If you are a new dog owner or have had your dog for a while, you might catch yourself wondering from time to time if your dog is happy and how you can make them happy. A few signs of a happy dog are floppy ears, a relaxed body, happy barks, and lots of puppy kisses.
We have gathered up 5 ways you can make your dog happier and strengthen the bond between you and your dog on a regular basis.
5 tips to make your dog happy
You should praise your dog for good behavior
Much like us humans, dogs respond to praise for good behavior. If you catch your pup doing something that you want them to continue doing or replace a bad habit with, like not barking at the mailman, be sure to praise your dog when they let your mailman deliver the mail without barking like crazy.
Dogs are smart and love the feeling of being praised, so they will continue to do what gets them prise from you.
Make your daily exercise routine more interesting
Going for a walk on the same route every day can become boring for your dog. Adding something new for exercise or taking a new way for a walk can help your dog with mental stimulation and keep things exciting.
A few ideas to add some excitement into your dog’s exercise routine are:
- Set up an obstacle course. You can set up a fun obstacle course in your backyard to keep your dog interested and mentally stimulated. You can use hula hoops for jumping through, buckets set up to weave through, or anything to get your dog crawling, crouching, jumping, or backing up.
- Play fetch. Playing a spirited game of fetch with a ball or frisbee in your yard or park is an excellent exercise for your dog. If you have a smaller breed, you can get a good game of fetch going inside your home.
- Tug of war. Dogs love to play a good game of tug of war with their owners; it is an excellent workout for their whole body and helps to strengthen the bond between you and your pup.
- Invest in a treat dispensing toy. Your dog with gain mental stimulation and physical stimulation with a slow feeding treat toy. Instead of gobbling up treats, they will have to work for and have a good time while figuring out their new toy.
- Enroll in agility classes. Taking your pup to agility classes are a great bonding experience for you two and a great way to let your dog flex muscles they might not get to use very often.
A job for your dog will keep him busy
If you have a working breed dog, you may find that they need a lot more mental stimulation than other dogs. Finding ways to keep them busy on a daily basis, like slow feeding with a slow feeder dog bowl, is a great start, but some other ideas that will keep your dog busy with a job to do are:
- Puzzle toys. While a puzzle toy that dispenses treats won’t keep your dog busy for a long time, it is still fun for them to play with and a great way to slow feed your dog treats.
- Scent games. Depending on your dog’s breed and personality, they may enjoy playing scent games. You can train your dog to find treats you have hidden in your home or around your yard. Using specific plants as an object to find can be fun when exploring a new trial.
- Training. After mastering basic obedience training, your dog may enjoy daily training and learning new tricks. Some breeds love to train, so incorporating training into your daily life is a must for those breeds.
- Pulling a cart. Some dog breeds have been used in history to pull carts around. If you think this is something your dog would enjoy, you can train them to pull a cart while out on a walk or around the yard. They can even help to move garden waste to the compost pile, giving them a real job to do that they love and is helpful.
Take a moment to cuddle on the couch
Your dog loves to curl up on the couch with you for a good cuddle. Their brains release oxytocin which is a feel-good hormone. Cuddling with your dog strengthens your bond and makes you both feel happy and loved.
Depending on the breed of your dog and their personality will determine how much cuddle time they want. Learning when to cuddle and when to back off will help you to get to know your dog better and deepen your respect for each other.
Make sure you choose a veterinarian you feel comfortable with
Choosing a veterinarian that you are comfortable with and that your dog is comfortable with is so important. You are going to have a relationship with your veterinarian over the course of your dog’s life, and if you are not fond of them, your vet visits may feel tedious and unpleasant.
There is nothing wrong with visiting various vets or calling different clinics to find a good match for you and your dog. You might find that after a few visits, or even a couple of years that you no longer want to use that veterinarian clinic, and that’s ok.
Conclusion
Making your dog happy is the goal of any dog owner. These 5 steps are an excellent place to start. It’s important to take into account the breed of dog you have and their individual personality.
Most dogs are happy to be around their owners, and anything extra you do is just a bonus in their eyes.
