Are you someone that is dying to become your dog’s most loved person? Do you want it to do a backflip and run towards you each time you come from home? Well, who wouldn’t!
Many people think that becoming their dog’s favorite person requires them to go out of the way and do things for them. While this is true to a certain extent, you don’t need to pore over books or internet sites to become one. All you need is to spend a lot of time and energy on the dog and have an amiable personality and a diehard positive attitude. Simple!
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Nothing mystical about it:
It may be quite possible that your pooch is spending a lot of time around you and is most comfortable. But it is also possible that even though you are the one to feed it, take it out for a walk and even let it sleep in your bed, you are not its favorite person, but someone else is. It is often noticed that in eight out of ten cases, the primary owner and caretaker of the dog is not its most favorite person.
Can the status quo change?
All dogs are not the same. And that explains how their behaviors are different too. At the risk of applying generalization, many dog-bonding happens during their socialization period, which is universally considered to be between the time of its birth and till the time it is six months.
Most dogs bond hard with the person who takes care of them in this delicate phase.
It is also during this phase in their life that their brain is very receptive. The experience that it has during this time influences the rest of his life greatly. This is the exact reason why many people prefer to adopt puppies that are right out of the womb.
Importance of interaction:
It is important to make sure that the puppy has great interactions with many people at different places and with different things. This also helps in preventing stranger anxiety.
Does that mean that the dog never bonds with its primary caretaker when he happens to meet and adopt it when it is already an adult? There is no need for an iota of worry if you and your pooch have found each other when it is already an adult dog. There are time-tested ways and means to still become its favorite. It is never too late. You may feel that you missed the train, but with a constant effort at socialization with certain aids, it is always easy to win their hearts.
What are the aids that we are talking about? They are:
- Admitting them to daycare
- Setting up playdates and not forgetting their
- Regular walks
Do not underestimate the power of attention:
A dog’s favorite person is someone who will give it undivided attention. Your dog may think that its favorite person is the one that fills its bowl and/or looks after it or takes it for walks and talks to them gently and spends quality time.
Physical bonding is a sine qua non between the dog, and its human. Dogs can sense genuine care and concern from fake ones. If you are going to groom it patiently, massage it, and love it, it goes without even saying that you will reap rich dividends.
Quality over quantity:
Sometimes, it is not just the time spent or the amount of love slathered. What counts is the quality of time and energy that you give it. Do you roughhouse it and let it sleep with you in the bed and on your lap? All this can guarantee that you earn brownie points.
Positive association is a key point because dogs love to play favorites based on their association with humans. The dogs are constantly learning and forming an opinion of the people in its closed circle. For instance, a person who gives it its favorite treat or plays its favorite games will always get associated as his favorite. They accord very high importance to those that feed them.
The opposite also stands true:
One of the reasons we delve heavily into the theory of association is that dogs also react badly to those with whom it has not such a good association.
Since good association is very important for a dog-human positive relationship, it is good to use good association to train and socialize your dog.
For instance, say you have someone coming home for the first time; you could meet them with the dog in the yard and have them give it a treat. This is the best way to establish a positive association. A yummy treat makes the introduction slide in easily.
Does the breed of the dog play any role?
We are sure you have seen dogs and their human parents and think loudly to yourself how they are good for each other. We all believe that people gel over similarities. The same rule also applies between dogs and people.
Dogs will choose their favorite amongst humans
- Who has a similar sort of energy levels and
- Matches most of its personality.
An introvert will have a more cautious and reserved dog just like its human parent and caretaker. A boisterous dog will choose an extrovert and outgoing parent/ owner/ caretaker as his favorite person.
Some breeds may have it to bond only with a single person making him/her the unquestioningly favorite.
Here is the list you were patiently waiting for:
Don’t lose hope. If you are sure that you do not figure on the list of your dog’s favorite people, there is no room for despair just yet. There are a lot of things that you can do to win back his love and affection.
- Increase the time spent with it by at least a half-hour. Give it all your focus.
- Give it individual attention and energy by taking it for walks, playing with it, and watching the screen.
- Play fetch-the-object, tug war and hide and seek.
- Work on its skills. Spend time giving him practice about what he has learned already and train it for newer skills.
- Use team games to strengthen your bonding.
- Give him food with a lot of love and care. Make sure you add a good amount of proteins to it.
- Home-cooked meals with love improve bonding like nothing else.
- Use eye contact for bonding.
- Use exclusive grooming time and massages to make him feel at home.
Conclusion:
There is nothing better than good interaction and behavior when looking to bond with your pooch and become his best buddy. It is a natural process, and it will come with good treatment. Make sure you give it all the positive experiences he deserves, and you are set for life.
