In most cases, an adopted dog will probably bond with you fairly quickly. However, the slow and steady building of a positive relationship between dog and human is a long-term process. If you spend quality time with your adopted dog every single day—and that includes games of fetch, snuggle sessions on the living room floor, and even training sessions—your dog will learn to enjoy and anticipate your company and to trust you. He will also consider you part of his pack and will do what he can to protect you (even from dust bunnies), warn you of intruders (even if the intruder is a squirrel), and help you in any way that you let him.
Your dog doesn’t mind if all you do together is hang around on the couch, but there are many different ways you can spend time with your dog, cultivating your relationship and getting to know each other. Here are some ideas:
• Go on exploration walks. Instead of the same walk around the block every day, take different paths and discover new sights, sounds, and smells together.
• Play a game, just for fun, for five to ten minutes every day. Games can be first thing in the morning, as a post-training-session reward, or whenever the mood strikes. Try fetch with a ball, rope, or Frisbee, or play tag or chase. Small, shy dogs can benefit from tug-of-war, but avoid this game with large, confident dogs, as it might promote dominance, especially when your dog wins the game.
• Whenever you go out in the car, take your dog if possible. Dogs love to go for car rides, on errands around town, on day trips, wherever you can take your dog. Sally loves to go through the drive-through at the bank and the pharmacy because they always have a jar of dog treats at the window, and of course, what dog doesn’t enjoy an occasional foray through the fast food drive-thru? (And what indulgent pet owner doesn’t occasionally order that additional plain hamburger with no bun?)
From Your Outta Control Adopted Dog, by Eve Adamson, published by TFH Publications. Used with permission.
