10 things to improve your bond with your dog
1. Socializing your puppy
You may have heard of the “critical socialization window” for puppies. The current consensus on the critical socialization window for you puppies is somewhere around 3 weeks to about 13 weeks. Unfortunately, some veterinarians are still not up to date on the importance of socialization and are still coaching clients not to expose their puppies to the outside world until a full round of vaccinations is complete which is well beyond the critical socialization window (full round of vaccines are usually complete between 12-16weeks).
In an effort to educate people on the importance of early socialization the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviorists released a position statement advocating for early puppy socialization and stating that statistically the risk of death due to behavioral euthanasia for a puppy that is not getting proper exposure to their environment outways the health risks associated with diseases such as Parvo etc. .
Read through the position statement from the AVSAB below to get a better understanding of exactly what they are advocating for regarding early puppy socialization.
AVSAB Position Statement on early socialization for puppies
This is a pretty small window of time to get a lot of socializing in. It’s important to note that your puppies socialization window is more than half over by the time you get your puppy (usually 8 weeks) as well. This whole dog journal article below does a good job summarizing the importance of socialization for your puppies.
Whole Dog Journal Socialization article
If you are a city dweller keep in mind that there is much more stimuli your puppy will need exposure to. It is important that we aren’t forcing our puppies through experiences, and that we are giving plenty of time for them to observe things from a far. Pairing new experiences with yummy treats is a great way to help your puppy have positive associations with the unknown as well. So strap on that treat pouch and make sure you always have treats when out with your puppies.
Instead of just go go go with your puppies, bring things like chews or toys to give them things to do while out and about as well. Sitting on your stoop with your puppy watching the world go by with a favorite chew or toy or pairing things like people passing by, or loud noises (car horns etc.) with treats is a good protocol as long as your puppy is comfortable enough to chew their chew, play with a toy, and take treats in that area.
If your puppy is nervous and wants to retreat or move away it is important that you allow them to do that. Below is a Whole Dog Journal article with a checklist for things you should be working toward socializing your puppies to. Dr. Sophia Yin, Author, Veterinarian and Applied animal behaviorist came up with a great socialization checklist I have included below as well.
Dr Sophia Yin Puppy Socialization Checklist:
Whole Dog Journal Puppy Socialization Exposure checklist:
2. Take it slow with a newly adopted dog
This is particularly important if you live in a city or urban setting. Here in the heart of the city (Brooklyn, New York) I am getting more and more clients who are adopting dogs from rescue organizations that are bringing rescues to NYC from very rural areas down south. Many of these dogs have never experienced much more than a rural back yard environment.
So you can imagine what a culture shock it can be for them to suddenly end up in the hustle and bustle of the city. Stick to really quiet areas and quiet times of day for walks with a newly adopted dog (regardless of whether they are used to a city setting or not). They are in a new environment that they will need time to acclimate to. Follow the same principles described above for socializing a puppy. Bring really yummy treats on every walk.
Pair new experiences with a treat. Never force your newly adopted dogs to do things they don’t want to do. If they are uncertain of anything and want to retreat and create space make sure you are allowing that to happen. It is important to have a leash that is no shorter than 6ft so you can give your dog room on a walk and so there isn’t constant pressure on the leash. This doesn’t mean that you won’t be walking with the leash shorter at times it just means when your dog is sniffing, exploring, going potty, or needs/wants to back away from something, you can give them room.
Some rescue dogs may not be used to walking on a leash and excess amounts of leash restraint is going to be extremely frustrating and stress inducing. I recommend consulting with a reputable CPDT certified dog trainer or IAABC certified dog behavior consultant to get some thorough guidance on how to help your newly adopted dogs transition to the city go as smoothly as possible.
3. Get some lessons with a reputable positive force free dog trainer
What better way to bond with your dog than through some positive force free dog training lessons. There are a lot of methodologies out there. You will want to stick with the science based positive force free methodology. Science based means that there are a bunch of nerds out there studying animal behavior (and dog behavior) and the field has made a whole lot of advancements in recent years.
Recent studies are showing that force free, punishment free dog training is more effective than obedience methods that utilize corrections, punishment, or aversive equipments such as choke chains, prong collars, e-collars etc. . The below articles will go into more detail. I’m including a whole dog journal article with pointers on finding a dog trainer as well.
