How would you answer the question “Does play time with your dog help to build a better relationship?” I am hoping you are answering with a resounding yes!
As dogs are pack animals and love to play and interact with each other, they love to play and interact with us too. “Why?” you ask. My answer is “We are part of their pack too, aren’t we?”
Would You Like to Continue Your Dog’s Education?
For My Series on Further Dog Training Use This Link
I become ever so sad when dogs are left by themselves out in a backyard with no interaction at all. They are then left to make their own decisions, which on most occasions, are not decisions that their owners are pleased with. They either have running tracks worn around your yard, bark out of boredom or separation anxiety, they listen for noises outside the fence walls and react to these noises, especially to the sound of cars whizzing by. Most of these dogs become unbalanced in their emotions, it would be the same if you were left to your own devices in a house with no interaction with the outside world.
Enough of the negatives, let’s talk about the many benefits of playing games with your dogs. My dogs love to play with me, in fact, I am stoked that they will choose to play with me, especially when they choose to play with me apart from their doggie housemates.
Your attention makes them feel valued as part of your household, and they look forward to interacting with you, especially as you are their valued leader. It would be like the leader of the pack when they live in the wild choosing to play with one of the pack, bearing in mind that in this situation, the other dogs are the followers of their leader, they each have a place in the structure, either front, middle or back, with the pack leader out in front. So, imagine, how honoured they would be when the leader chooses to acknowledge them and instigate play.
This activity in itself answers the question “Does play time with your dog help to build a better relationship?”
My dogs have a play basket within our home with various toys that they love to play with, they will choose a toy and come over to me and either put the toy against my leg or hand, letting me know that they would love to play with me. I accept this request the majority of the time, as they seem to know when I have the time and opportunity to accept.
We will either play tug, fetch or simply have fun as we make up the game together, we sometimes even turn the game into a time to learn a new skill, with myself and the toy as a super reward!
And, more importantly, this play helps to build a rock solid bond that we both cherish and look forward to continuing when the opportunity presents itself.
Of course, playing with your dog has benefits that I possibly could not count, they respect you, they love you, they want to please you, we both have fun. This bonding relationship is so worth aiming for and you body language is relaxed and our dogs are masters at working out our body language.
You will find that during a time of play you will have a smile on your face, my dogs love to see me smile, they respond with either a wagging tail or they soften their ears and eyes as they gaze at me. I love this response. The endorphins that are released during a time of play build a relationship between you and your dog that is hard to beat! You have a forever mate, that loves you unconditionally which is such a gift in our daily life.
Our dogs certainly are a gift from God and a privilege that we get to look after them.
In my daily life, you can see that I do answer “Does Play time with your dog help to build a better relationship” with a resounding yes! I hope and pray that you will take the time to cherish your pet!
Would You Like to Continue Your Dog’s Education?
For My Series on Further Dog Training Use This Link
Until next time…
With Love, Success and Inspiration
Robin Oliver
www.robinoliveronline.com/blog
