
Exercise and rest: the balance must be right
To strengthen the bond between man and dog, many activities are necessary. Long walks not only energize, but also promote cohesion. However, this is not entirely true. Compared to humans, dogs need a much longer sleep period, about 12 hours a day.
Animal sleeping habits also include small power naps in between. Molossians, which are considered to be cozy, often allow themselves significantly more rest than agile Jack Russells or greyhounds. This rest period is important to process the day’s events. Some four-legged friends move their legs excitedly in their sleep, squeak or howl to themselves – in dreams, the four-legged friends process everything even more intensively. The sleep and rest phases are particularly important for the development of the animal-human bond. The four-legged friends internalize their day’s experiences with their master/mistress and relax in the process. Sufficient rest should therefore be integrated into the daily routine of the human-animal relationship.
Joint success makes two- and four-legged friends happy
The bond between humans and animals can also be positively influenced by shared experiences of success. Rehearsing tricks together or practicing the perfect walk on the leash as an animal-human team – experiences of success have a positive effect on the human and animal mind.
It’s a win-win situation for both: owners are pleased to see how docile their four-legged friends are and have more confidence in their abilities. The four-legged friends, in turn, realize that cooperation with the owner is worthwhile. For their good performance, the dogs receive treats or praise through petting or verbal interaction, for example. The more positive experiences the four-legged friend associates with his interaction, the more willing he will be to participate in the future.
Stabilize trust and protect the four-legged friend
Regardless of whether the dog is walking in an urban setting or in rural areas, there are countless distractions and sometimes perhaps even fear-inducing situations everywhere. If the dog has no trust in its owner, this is not only shown by its body posture, but also by its reaction. If the four-legged friend does not manage to give the impression of trust, the dog will solve conflict situations in its dog-typical way.
For example, if a dachshund barks on a walk and assumes a defensive posture, this can be considered a threatening gesture. Finally, the dog sees his two-legged friend as a pack member, which must be protected. Here the human being is in demand. The better the owner solves a conflict situation, the more relaxed the four-legged friend is.
Even very simple steps can symbolize this protective function for the four-legged friend. If, for example, a nervous other dog comes towards you during a walk and wants to attack your own four-legged friend, the owner can calmly place himself in front of his dog, thus offering him an additional protective radius.
Experience adventures together
Every dog needs exercise and must be given sufficient daily exercise. A new law even aims to make it mandatory to walk your dog. It states that every dog must enjoy exercise at least twice a day and for a total of 1 hour. Who does not keep to it, a fine threatens.
So that it does not become too boring for the quadruped with its Gassirunden, alternation should be given. Who would like to run day in day out the same distance and perceive thereby again and again the same smells? To the confidence-strengthening measure between quadruped and humans also adventure walks belong. The dog also loves to discover new places and to put his sense of smell to the test.
Small gimmicks can make the adventure trip even more interesting. For example, hide a ball with treats in the forest and let the dog go on a sniffing tour. If an additional cuddle unit at home beckons after the joint excursion, that makes the day perfect.
Consciously spend time together
Dogs are extremely sensitive and perceive the moods of their owners particularly intensively. No matter how long the joint outing lasts, it should take place consciously. The point is to get involved with the four-legged friend and give him your attention.
Put the cell phone aside and don’t talk on the phone, chat or check social networks during the walk. Instead, enjoy the situation in the here and now and become one with your four-legged friend.
Rules must also be
For some breeds, it is already mandatory in selected federal states: the dog license as a prerequisite for keeping. With this aptitude test, two banners prove that they know how to handle the dog and know that they have to pay attention to it. This is mainly about clear rules and structures for the coexistence between two-legged and four-legged friends.
Such a certificate of competence not only has advantages for people, but also for animal welfare. It is about keeping dogs in a way that is appropriate to their needs and species; also with clear rules. Undeniably the dog is in most family-firm component, nevertheless it must follow clear rules. They also serve to strengthen trust. The dog knows that in certain situations he can follow a given behavior.
Dogs are very aware of people’s tone of voice or body language and can adapt it to their behavior. This structure provides security and brings composure, for example, on walks.
Learning the language of the dog
Just as the dog pays attention to tonality and body language in people, people should be able to understand gestures of the dog. This also helps to strengthen the bond between man and animal. Each dog has its own character, but typical characteristics can be found in all animals. For example, if the dog puts its tail in a horizontal position, this is a sign of attention and recognition of a threatening situation. The dog is extremely tense in this situation and owners should know this for further communication.
If the tail is pressed between the dog’s hind legs, this is a sign of fear. In this isolation, owners must be especially careful with the animal and give it the feeling of protection and relaxation. Also the view of the position of the ears or the inclination of the head permit conclusions on in which state of mind the dog is at present. The better owners can assess their four-legged friends, the fewer communicative misunderstandings there will be.