When you get a pet, no matter what it is, you’ll need to spend a lot of time and energy on them and with them. This is because you’ll need to build up a good relationship with them so that you can enjoy their company more and so that they trust you and are well behaved. The good news is that you don’t need to be some kind of animal expert in order to do this; everyone can build a good relationship with their pet if they think carefully and follow a few basic rules. Read on to find out what to do to make your relationship work.
Stay Calm And Take Your Time
When you are building up a good relationship with your pet, you need to take your time over it, and you must stay calm – getting angry and frustrated will only lead to problems, including the fact that you might just give up on the idea altogether.
If you are feeling stressed, it’s highly likely that your pet will feel that stress, and it will make it very hard to work with them when you are training them or even just trying to take care of them. Animals have natural instincts that tell them when something is wrong, and if you are angry, they will sense it, and often they will stay away. This is the opposite of what you want, and therefore you must take a step back if you find you’re getting frustrated. Reassess the situation and try again another time when you are feeling more relaxed. Otherwise, you could undo any good progress you’ve made.
Don’t Shout
Following on from the above point, it’s a bad idea to shout at your pet when you’re trying to bond with them and build a relationship. If you shout, they will instinctively try to hide away, as we’ve mentioned above, and then it will be hard to teach them anything, including the fact that you’re not there to hurt them. Another problem is that animals become startled when you shout, and that can cause them to run away. This is particularly unfortunate if you are outside and they run into woods and get lost or into a road and get hurt. At least if you are in your yard, you can install an invisible dog fence to keep them safe and in one place, but when you are outside, you lose that control.
The key is not to shout at all, as it only makes you upset and your pet anxious. Although it might seem strange at first, you should always imagine your pet is a human loved one; would you speak to a parent or spouse the way you’re talking to your dog or another animal? If not, it’s time to change your tone and work out another way to communicate.
A Good Tone Of Voice
As we’ve said, you need to find a good tone to work with when it comes to bonding with your pet, and that really means a good tone of voice. The thing to remember is that, as much as you might want it to be otherwise, your pet can’t understand exactly what you’re saying (although simple single words can be learned). You can’t really have a conversation with them. What they are actually responding to when you speak to them is your tone of voice; you can say anything at all in a soft, kind tone, and they will respond positively. If you use an angry, harsh tone but the same words, you’ll get a different reaction.
Therefore, always keep your tone soft and gentle. It will make a world of difference in the way your pet feels about you, and it will make it much easier to train them overall.
