There are few issues extra thrilling than bringing dwelling a brand new four-legged member of the family. This new addition goes to be a part of your loved ones for years to return, so we all know how necessary it’s so that you can create a robust bond from day one. To aid you out, we’ve put collectively an inventory of one of the best methods to bond with a brand new pet – and spoiler, it entails meals!
Get some perception from the foster mum or dad or shelter workers
If attainable, schedule a while to talk together with your pet’s foster mum or dad or a workers member from the shelter the place they had been adopted who is aware of them nicely. During this name, you possibly can ask them questions on your pet’s character, preferences, or anything you would possibly need to know. Some of those questions might embody:
- Do they’ve a favourite toy or recreation?
- Do they’ve any basic likes or dislikes?
- Do they already know any instructions or tips?
Knowing the solutions to those and different questions offers you a terrific place to begin for how one can create alternatives to bond together with your new pet.
Figure out what sort of meals they like most
The meals your pet eats has an affect on their general well being, nevertheless it can be used as a instrument to assist strengthen the bond you’ve together with your new pet. This is very true when you’ve got a food-motivated pet who loves nothing greater than a tasty deal with! To maximize the affect of your pet’s meals, you first need to determine what sort of meals they like essentially the most.
A enjoyable method to do that is by making a “tasting menu” to your pet to strive. Simply choose a number of various kinds of meals that adjust in format and substances and supply them to your pet one after the other. For instance, this tasting menu might embody:
- A roll, corresponding to Freshpet® Select Tender Chicken Recipe
- A bagged meal, corresponding to Freshpet® Select Fresh from the Kitchen™ Home Cooked Chicken Recipe
- A plant-based meal, corresponding to Spring and Sprout™ Plant-Based Protein * Cage-Free Egg Recipe
- A novel protein, corresponding to Nature’s Fresh® Grain Free Atlantic Salmon & Wild Alaskan Pollock Recipe
Watch to see how they react to every portion and on the finish, you’ll possible see that they’ve a desire for one or two over the others. You can then supply these as their major recipes in addition to use them as high-value treats all through the day or when coaching.
Try a lot of new issues
If you can not communicate to a foster mum or dad or shelter workers, then the following greatest approach to get to know your pet is by making an attempt a lot of new issues with them. The extra belongings you expertise collectively, the faster you’ll start to see how they reply to completely different conditions and whether or not sure issues – corresponding to toys, meals, or video games – stand out as winners.
To be environmentally (and financially) accountable, as an alternative of shopping for a bunch of brand-new issues, strive asking different pet dad and mom about their fur child’s favourite toys and video games. You might even ask in the event that they’d be prepared to lend you them for a number of hours to see how your pet enjoys them. If they find yourself being a winner then it is sensible to spend money on one to your pet, and if not, on to the following factor!
Add little bonding moments into your every day routine
Once you’ve a greater concept of your new pet’s preferences, search for methods that you would be able to incorporate them into your every day routine. For occasion, your common weekday might look one thing like this:
- Serve them their favourite Freshpet recipe for breakfast
- Go for a stroll across the neighborhood, with a pocket stuffed with Freshpet treats to reward their good habits
- Spend a devoted a part of your lunch break enjoying with their favourite toy
- Give them a Kong full of wholesome human meals, corresponding to carrots, to encourage some unbiased afternoon play by your workspace
- After work, spend a while working towards new tips and instructions, rewarding your pet’s progress with treats and reward
- Wrap up the day with an prolonged stroll or play session in order that they finish their day with some one-on-one time with you
Creating these little moments all through the day the place you possibly can bond together with your new pet is a good way that will help you type a robust relationship.
Embrace optimistic reinforcement coaching
Training shouldn’t be approached with a “end line” mindset. Instead, it must be considered a lifelong journey for you and your pet. Through optimistic reinforcement coaching, you and your canine will enhance the way you talk and cooperate with one another. Not solely will this strengthen your bond, however it is usually confirmed to extend your pet’s confidence and scale back their emotions of tension, particularly in new conditions. If you need to study extra about optimistic reinforcement coaching, we put collectively every thing it’s essential to know in one other weblog, right here.
If you’re nonetheless within the early phases of your adoption journey, we additionally suggest having a look at our recommendations on methods you can begin getting ready for the arrival of your new addition. And as all the time, when you’ve got extra concepts of the way to bond with a newly adopted pet, go away them within the feedback for different pet dad and mom to learn!
