Fall is a beautiful season, and winter weather follows in the not too distant future. Many people do not know what to do to keep their dogs active when conditions are not great to do outdoor activities. Luckily, there are things we can do with our dog when stuck inside.
Flirt Poles"Do it yourself" flirt poles are an option. After playing with that for awhile, I found a pole that fits my needs by Squishy Face. Flirt poles are generally made of the pole portion, a bungee cord, and a lure (enticing chase item) at the end of the bungee cord. You don't need that much space to use one. There are many training and playing options for use with the flirt pole. | |
Tug with Toy or TugTugs can be cheap dog toys for the puppies with soft mouths. Tugs can also be quite tough pieces of equipment that you can buy through dog equipment suppliers, like Leerburg. You can play a very vigorous game with an adult dog that will not only exercise them, but you as well. | |
Hide and Seek with Toys, Food, or Owner HidingFind a toy, food, or yourself for your dog to find. If your dog does not have a stay command, you may need a partner for the dog to find you (to open up the crate or room door when time). Start easy at first so your dog realizes what the game is. Then make it progressively harder as your dog gets better. If you have a stay command, this is useful when you hid the item. Alternately though, you can close your dog in a crate or a room while you hide something, and then let them out to find it. | |
Nose WorkThe video here is of me and Leon in a nose-work class. This is easy to practice in a small room. It takes boxes, one box is marked (so as not to contaminate it with smells), a small dog dish (can also help with not contaminating the boxes, treats, and your dog on a leash. The most difficult part can be for your dog to put their head in the box if they are timid. So this is a great game for fearful timid dogs to build more confidence. The owner let's their dog investigate and find (and eat) the treat to begin. This can become more involved if you both get really into it. | |
Trick TrainingOur dog, Ziggy, is featured in this video. He was taught these tricks with treat luring. His body had no trouble standing, which I mention because not all dog body types will be able to do this. The tricks that you can teach your dog are endless. If you need ideas, Kyra Sundance has very popular dog trick books, and some have been made with kids in mind. | |
In Door Ball Wall and TipsIf you play ball on drywall, there are balls that are much better for that so that you do not dent the drywall. This chuck it ball [linked] is one of them, but also chuck it rubber balls are also good. If you have the Kong hard rubber balls though, you will want a hard (dent proof) surface to throw the ball at. In the video, the ball is going against a plywood reinforced wall. My cellar walls and garage walls also fit the bill for this game. If your dog does not have a retrieve command, you can do this with them on a long line to teach them to bring the ball back. Of course there is always the option of getting the ball for them as well, once they drop it. | |
INDOOR OBSTACLE COURSEThis video comes to you from Holly Obee. Check out Holly Obee's channel. I do not have a video of me doing this. I do usually use furniture I do not care about to play with the dogs up, around, over, and launching off of some times. Dogs love spending time with their owners and learning new things. Your imagination will help you invent ideas. Just always keep your dog's safety in mind when doing this. They will not trust you if something falls apart or collapses under them. | |
RSS Feed