Are you spending enough time with your dog? Too much?

Today, discover how to refocus on *quality* time instead of quantity with your dog.

Show Highlights

• FamilyDogFusion is about improving your relationship and communication with your dog
• If my dog is laying at my feet but i am working on something – is it quality time?
• There is a difference between quality and quantity time spent with your dog
• Some people have suggested 5-6 hours is what you should be spending with your dog:
  • This is good quantity time but not always quality time with your dog
• Involve your dogs in your daily activities!
  • Dogs need social connections for their comfort and their safety – dogs are pack animals
  • Too much time with your dog can be detrimental as they can become overly possessive or overly protective
• Too little time can also be a root cause for behavioral issues:
  • They can become aggressive or aggressively protective because they don’t have the confidence or boundaries to know better
  • Dogs need to learn how to behave around people and have full understanding of their boundaries laid out by you.
• On average dogs sleep 16 – 18 hours a day
• Senior and puppy dogs can sleep 18-20 hours a day
• Ep 103 – Dogs and the Illusion of Time – informs you whether or not your dog can tell time
• Get your dog used to working with you in your home
  • Bennie suggests using the leash in the home
  • Get your dog used to being tethered
  • Take the leash and put it on the doorknob inside the closet when they are being too hyper or out of control
  • Having your dog learn to be comfortable when tethered is a positive thing especially when out in public
  • Use your crate as well, as this should be their safe space

Homework

How to spend quality and not quantity time with you dog

• Exercise:
  • Go on walks or runs, or throw items for them to fetch – anything to release their energy – good quantity of time
  • The higher the energy of the dog, the more you to do this – dogs such as border collies
  • If it is a low energy dog, even just a small walk up and down the road (good quantity of time)
• Training:
  • Basic training for structure and rules in the home,
  • Conditioning your dog to these rules – spend 5-10 minutes daily (5-6 times a week) with your dog
  • You can do intermediate training which challenges your dog more
  • Border collies are so smart they need to be challenged
  • You can also do excellent level of training
  • Agility training or higher levels of training
  • You have to be committed to this training and really set this time aside for you and your dog because you are setting a higher expectation with your dog, (quality time spent together)
  • However, you can also just start out with basic training with a dog as young as a puppy
• Routine:
  • If you want to spend some good quality time with your dog, change your routine.
  • If you want your dog to be more involved in your life and involved in your activities you have to change your routine!
  • Do things like take a ride with your dog
  • Get around other dogs and other animals
  • Go to different pet friendly stores
  • These situations teach your dog how to behave, (good quality and quantity of time)
  • Taking your dog to the dog park is a good source for quantity of time and socialization

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