How to Bond with Your Pets

Bonding with your pets is an essential component of your relationship with them. The closer the connection you share, the happier your pets will be and the more you'll get out of your friendship with your dog or cat.

1. Start early. Begin the bonding process as soon as you welcome your new animal into your home. Some animals will be frightened when they're introduced to a new environment, so don't dive straight into cuddling and rough-housing if you new family member runs to hide under the couch the minute she steps out of her crate. (Take your cues from your new pet. If your puppy is bouncing around and trying to climb onto your lap, then by all means bring on the cuddle monster within!) 
• If your new friend is scared when she comes home, sit nearby and speak to her gently. Use non-threatening, open, easy-going body language and make sure not to make any sudden movements or loud noises. (Now is not the time to sneeze!) Tell her how much fun she's going to have with you and how nice she's going to find her new home. She might not understand your human language, but she'll appreciate the effort you're taking to try to comfort her and will eventually warm up to you and stop being so afraid. This also helps her get used to your scent, so try to make sure you're wearing nothing but eau naturel during this process. 
• If you've got a hyper little bundle of joy on your hands, go ahead and play! Just make sure you don't hurt the little fellow. Puppies think they're tough, but we all know they're not. 
• If your new friend is mildly shy, sit by his side and carefully and gently pet him. Learn the spots he likes best, and speak softly to him just like you would in the first example. Offer him a toy, some treats, some food, and some water as well. 
2. Play with them! The vast majority of animals enjoy playing, and it keeps them healthy as well. Some dogs like to go for runs (don't adopt an active breed if you yourself are a couch potato!) while others would prefer a nice game of living-room tug of war. Make sure you let your baby win every once in a while. You might be stronger, but your dog's feelings might be hurt if you feel the need to prove that with every single game, and worse, he might lose interest in playing! Make sure your cat has lots of interesting things to play with. Some toy mouses, crinkly toys, things that shake and make interesting noises, toys with fun textures, cat towers, scratching boards, and the like can all be part of your toy box. My cat is mostly a solitary player, but I still have a colorful piece of felt on a pole for when he feels like playing with me, and he can usually be enticed into playing if I toss him a mouse or two. In a pitch (i.e. when your kitty has succeeded in losing every one of his toys under the couch), crinkle up a piece of paper and let him bat it around. My little one loves Post-It's in particular. 
3. Pet them! My dogs would sit around and let me pet them all day long. Obviously, I don't have the time for that, but I try to get in some quality pets whenever I can. My cat, on the other hand, has to be in the mood for a cuddle, so I try to take advantage of it whenever it happens and pet him as much as possible until he starts giving me the Stop or Die eyes. 
4. Talk to them. They might not understand much, but they're great listeners. 
5. Give them (healthy) treats. Some chicken broth thrown into their kibble once or twice a month is a great treat, as is a spoonful or two of yoghurt every once in a while. Just try not to spoil them too much, especially if they're overweight.