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A dog needs to receive and give affection
The fact that the dog is a gregarious and social being, that requires a significant dose of interaction with other beings and that adapts to the rules of coexistence that living in a pack means makes it a great candidate to become the inseparable companion which is like a dog.
In the specific case of the Australian Cobberdog breed, its selection has been made seeking that these dogs have a special need to be with people and to please them, which makes them continually seek signs of affection. This is why showing affection and feeling part of the family is so important to this animal. Exclusion, rejection or simply ignoring it is one of the greatest punishments that the dog can receive, just like humans. This makes us very similar, humans and dogs, and shows us how the relationship we need to develop with our dog is so that it enjoys good mental health.
HOW TO SHOW YOUR DOG AFFECTION
GET TO KNOW HIM
Although Australian Cobberdogs may be aesthetically similar to each other, each dog is a unique individual. Your dog has a personality of its own. To get to know your best friend better, study his body language and try to understand the things he likes, the things that make him more tense and the things that give him the feeling of peace. Observe their postures in front of different stimuli from their environment and also when listening to your voice. This will allow you to know how to communicate better with him and develop a deeper relationship with him. Additionally, it will also help you quickly identify any changes in their appearance or behavior in case you urgently need to take the vet to take care of any abnormal observation and promote early diagnosis.TRAIN HIM
The education of a dog is a fundamental aspect of a physically and mentally healthy life. Dogs are very intelligent animals and have a lot of energy that must be channeled in order not to become tension and generate negative symptoms in their body. Educating him in training is the best exercise to stimulate the body and mind of your dog. On the other hand, socialisation is essential to teach them how to relate to people, other animals, their toys and to respect their own home.SPEND TIME WITH HIM
We know that our hectic routine with work and daily responsibilities does not always allow us to spend time with our dogs as much as we would like. But, although we cannot dedicate all the time that any Australian Cobberdog would want, what we can do is invest in quality moments with our best friend on our free time.RESPECT HIS NATURE
Many people confuse loving and caring for a pet with treating them like people or babies. We must understand that a dog is a dog and must be treated as such. When treating a dog as if it were a human being, we make a serious mistake, we stop respecting its nature and almost always fall into overprotection. Or, on the other hand, many owners scold their dogs for observing certain instinctive behaviors that are inherent in their canine nature. In these circumstances, they are not educating but repressing the personality of a dog. Learn to love your Australian Cobberdog for who he is, respecting his way of being and his own language.PET AND CARE FOR HIM
Petting and being affectionate with a dog is a clear and effective way to show the affection we feel, but we must understand that not all our demonstrations of affection are comfortable for our dog. Most dogs don't like it when we hug them, for example. In addition, it is important to have restraint when petting a dog so as not to overprotect them and favor possessive behaviors.How to pet your dog
Dogs, like us, use touch to express their affection and normally enjoy physical contact, but not in the same way as humans. For us, a big hug is normally comforting, for someone brings their face close to ours or that they caress our face. Dogs, on the other hand, when hugged may feel that they are being hunted by another aggressive dog or predator, and feel alarmed instead of loved. It may even give them the impression that they are being ridden, and therefore abusively dominated. On the other hand, although the dogs lick each other around the mouth as a sign of submission, bringing our face too close to theirs could provoke a negative response, which is why we must know how to make physical contact with our dog so that That show of affection is rewarding for both of you.
Although Australian Cobberdogs are very affectionate and love to receive intense petting, each dog is unique so it is interesting to pay attention to a dog's signs of stress when we pet him to see if he likes it. If they show signs of stress, such as licking or shaking after the show of affection, it means that the caresses we give them make them feel uncomfortable.
The best thing to do when petting a dog is to bend down and get down to its level, not lean over it as this could intimidate the dog. The areas they most like to be stroked are the ears (especially below), the neck and chest area, the rump area just before the tail and the belly. What they like least is that they touch him above the head (they see it intimidating), the tail and the plantar area. It is also important that when petting you are aware of the energy that you are transmitting to your dog, because if you pet him intensely and agitated, it is likely that you suggest an active and excited state of mind. However, if you pet him slowly and calmly, the result is more likely to be a calm and relaxed dog.
Below is an image that shows the areas where the dog enjoys the most when petted and those that he least likes to be touched: