Puppy bonding tips!?

That's great to hear that Tarra & Shay have bonded!

Do things with the puppy without the others around. Go into a room or a bathroom and start playing or petting or doing simple training like sit and come. Lots of praise! Do things with both during a quiet time like sit with both and pet one with each hand so that the pup realizes the human is above both dogs in the ranking.

My Shay was 1000% bonded to the old Aussie who raised him, yet he couldn't be tighter bonded to my husband and me.

Remember, she's very very very little and right now she has a substitute for momma and siblings with the other dog. In time, as her brain develops she will understand more about the family and everyone in it.

 

The book Buildingblocks for performance would tell you to keep your puppy away from the other dogs for awhile, alowing only short, supervised play with another dog after you had play time together. It makes a point to say the human should be the fun one most of the time.

Not everyone would want to raise a puppy this way-- some want the dogs to be bonded to each other, so it just depends what you are looking for.

 

Agreed. A puppy will look to others for direction and affection, if you give it love and food it will come around and recognize you as a good thing in its life and respond in kind....

 

I think some of the best bonding moments are when you do a little one-on-one training. When she's this young, you can just do little recalls or try to get her to sit. Keep it short and sweet, so her attention stays only on you. Take her on little potty breaks or walks with just you. Also, I think shelties really bond with those who bring them food .