“How the Science is Revolutionizing the World of Dog Training” - Time Magazine, Oct 2020
How do you find a reputable dog trainer? Check out this Whole Dog Journal article for some pointers.
4. Bring treats on your walks. Get a treat pouch!
Bring treats on your walks. Get yourself a treat pouch. It’s much easier to quickly deliver a treat to reinforce your pup for doing something you like on a walk when you have the treats easily accessible in a treat pouch.
Not to mention you will save yourself the horror of discovering your dog has chewed through your jacket pocket to get at the treats you accidentally left in there over night (been there, more than once I’m embarrassed to admit!…). You don’t need big pieces just tiny pieces but make sure they are really good treats (cheese, boiled chicken, freeze dried beef liver).
The treats will be used to reinforce behavior you like on your walks with your dog. Behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated. If you are unfamiliar with marker training you can go to my YouTube page and learn to set up a “yes!” (or use a clicker) verbal marker. Basically “yes!” marks the behavior you like and promises a treat will soon follow. If your pup offers up a sit when you stop, mark “yes!” and treat when s/he does. If your pup looks away from the squirrel s/he was staring at, mark “yes!” and treat when s/he does.
When you stop to change directions, instead of prompting or tugging the leash, just wait for a head turn toward you from your dog and mark “yes!” and treat when’s/he does. You get the idea. There are a lot of oppurtunities for reinforcement while we are out on our daily walks with our dogs. It won’t take long before your dog starts offering things up more readily if you are being consistent with your reinforcement.
5. Get to know your dog
You have just adopted a dog. As your dog’s care giver you are responsible for their well being. It’s going to be a lot easier to help your dog adjust to his new environment and be the happiest he can be if you understand your dog. A basic understanding of Stress and body language in your dog is a must.
A great book with a pictoral break down of dog body language is the book “Doggie Language, A Dog lovers guide to understanding your best friend” by an amazing artist Lili Chin. I also highly recommend reading Alexandra Horowitz “Inside of a dog” (and any of her other books for that matter but I would start there). I have recently picked up ethologist Kim Brophy’s “Getting to know your dog” and it’s a must read as well.
The human world is full of rules, leashes, fences, walls, “can’t do that”, “don’t eat that”, “Don’t go there”, “calm down”, etc etc etc. . Dogs in more urban city environments is a relatively new phenomenon.
There is a lot more stimulation and a lot more rules in the city even compared to the suburbs environment. We have dogs that are bred to do amazing things. Working dogs, hunting dogs, herding dogs, guardian dogs etc. . The very thing that annoys you most about your dog may be exactly what your dog was bred for.
Is your dog running after skate boarders, bicycles and fast moving children? - chances are you have yourself a herding dog. Freezing and staring at squirrels, paw up and pointing at them even, could stand there forever it seems like? - looks like you have yourself a hunting dog that was bred for pointing.
Here’s where city life with a dog can get really challenging. Doing some fun training classes with your dog such as Nose work classes, Trieball, flyball classes, agility classes etc. can be a great outlet for any dog to get some of that excess energy out. Find a reputable force free positive training group in your area and sign up for some fun classes with your dog. The Kim Brophy interview below makes good points about the modern life of pet dogs clashing with breed traits etc.
6. Be patient with your dog
As described above, urban environments can be really challenging for your dog. It’s a sensory overload at times. Find quiet times of day, and quiet areas to walk your dog and give them plenty of time to sniff and follow their nose and get to know their surroundings.
It doesn’t have to be go go go with your dog as well. Bring some of your dogs favorite chew items out with you, find an out of the way area and just hangout for a while letting them work on their chew or bone as the world goes by. Sometimes just sit on your stoop with your dog watching things go by as they work on a favorite chew.
The walks and outside time could be going to a park and having play time, or just leisurely walking along as your dog gets to follow their nose. Being in a hurry to get to the coffee shop or to meet your friends and pick up the kids from school is not going to count as a walk for your dog. It’s important to dedicate times each day to your dog.
Be patient and give them a chance to make choices, follow scents, work on some chew items. Be patient with your dog when it comes to behavioral issues such as jumping, barking, pulling etc. as well. These things take time to work on with training. Patience and making sure they are getting mental and physical stimulation throughout the day is one of the things that will go hand in hand with training.
