Abiola Israel Ogundare

How to Bond with Your Rescue Dog. There is an increasing need for companionship in various homes due to the aftereffect of the Covid-19 pandemic, more companies have resolved to work- from home for many of their workers. If you’re affected by this decision and you’re required to work from home, you might consider getting a dog pet, possibly a rescue dog. Have you decided to adopt a rescue dog or still pondering how to go about it? Let me walk you through some steps in bonding perfectly with your new pet. Dogs as you know are wonderful companions and trust me, you will surely love every minute spent together. Taking home your first rescue or shelter dog is a huge life-changing event for both of you. Perhaps your first introduction wasn’t as dramatic as mine, but your newly adopted dog has an entire history behind them that has shaped their lives so far. You don’t know what your adopted dog’s history could have been. The key to bonding with your rescue dog boils down to discovering their personality and learning to trust each other through patience, attention, routine, praise, play, and training. Remember that bonding is a two-way street; this scared shelter dog has so much to learn about you too. You may feel like your dog is not quite connecting with you yet, but they are communicating in an understated way. Here are three early signals you could easily miss: Maintaining Eye Contact No, this is not a staring match but gazing into your eyes is, in fact, an evolutionary trait that dogs adopted when first domesticated by humans. Those clever pups knew that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Locking eyes with you provokes your oxytocin response and make you feel closer to each other. “Humans bond emotionally as we gaze into each other’s eyes—a process mediated by the hormone oxytocin. Nagasawa et al. show that such gaze-mediated bonding also exists between us and our closest animal companions, dogs. They found that mutual gazing increased oxytocin levels, and sniffing oxytocin increased gazing in dogs, an effect that transferred to their owners.” (science.sciencemag.org) Closeness is a clear sign of comfort and a bond developing. Sleeping in the Same Room Yep, this is a weird one but a dog that doesn’t trust you will always be alert in your company. They want to keep an eye on you to make sure you’re not getting up to no-good behind their backs of course. You’re a new human after all, and new humans are trouble. When your new rescue dog is starting to feel at ease with you, they’ll more readily let their guard down in your company. The easiest way to spot this is when they take a nap wherever you may be hanging out. That willingness to be comfortable when in your presence lets you know you are on the right path to bonding with your new adopted dog. Create a Routine for your Dog Predictability is vital to all dog training, but particularly with rescue dogs. Our lovable canines adore routine so it’s important to instill structure from the very beginning. Building a routine should fit with your current lifestyle and that of the members of your household. Map out your current weekly routine. For example; what time you wake up, what time you go to work, or get busy with office work (If you work from home). Then work out the best times to interact with your dog. Mealtimes and walk times are best to keep constant. As time goes on, your dog will integrate with your rhythm and feel much more at ease in their new home. Be sure that all members of the household also know what the routine is so that they don’t unknowingly confuse your dog. Praise Them for Good Behavior Did you know that your dog can read your mind? No? Well of course you didn’t…because they can’t. But what they can do is understand the tone and meaning of your words. How incredible is that! Our voices as humans are incredibly expressive and your dog is acutely aware of what you are trying to communicate to them through your intonation. “The reward pathway in the dogs’ brains lit up when they heard both praising words and an approving intonation — but not when they heard random words spoken in a praising tone or praise words spoken in a flat tone, according to a report in the journal Science.” Praising effectively means you need to become very mindful of your dog’s behavior. Every good action should be rewarded with a sweet, vocal affirmation. If your dog is particularly reserved, make sure your praise is delivered in a soft tone of voice, as being too loud can be startling, even in praise mode. And sure, to the passers-by on the street, it is a bit cringe to see you babbling baby talk to your dog. Your dog, however, loves to hear that they made you happy, so babble away! A special treat once a while can go a long way. Introduce Play and Touch Now for the fun bit of learning how to bond with a scared rescue dog – playing! All dogs love to play and this is where you’ll discover the most about your dog’s personality. Introduce a range of toys to see which your dog gravitates to the most. Is there a chew toy they really enjoy? Does playing with a rope appeal to them more?  Do they like retrieving items? Are they intrigued by sounds? When it comes to touch, this entirely depends on your dog’s personality. Some rescue dogs love to be cuddled and petted often. Some are more selective about who they allow to touch them, where and when. Play is a great way to introduce touch, and so is grooming – all of which contributes to bonding. Your canine friend may love to have the soothing bristles of a comb through their long coat like a blissful massage. Once the dog is comfortable with you, you can introduce play to interact with a rescue dog. Don’t be afraid to train your dog, hiring a dog trainer will help the process.  Value dog training works with an adopted dog When rescuing a shelter dog, particularly an adult dog, owners often become hesitant to train them. This is amplified with dogs with difficult backgrounds, the length and breadth of their abuse can manifest in bad behaviors, which intimidate first-time rescue dog owners. This is your time to shine; to prove that you were the right person to give this beautiful creature a second home. Trust goes both ways. To trust each other, you must train in order to bond. To train your dog, positive reinforcement and discipline are key. You should start with the basic commands such as “wait”, “leave it”, “here”, “off”, “down” and build these into your daily schedule together. Your demeanor should be calm, approachable, and in control. Channel your inner crossing guard. Keep Track of their Progress What gets measured gets managed and the relationship with your new dog is no different. If you have been consistent with your schedule, training, and play, but your dog is still slow to warm up and bond with you, don’t be disappointed. Sometimes the bonding process is a fast, natural progression but often it is slow, deliberate, and nonlinear. Of course, there is a prickle of intuition you have when your dog is closer to you, but this doesn’t happen overnight. So, I advise just keeping track of their behavior at home, with questions such as: Are they recalling their daily routine? Are they approaching you for cuddles? Do they sit by you when you settle to watch The Bachelor? All of these are very important things that signal you are on the right track in bonding with your newly adopted dog. How Long does it take to Bond with a Rescue Dog? And finally, how long will it take for a rescue dog to bond with the owner? Well, all dogs are different and have had different experiences. It might take few days to bond, or it could take months. You honestly won’t know until you get started interacting with them to gain their trust. Conclusion Rescuing a dog comes with many challenges, but once the bonds between you and them develop, it’s one of the most rewarding experiences. With patience, time, and love, you and your rescue dog should be bonded for life. Put the work in, and it means you won’t even have to consider returning the dog (which unfortunately does happen). While curiosity and the ability to learn don’t have expiration dates, young puppies have an important behavioral “sweet spot” between the ages of 13 and 14 weeks. During this critical period, your dog builds her impressions and attitudes about what is normal and acceptable. At this time more than any other, positive experiences with the world around her build a solid foundation for the rest of your dog’s life.