Fitting in one-on-one time with our dogs is very important as it helps to keep them stimulated and also aids in forming a closer and more meaningful bond with you. However, finding the time to fit this in can seem very difficult, especially for those of us with busy schedules.
There are ways we can work around this though, even for those of us who don't have a visible gap in the day-to-day schedule! First of all, don't make it a chore otherwise neither of you will enjoy it. Set yourself a reasonable goal such as 2-3 times a week spending a special 10 minutes with your Fido. The 10 minutes can be anything from a play session with their favourite toy; playing hide and seek (yes, even dogs enjoy this game!); practicing his tricks or teaching new tricks; or, hiding toys and food and have him search for them! One-on-one time can also include the dogs walk, however, those of us who use walkers may not be the primary walker for the dogs throughout the weekdays. This is why I believe the special 10 minutes are really important for bonding, to let our pooch know that we are interested in him by engaging with him with stimulating activities!
Now, where can we find these 10 minutes with such busy lifestyles? First of all, if you truly are very busy, don't do this everyday otherwise it will seem a massive effort and you may end up resenting your dog. Aim for just a couple of times a week as this is reasonable and won't make your schedule feel any more overwhelming than it already is. The easiest way to find these 10 minutes is when the dinner is being cooked and this will be especially useful if you have a dog who sits and begs in the kitchen while food is cooking! When you have those dinners which don't require tonnes of work and spend most of their time in the oven, use the gap between putting food in the oven and waiting for it to be ready to engage with your dog. If you have a partner/don't live alone this will be even easier as you can take it in turn of who engages with Rover!
Try it yourself and see if there's any difference in your dogs behaviour towards you or just his behaviour in general! Keeping a dog well stimulated is one of the biggest factors in reducing common attention seeking behavioural problems. If you give him the attention he won't be required to ask for it! So go on, go and have fun with your furry buddy's!
www.4pawswalkies.co.uk
