"Don't worry, I am sure your dog loves you! But did you know that there are things you can do to help make time spent together even better? Interactions with people are an important part of dogs' welfare. From a scientific perspective, we can look at this through a model called the Five Domains (Mellor et al., 2020). Behavioral interactions with people, other animals, and the environment make up one of those five domains."
"Dogs form an attachment relationship to their guardian, kind of similar to the relationship between a child and their parent (albeit not identical, of course). This means that your presence can help your dog feel more reassured in a stressful situation, such as being at the vet. But this also comes with a responsibility to help your dog feel safe by avoiding putting them in a stressful situation in the first place, or getting them out of there as soon as you can."
Interactions with people are a core component of canine welfare and are represented within the Five Domains model. Positive interactions from the primary caregiver strongly influence a dog's mental health and day-to-day well-being. Guardians should help dogs feel safe by avoiding unnecessary stressors, watching for stress signals, and intervening when needed. Dogs benefit from opportunities to make choices and from varied engagement such as exercise, classes, and shared downtime. Rotating toys and using tasty training treats help maintain interest and provide mental stimulation. Veterinary visits and other known stressors should be managed with professional guidance when required.
Read at Psychology Today
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