It takes a significant amount of time before your relationship with your puppy blossoms into something very strong. A great bond between you and your puppy is a beautiful thing to have. But this bond doesn’t become as strong as you want it to be immediately.
You will need to take care of your puppy with intent in order to earn that trust. Feed them the right food. Train them physically mentally and love them unconditionally. If you are able to provide these to your dog, the bond between the two of you will blossom.
But there will be times that you are still not sure if your relationship with your puppy is already strong enough. Here are a few signs to tell if your dog already trusts you enough.
1. Your puppy is looking at you directly in the eyes
There’s a famous quote that states: Eyes are the windows to the soul. That can never be truer than when you are still developing your relationship with your puppy.
If your puppy has been regularly looking in your eyes directly, that might be a good sign that they already trust you. Looking at somebody else’s eyes means that focus is given to the other individual.
Dogs typically look at other dog’s eyes to assert a form of dominance or to give out a threat. This is the reason why other wolves in a pack do not usually lock eyes with the alpha male.
But you are different, you aren’t a dog, you’re a person, their owner. If your dog is looking at you without any sign of being aggressive, that’s a sign that he has been domesticated and is now integrating himself into your family.
2. Your puppy is relaxed when he’s with you
You will notice that during the time that you have just gotten your puppy, they will act as if they’re really anxious or scared. Being in a new place that they’re familiar with raises a dog’s defensive senses to avoid danger.
But when you have already established that you aren’t a threat to them and that you can be trusted as their new owner, the anxiety and fear of your puppy will start to fade away. They will start to become more confident and relaxed when they are around you.
Your puppy’s body language will be apparent if he already trusts you. Their ears will stand up more often, their posture will become more open and straight, and their tail will uncontrollably wag as soon as they see you.
3. It’s easy to make him follow you when you are training
When you start puppy training, you will immediately notice that your dog won’t follow most of your commands. This is because you still don’t have your puppy’s trust.
But once you make the effort and your dog starts to trust you, puppy training will be much easier. They will respond better to commands and will be more comfortable during training.
