The day you first bring home your new puppy is so exciting! Whether you are a new dog parent or have had dogs your entire life, you’ll know that this puppy you are bringing home is going to be your new best friend. But how long does it take for that friendship to form, and for your puppy to know who you are?
Bringing a puppy home also means taking a puppy away from its mother and siblings, so those first few days can be really overwhelming for the little one. They’ll be so excited to play with you and explore, but they may be a little timid and shy at times. Don’t worry – it just takes a little time!
How long does it take?
In most cases, it takes only a few days for a puppy to start to feel at home and bond with you. However, depending on their age, it may take as long as a couple of weeks for your puppy to bond with you. The older the puppy is, the longer it can take. This is because older puppies and dogs may have already formed attachments to other animals and humans.
But if you bring home a puppy when it is eight weeks old, it is more likely that it will start recognizing that it is home after just a few days. This is because the younger the puppy is, the more they rely on you to meet all of their needs, like food, water, play, love, and safety.
Do puppies only bond with one person?
In the early days of bringing your puppy home, you might find that the puppy seems to be bonding with, or forming a greater attachment, to one person in particular.
Does this mean that that person is the puppy’s favorite person? Possibly! But it also might just be that that person is the primary caretaker of the puppy and spends more time with them.
Dogs sometimes do choose a favorite person simply because the dog and the human’s personalities are compatible. Other times, it might be because one person has spent more positive quality time with the dog and has built a really deep bond.
Anyone can bond with a dog, though, and dogs can have multiple best friends!
How do you know if your puppy has bonded with you?
There are several signs that you might notice as you spend more and more time with your puppy. These signs are indicators that your puppy is bonding with you.
Some things you might notice from your puppy include:
- A desire to be close to you
- Checking in with you when off-leash
- An eagerness to learn and to please you
- Communicates wants, needs, and worries easily to you
- An eagerness to find you when playing games like hiding and seek
- Expresses joy when you come home or even when you turn your attention to them
- Looks to you for reassurance or guidance in new situations
- Relaxed, happy body language
- Looks you in the eyes
How to bond with your puppy
Bonding with a puppy isn’t something that happens necessarily overnight. It takes some time and some work from both you and the puppy.
Additionally, if your puppy seems to bond with one person more than any other in your household, it is still important for other family members to stay involved and work to form a bond with the puppy, too.
Your puppy should have plenty of positive experiences with various people at an early age so it can be well-adjusted as an adult – this socialization is extremely important, and you definitely don’t want to miss the socialization window.
Dogs are typically pack animals, so you want the pup to have good experiences with the whole pack. Some of the ways you can actively work on the bonding process include:
- Spending time training your puppy
- Spending time just playing with your puppy
- Creating positive experiences for your puppy
- Handfeeding some food or snacks
- Grooming and handling
- Quiet time like reading or just sitting and petting your puppy quietly
Training Time
Training is an awesome way to bond with your puppy. Having the chance to work towards a goal together can be a great bonding experience for you both. Do keep in mind that training sessions should be done in short increments so as not to wear your puppy out.
Their attention span can be short, and you’ll want to keep it as a positive experience for you both instead of a frustrating experience.
This is a great time to work on the basics like sit, stay, and come. Your puppy will love working for treats and for your praise as well as the quality time.
Playing Time
Similar to training, spending time playing with your puppy is a wonderful way to spend quality time together. Encourage your puppy to play with you and their toys. Try tug of war or fetch, but be careful not to play too rough!
Even just rolling a toy around on the ground and getting your puppy excited and jumping around is a great form of play.
Positive experiences
Creating positive experiences is at the center of the bonding process. As puppies, dogs are constantly learning and absorbing everything around them. If you have a neighbor dog that you know plays amazingly well with puppies, invite them over for a play date!
Creating fun, positive experiences is the best way to get puppies excited about continuing to learn about the world around them. It will help ensure that your puppy grows into a confident and relaxed adult.
Handfeeding
Feeding your puppy by hand sometimes can be a really useful practice for bonding. Of course, not all meals should be fed by hand, but it can be a great way to build trust between you and the puppy. Your puppy will recognize that you are a provider who delivers exactly what they need.
Handfeeding also allows you to practice with your puppy on its manners when it takes food or treats from you. Those puppy teeth are sharp, so we don’t want them chomping down on our fingers in excitement!
Grooming and handling
Your puppy’s future groomer will definitely thank you for this one! Spending time handling your puppy and brushing them will not only help in the bonding process but also will help get your puppy used to the grooming process.
Many dogs can get scared or just behave poorly at the grooming salon simply because they have never been brushed or handled. They don’t know what to think of a groomer brushing them or lifting up their paws to trim their nails.
Start with just petting your puppy all over its body. Not just belly rubs! But pet its chin, toes, legs, and tail. These are areas that we don’t often touch when petting dogs, but groomers need to in order to get them cleaned up or trimmed up.
Of course, try brushing your puppy, too. It may even remind your puppy of being groomed by its mother and help further the bonding process a little more.
Don’t forget to practice picking up your dog’s paws one at a time and show them that it is okay to stand on three legs for a minute. Nail trims will be so much easier with practice!
Again, keep these interactions positive, and don’t push your puppy to the point where it is becoming uncomfortable or nervous. Bonding is all about creating positive experiences.
Quiet Time
Last but not least, most people’s favorite part of having a puppy is when they look just oh so cute when they are tired and relaxed or sleepy.
Try just relaxing with your puppy. Puppies need lots of rest to continue to grow and sleep a lot. Try just reading a book quietly to your puppy. This will help get them used to the sound of your voice.
Even just sitting quietly and calmly petting your puppy can help move the bonding process along.
Most affectionate dog breeds
- Golden Retriever
- Great Danes
- Boxers
- Bichon Frise
- Labrador Retriever
Least affectionate dog breeds
- Chow Chow
- Shiba Inu
- Afghan Hound
- American Foxhound
- Alaskan Malamute
Conclusion
To get your puppy to bond with you, try staring lovingly into their eyes. One study from the University of Japan found that when dogs and owners stare into each other’s eyes for at least thirty seconds, the love hormone oxytocin is released for both of them. Basically, you both think the other is cute!
If you follow all these tips and tricks, it won’t take long at all for your puppy to get to know you!
References
https://www.rd.com/list/signs-dog-trusts-you/
https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-bond-with-a-new-puppy/
