Bonding with Your Puppy

The degree of affection existing between any animal and his owner is a result of their time spent together. The greater the amount of time spent, the stronger their bond will be. Training is often a bonding experience for dogs and their owners. In fact, your success will depend on how strong the bond you have established is. During the bonding period you will be gently establishing your authority as the pack leader and parent, as well as establishing what is and is not acceptable.

Talk and Touch

While you should use a minimum amount of words for specific training commands, the reverse is true when bonding. The more you talk, the more the puppy will gain an understanding of the tone of your voice as a communicative indicator of your mood. Stroking and touching the puppy is also an essential part of the bonding process. 

When talking, do so in a soft voice, the puppy will find your voice soothing. As you talk, stroke each part of his body; in particular, stroke the ears, tail feet and underbelly. Chest scratching is always enjoyable, as is rubbing area just anterior of the tail. Gently lift the lips and touch the teeth – not an inspection, just a quick look. This is all part of the subtle process that builds confidence in you. By observing the pup’s reaction to being touched in various places you will learn if he has any negatively sensitive areas. Most dogs have at least one area that they do not like to be touched. You must consistently focus attention on this area your dog’s needs trust you in all things. 

“The degree of affection existing between any animal and his owner is a result of the time they spend together. The greater the amount of quality time spent, the stronger the bond.“

Handling your Puppy

The way you handle and play with your puppy is crucial to his trust in you. If you do not treat you puppy gently he will recall his contact with you as unpleasant. Never pull on a puppy’s ears, legs or tail. Never pull on the loose skin around his neck, or lift eh puppy up by this. When lifting the pup, always place your hand under his chest and bring the pup up to your chest. This way, he will never feel discomfort or insecurity. Do not let children lift the puppy by his front legs so his body is dangling. Always supervise any situation in which your puppy will be held. If you need to restrain your puppy while he’s on the ground place one hand in front of his chest, the other over his shoulders an effective way to stop him without his feeling threatened.

"The way you handle and play with your puppy is essential to his trust in you. If you do not treat your puppy gently he will recall his contact with you as unpleasant. Always handle with care."