No one really talks about where to start when you’re trying to build a long-lasting relationship with a dog.
Everyone talks about training. Commands. Obedience.
But not the beginning.
This is where me and Mwaki started.
I’ll be honest—I expected stress.
A new environment, new person, new routine… I was preparing for full on overwhelm.
Instead, Mwaki surprised me from the moment I picked him up.
He came home in the boot of my car (as his crate didn’t fit), it was a 30min drive, and he was just taking everything in.
Before even going inside, we went on a slow 2-hour circuit around my area.
No pressure. No expectations.
Just letting him:
– take in the smells
– understand the environment
– and most importantly, start learning the way home
When we got back, I introduced a simple structure.
Straight into the bath (just his paws)… and that’s when I learned this guy loves water.
Playing in it, chomping at it—completely relaxed and playful.
Then came the first real challenge.
I tethered him while I set up his space.
This part was hard for him.
And this is where i believe most people struggle.
Freedom without control fuels anxiety. For the first week in the house, Mwaki has been on lead supervised or tethered/crated.
He must learn fast how to appropriately use his downtime to relax.
I didn’t.
I needed to see:
👉 Can he settle?
👉 Can he observe without constant input?
It took about 20 minutes.
The moment I re-engaged, he got overwhelmed—jumping up, even trying to hump.
So I stepped away again.
That moment told me a lot:
He doesn’t struggle with being alone…
He struggles with pressure and information when he’s not ready.
i also noticed very quickly that tethering also gave him a lot of practice on how to turn off leash pressure and not to continuously pull into it.
From day one, every walk had intention.
Long line work.
Leash pressure.
Teaching him that pressure doesn’t mean panic—it means check back in.
We kept it simple:
– recall into a lured heel
– short moments of engagement
– then back to freedom
No rushing into conflict down the lead. Just calm clarity.
That same evening, I took him to a structured training session.
Everything on lead. Controlled. Observed.
I didn’t go there to “socialise” him.
I went to learn about him.
At a distance, he was calm, curious, and engaged with me.
Up close, I noticed something important:
He’s not a fan of people speaking with him directly.
Again—information to work with, not a problem.
That night, he had his first raw meal—hand-fed.
Green tripe (which he loved), and we used it to build value in coming back into heel from different angles.
Then came the crate.
He went in with no hesitation, but when I turned the light off, he barked for about 5 minutes…
and then slept right through the night.
Honestly?
I kept waiting for something to go wrong.
But what I started to realise is this:
Mwaki is “easy”…
because I understand clearly what he needs.
This first week hasn’t been about getting everything right.
It’s been about:
– structure showing him that I’m a reliable, safe resource
– observation and understanding new boundaries
– and controlled exposure
He’s already:
– building a relationship with a dog near where I live (fully supervised)
– improving his engagement outdoors
– starting to understand leash pressure
Even small things—like food—have been a process.
At first, he wouldn’t take food outside at all.
Now, he’s pushing to do more every day.
Of course, there are things we’re working on.
His cherry eye means we’re introducing cooperative care (eye drops will be a journey).
His diet change gave him a few soggy poo days—but he’s now settled and doing well.
But more than anything, this week reminded me of something I already knew:
You don’t build a relationship with a dog by rushing freedom and giving them everything with easy access.
You build it by:
watching, listening, and understanding how you need to behave to help them.
This is just the beginning.
I’m going to document everything—the good, the messy, and the real.
Because I’m not trying to create a “perfect dog.”
I’m building a reliable relationship with a canine.
