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A few extra minutes of daily play can strengthen your bond with your dog in four weeks

Owners in the play group reported stronger bonds and more positive behavior from their dogs after just four weeks, researchers said.

  • Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden found that increasing daily playtime significantly strengthens the emotional bond between owners and dogs, with a study of over 400 participants showing improvement in just four weeks.
  • Scientists divided owner-dog pairs into three groups tasked with playing, training with treats, or continuing normal behavior, with participants completing questionnaires before and after the one-month intervention to measure emotional connection.
  • Senior Associate Professor Lina Roth noted that "just throwing a ball isn't enough," recommending interactive games like tug-of-war, hide-and-seek, and rough and tumble to strengthen bonds through quality attention.
  • Owners in the play group reported their pets appeared to view them more positively and initiated play more frequently, while the training group showed no statistically significant improvement in emotional bond.
  • This "statistically significant causal relationship" suggests play is vital for relationship building, even with adult dogs, as Roth emphasized that play helps owners connect with rescue animals who missed early socialization windows.
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The Laconia Daily SunThe Laconia Daily Sun
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Want a closer bond with your dog? Study says play more

Researchers looked at whether there is a direct connection between play and a stronger emotional bond between owner and dog.

Watauga DemocratWatauga Democrat
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Want to be closer to your dog? Study says play more

Researchers looked at whether there is a direct connection between play and a stronger emotional bond between owner and dog.

·Calhoun, United States
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The emotional connection to his dog can be specifically improved in just four weeks. A current study shows that not only the practice of animals, but a different daily routine is crucial. This depends on the right way of interaction.

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Popular Science broke the news in United States on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
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