What to do to make my dog follow me? There are those who think that for this wonderful animal to follow a human, the latter has to be worthy of the canine's trust, and honestly, I think the same. We can never be the best friends of our furry ones if we do not show them from day one that this is precisely what we want to be.
Keep in mind that our actions say a lot about us, especially when we are trying to get along with an animal that only uses its body language to express itself. So to achieve our goal, it is important to follow a series of tips which I consider will be very useful to improve the human-dog relationship.
Win your trust
Said like this, it may even seem like an easy task, which can be done in a few minutes or hours, right? But don't be fooled by TV shows or books that tell us it's quick and easy. No, it is not. A dog that doesn't know you at all is going to need time to adjust to his new life and to you.
Therefore, to gain trust You have to show him every day - and several times - that you really care. And for this you must provide all the care it needs; not just water, food, a bed and walks, but also love and respect.
Give rewards from time to time
Another thing to do is give him rewards from time to time. The dog is a gluttonous animal, so what better way than to "take advantage of" a little of that to strengthen your relationship. Also, whether you give them a treat, wet food or caresses accompanied by beautiful and happy words, you can start to get me to pay attention for the simple reason that you will become the person who, apart from taking care of her, gives her things that fascinate her.
We all love to get awards. A hug the most unexpected moment, a box of chocolates, some flowers ... Any detail helps us to love that person more. The same thing happens with the dog that we have at home. Obviously, we will not give him chocolate as it is harmful to him, but we will we can give you dog treats, cans of wet food, or a pampering session as soon as you least expect it.
Teach him to follow you
Once you have more or less achieved the dog's trust, it is time to move on to the next goal: to follow you. For it, the ideal is to start from home, which is where there are far fewer distractions. So, what you have to do is grab a bag of dog treats or pieces of sausage, and go to a room where no one is going to bother you.
Now of course you have to call your dog. For that you can make noise with a toy or simply call it by its name using a very cheerful tone of voice; This way you can also practice the order of the call, something that will be very useful for example when you go to a dog park.
As soon as you have him by your side, show him a treat. Put it in front of your nose but don't give it to him. Say the word "follow me" and take a few steps -10 or 15- while you show it to him. Then give it to him. Repeat several times throughout the day and for as many weeks as necessary until the animal has learned well to follow you inside the house.
When he has achieved this, you can teach him to follow you outside the home, following the same steps but with one important difference: unless you are doing it in a closed space, put the leash on him. Teaching him in an open space can be very dangerous.
With patience you will surely get me to follow you. 🙂