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Your dog, like your kids, your husband, your wife, your partner, your family members, and close friends --- deserve your attention. We do this through communication, social settings, social media, and plain old sitting down to a meal and asking how each person’s day has gone.
So, what can we do for our dogs?
Every day, you should set assign some time (3,5,7 minutes) of playing their favorite game. Is it tug toy, rough touch, chasing each other, etc.
Spend 5-10 minutes reviewing a behavior (change the behavior each day)-3-5 times and then try a new behavior (ex. You dog gives you a sit then you may want to do a sit up or teach a sit by the door). Try to add a SMALL NEW behavior once a week.
Give your dog your full attention during the above times (put down the phone, get off the computer, alert family members you are going to spend a little personal time with your dog.
Introduce your dog to a new place around the house and practice a “learned “behavior and try that behavior in a different human position --- If you do most of your training standing up , then try sitting down , or lying on the floor doing that very same behavior . You will be surprised by your dog’s behavior.
When communicating with your dog be consistent in your cues (Verbal, signals, body movement) and if you can involve another member of the family to help you in the communication You might be surprised by how the family member enjoys what you are doing and will become an active participant.
Sit /Stand quietly and just observe your dog’s nuances. You will smile at your dog.
Remember Dogs have relationships and emotions and that is why they are so easy to love and be with. Perhaps they are better at relationships that we are.