10 Loving Ways to Connect with Your Dog

Every dog is unique, but there are a handful of general guidelines that can be a big help relating to your companion.

1. Establish that you’re the alpha dog
You are in charge. This is one of the most important points to reinforce if you want your dog to respect and obey you.

2. Make him sit before you feed him
This is a behavior that reinforces your dominant position.

3. Use rewards instead of punishment
Your dog is not misbehaving out of spite or malice. Punishment occurs after the fact and your dog does not connect the unwanted behavior and the punishment. Reward your dog for good behavior. Even giving a treat when he’s laying quietly in his bed will noticeably reduce occurrences of bad behavior. Additionally, reward-based training feels better for you.

4. Do not use violence
Your dog will not be able to connect your act of violence to the behavior you are trying to reprimand, leaving to confusion. Further, this teaches your dog to use violence to get what he wants.

5. Be consistent
This is the number one rule of dog training. It will only confuse your dog and lead to other problems if, say, you reward him with affection when he jumps up on you but scold him when he jumps up on visitors.

6. Maintain eye contact
Dogs look for cues from their leader in the eyes. By maintaining eye contact, you help your dog understand what you want from him. Additionally, it trains your dog to look to you for guidance in situations where there are many distractions.

7. Give your dog lots of exercise
This alone will solve many common behavior problems. Problems such as biting, chewing, or running away are often simply a way for your dog to use up excess energy.

8. Keep chew toys around at all times
Chewing is an activity that comes naturally to your dog so it is a must that he have something to chew on. By training your dog to chew on his toys – and only on his toys – you not only avoid him chewing on your belongings; you also give him an outlet for energy that he might otherwise express in a variety of negative ways.

9. Keep training sessions short
Dogs do not have the same attention spans that people do so keep training sessions short and frequent instead of long and only once or twice a week. And during each session, keep repetitions down to three or so, then take a break to play.

10. Ask for help if you need to
Never forget that that your dog has his own personality. No one has yet written a book about YOUR dog. Take in information, apply what works and makes sense, and don’t be afraid to seek help if you feel like you’re struggling. NOTE: if you see a sudden change in your dog’s behavior or temperament, see a vet right away!

I hope that these tips help you develop a more loving and supportive relationship with your dog.