7. Make walks interactive
As I mentioned previously, bring treats out on your walks. I like to play some “go find” treat toss games randomly while on walks. You can also do one I call “what’s that?” in which I sneaky drop a treat behind me us as we are walking and direct the dog back to where the treat is. Things like this make the walks more interactive.
Simone Mueler has a great book called “Hunting Together” which addresses prey drive issues but I found the pointers for interacting with dogs while on a walk makes the walk a much more entertaining experience for everyone whether your dog is having prey drive issues or not. I have found this helps alleviate pulling and improves your dogs focus on you immensely during walks.
They become much more aware of your existence. Talk to your dogs and interact with them when out as well. Let them know that whatever odd thing they see is ok casually stating “it’s ok” and you can pair that with a treat. Name things while out and let your dog know that it’s nothing to worry about. The article below makes some good points about talking to your dog.
8. Have fun with your dog!
One of the most rewarding things about having a dog is that they are a lot of fun! Find some toys and things your dog enjoys and have fun with your dog. Hikes in the woods, swimming (if you happen to have a dog that loves water), nose work games, tug games, etc. . A great book to get you started is “Playtime for your dog” by Christina Sondermann. It has a bunch of fun games and pointers.
9. Get a long leash (15-20ft)
and give your dog some freedom to roam and explore at a park or school yard
Get to a park or even a schoolyard and give your dog some breathing room. If you go to a school yard, you may need to bring some toys or things to entertain your dog. If you go to a park you may be fine with just letting your dog roam around and follow their nose.
Make sure you are not going during off leash times as this can be dangerous since off leash dogs might get tangled in the long leash. Also having a dog on leash around off leash dogs can be very frustrating and cause altercations.
Grisha Stewart developed a long leash handling method called BAT (Behavior Adjustment Training). I have found this to be an amazing technique for helping a dog get more comfortable to their surroundings. She has a 6part video series online that runs through this as well as a whole bunch of helpful leash walking tips.
Her books “BAT behavior adjustment training” and “Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0” are worth checking out. It’s a bit nuanced so you will want the guidance of a BAT skilled positive force free dog trainer. This is a great way to help give your dog a break in the city and to help desensitize them to various triggers.
Grisha Stewarts 6 part series on BAT and leash walking:
Whether you decide to learn the BAT leash skills or not you should still use the long leash at parks etc. . Go to the park when things are quiet and there aren’t any off leash dogs around. Avoid distractions. Just follow your dog and let them use their nose and be a dog for a while. If your dog starts heading into more populated busy areas then very gently stop your dog and wait for them to choose to come back to your direction. You can prompt if needed. Use verbal encouragement when your dog does decide to go in your direction.
You can use treats as well if needed here. I recommend taking breaks randomly, and bringing some chew items as well. You can also play some random treat toss “go find” games with your dog. You can sneaky drop a toy or some treats while your dog is up ahead and play the “what’s that?” game a bit as well. Just exclaim “what’s that!” and then direct your dog back to the spot where the treasure of treats or toy is.
The more you play this, your dog will pick up on the game and you can be less obvious about directing them back to exactly where the toy is. They will begin searching it out right when you exclaim “what’s that!”. Make this really simple in the beginning. After exclaiming “what’s that!” just walk right over to the toy or treats and wave your hand in a circle right above the area it’s at.
10. Practice cooperative care routines with your dog multiple times per week
Help your dog get comfortable with handling so they aren’t pawing and nipping at you, or running away from you at the sight of a brush or grooming tools coming out. Cooperative care is a great way to help your dog get comfortable with handling, grooming, vet visits etc. . Chirag Patels bucket game is a great cooperative care routine to work on with your dog. I also like the use of a chin rest for cooperative care practice.
The great thing about this is that your dog is able to make the choice during practice, if they need a break or if they are ok with you continuing handling. The Whole Dog Journal article below runs through cooperative care and outlines the bucket game. I am including some videos that run through the process as well.
Whole Dog Journal Cooperative care article
Video series running through Bucket Game:
Additional Resources
I think that covers my list of 10 things to improve your bond with your dog. I honestly could have kept going! If you are in the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens area and are interested in our dog training services, fill out the client intake form or email mikepreisdogtraining@gmail.com . We also have additional resources on our website there are books and toy recommendations as well.
Have fun with your dog!
