Puppy Bonding - Building Trust with Your Puppy
Equipping your puppy for life is about more than environmental training and socialization. You also need to give your puppy a reason to feel safe interacting with you. Respect, communication and cooperation should permeate your relationship. So here are exercises to help your puppy feel safe interacting with you on life's journey.
How to carry your puppy
Creating safety when lifting the puppy
Sometimes you may need to lift and carry your young puppy, but it is best to avoid doing it frequently. Instead, encourage your puppy to use her/his own legs and guide her/him to choose wise paths. However, there are situations where lifting may be necessary, such as to remove your puppy from an inappropriate situation, get down a flight of stairs, or give your puppy a rest during a walk. It's important to note that not all puppies are comfortable with being lifted, especially during certain development phases when they require self-control and predictability. If you pick up your puppy without considering this, they may shy away from your outstretched arms or even you.
The warning that makes your puppy comfortable with being lifted
Place a treat or a toy on a shelf next to you and let your puppy see it. Kneel next to your puppy with a reward in hand, and guide her/him onto your lap. Praise and reward your puppy when her/his paws are placed on your thigh. Gently secure your puppy's body by putting one hand on their chest between the front legs and the other hand scooping up her/his rear end. Make sure to support the back end before lifting the front to avoid straining the spine. Say "Up" before slowly lifting your puppy, then take her/him to the shelf and let her/him take the reward. Finally, put your puppy down slowly while still in your arms. Repeat the exercise so that your puppy experiences being lifted positively. Now you're ready to use this routine daily!
Show your puppy the way
Use signals instead of physically moving the puppy
Physically moving your puppy away when she/he is standing in the way, behaving undesirably, or lying down where you intended to sit can be tempting. However, pushing someone out of the way is not effective communication, and it can offend. Although young puppies rarely resist being moved, the experience may be stored, and adolescent dogs may "suddenly" react negatively to being moved.
Teach your puppy to follow your hand movement
Instead, use clear communication and guidance. Teach your puppy to tap your hand with her/his nose (see the training Hand target). Your hand target becomes your tool to guide your puppy. Start with your puppy close to you and wedge a treat between your fingers. Present your palm to your puppy, and once she/he take the treat, say "This way" to cue the touch of your hand. After a few repetitions, place an empty palm near your puppy's nose and say, "This way." Praise and reward your puppy with a treat from your other hand when $she/he taps your hand. Practice near and from a distance until your puppy can follow the cue without being lured with a reward. Use this tool once she/he has associated touching your target hand with positive outcomes, a very effective communication tool. You no longer need to push or shove your puppy.
Help your puppy in social situations
Analyzing puppy behavior in social situations
As an adult, your puppy will hopefully have reason to be confident and ready to take on the world with good judgment and wise strategies. To reach the goal, you want to be your puppy’s interpreter and protect her/him when needed. Greeting people or other dogs can be difficult for many puppies if they are expected to socialize independently. See dog lovers and social dogs who want to greet your puppy as a gift. Whenever someone says, "Can I pet your puppy?" or "Can our dogs greet?" you get an opportunity to show your puppy what you're all about. In these situations, your puppy should be given a chance to let you know what she/he wants before you either give the other dog/person an okay to greet or a no thank you. If you want to know more about the right way to socialize your dog, read our article on socializing your dog the right way.
Teach your puppy to stand behind you for safety
Begin by practicing "I Got You". Guide your puppy with a treat in hand to get behind you. Slide your foot out as a protective barrier. Say "I Got You" to cue the position. Practice and practice, until a subtle point, is all that’s needed to get your puppy to head on back when you’ve said, "Go behind." Now use your new skill in a setup training. Ask a friend or family member to walk toward you and your puppy. Stop in front of each other, and guide your puppy to go behind you. Now your friend asks if she can pet your dog. When your puppy has noted the person's interest, it is your turn to analyze the puppy's signals. Does she/he want to say hi? Is the tail wagging in anticipation, and does your puppy seek out the person's face? Or does your puppy back away, look away, or yawn? If the latter happens, you say "No thanks" to your friend. Otherwise, you can say yes before telling your puppy, "Go ahead, greet" before removing your foot/barrier and letting your puppy greet your friend. Practice until the routine is set. Now you are ready to use the routine in daily life!
Show the way and create confidence in new situations
Be a good role model! Your puppy will follow your lead if you show that things are okay. If, for example, you want to walk up some stairs and your puppy hesitates, walk up and down yourself a couple of times. Act as if this is a natural thing to do, no worries. Avoid trying to pressure your puppy when she/he is insecure. Just show that it's all harmless. You may need to repeat this for a few days before your puppy is persuaded. The approach gives you a confident puppy who trusts your judgment instead of feeling pressured.
Provide support and guidance when the puppy seeks your help
If your puppy turns to you for help, give it! Your youngster may call for attention if another dog is too eager to play or if a big bus drives past. Seize the opportunity and respond to your dog's desire for help. Say, "I've got you" and keep the eager dog away. If a approaching bus worries our puppy, confirm that you have also noted the bus. Then guide your puppy to sit beside you as it passes. Have compassion, show understanding and help your puppy. There is a big difference between compassion and pity, which risks confirming insecurity.
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
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