If there’s one thing I swear by with Poodles, it’s their love for mental and physical affection! Affectionate dog breeds and social animals crave affection among people, especially their owners. If you don’t give enough love and attention to your Poodle, expect it to suffer from separation anxiety and unpleasant experiences, resulting in whining, barking, and even frustration!
As responsible pet parents, it’s important to offer different displays of affection to your Poodle, from physical contact to making more time to build a strong bond and loving relationship. Learn the different ways you can offer more love (or even spoil) to your well-deserving poodle!
Morning Cuddle Time
Your Poodle will need a daily petting session, and if you’ve got a busy schedule, you can always incorporate that in your morning schedule! Not only can this help your Poodle feel social bonds, but you’ll also feel much better the moment you wake up to a stressful day ahead.
Try waking up 5-10 minutes earlier than usual, giving this time for you and your Poodle to get a good cuddling session.
Leave Toys and Food
Yes, you can show your affection through food and toys! Make sure you leave your Poodle’s prized possession within reach if you need to leave the house. That way, your dog won’t feel alone or without mental stimulation.
You can leave mentally stimulating toys that include treats, giving your Poodle forms of motivation to play and enjoy the rewards.
Here are other ways you can give your Poodle mental stimulation:
Hang Out with Your Dog
You don’t have to give your complete attention to your Poodle 24/7. Even small acts like having your Poodle stay near you as you work or perform household chores, will have it feel like it’s part of your day.
When you can, let your Poodle rest on your lap or lay on your feet as you watch television or work at your home office. It’s a reminder for your Poodle that you’re there, and you love it, and you won’t feel alone!
Getting into the habit of incorporating your Poodle as part of family time, whether it’s movie night, playing games together, or even during road trips and traveling! Give your Poodle its favorite toy during family nights at home to enjoy and feel part of the activity.
Attention Through Touch
Acknowledge your Poodle’s presence through casual petting, ear scratches, and the like. But be careful about how you pet your poodle!
While our first instincts are to hug and pat our dogs’ heads, these are signs of dominance.
Rather than touching your Poodle that way, brush your dog using a soft brush. It’s perfect because you get to brush your Poodle’s curly coat every day and spend time together.
Observe the way your Poodle reacts to certain types of physical contact and only give it the ones it responds positively to, though you should still give your dog some personal space.
Play a Game of Fetch or Walk
Poodles require a lot of exercise, given their origins and high activity levels. You can meet your Poodle’s exercise requirements by incorporating quick walks throughout the day. Even a 5-minute break in to watch your dog play in the yard or a long walk around the neighborhood will do wonders!
Your dog can do its business outdoors and enjoy a few minutes of fresh air while you can refresh yourself and get ready for the next round of work.
Praise, Praise, Praise!
You shouldn’t only focus on giving your Poodle lots of cuddles and physical contact. There are more ways you can show your Poodle some affection, like praise!
Praise your Poodle more when it behaves well, such as when it’s lying down feeling calm and quiet. Or when you notice your Poodle doing something cute, go to it, giving lots of verbal praises and a treat. That way, you reinforce positive behavior, and your dog will continue behaving excellently.
Pay attention to how you talk with your poodle, particularly your tone. While dogs won’t understand what we say, they know if you feel kind or angry based on your voice. Talk with a calm and soothing tone to show your Poodle some love.
Include Training Time
Try to allocate about 10-15 minutes of your day to give your dog a training session. Poodles love mental stimulation and are eager to please, so positive reinforcement and fun training methods will have them behave well and feel safe.
Make sure you use positive reinforcement during your training session, or you’ll end up showing the exact opposite of affection behavior.
Observe Body Language
It isn’t only about the specific actions we perform with our pets but also how we tune into how your Poodle feels. That can also show our love and affection!
Understand the way your dog feels through its body language so you know how to react, thus forming a stronger bond.
For instance, a scared Poodle would cower and lower its head, tucking its tail. On the other hand, an angry Poodle would have its ears back and hackles raised!
Go For a Drive
When you need to run errands outside that won’t require you to leave your car, such as driving through for food, picking someone up, bringing your dog if it loves car rides! As long as there aren’t any vet visits and your Poodle doesn’t get carsick quickly, it’s a fun way to spend time together. Your Poodle will feel part of your daily activities and feel happy with the wind on its face from the open window.
Just make sure that you never leave your dog unattended in a locked car or leave the windows open in busy streets.
Check out professional dog trainer Danielle Hodges as she shares ways to show affection to your furry friend properly!
Life with pets is never dull; there’s always something you and your Poodle can do to form a deep bond and receive the love you both deserve. Follow these tips for you and your furry friends to strengthen your bond!