Too cold to do more than shiver, while your loyal canine does their duty?
Are you and the dog wearing all your clothes and then some; just to get your daily constitutional accomplished?
Mental exercise for dogs has been shown to reduce those unwanted behaviours of whining, pawing, household destruction and other problems.
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| Dora and Jiggs come up with their own idea of indoor fun! |
Physical exercise is obviously a must; for a truly well-balanced pet -- but when it's 24'F (feeling like 12'F), the more you can do to entertain your dog indoors; the better off you will both be.
Lets go through some ideas -- for some of the suggestions; you will need to acknowledge your dog's physical health (e.g. no jumping for bad hips), but do what you can; we hopefully have provided enough variety that everyone can play along!
Make sure everyone has pottied, comfortable and away we go!
take an obedience class -- yup, seriously -- someone else's property, usually designed for dogs (so no coffee tables in the way, or winter boots piled up to trip on), other dogs to either interact with (friendly dogs only please) or ignore (the rest of us) + you and your dog learn new tricks (no, you are not too old, neither is your hound!)
catch up on your grooming -- Bath needed? Do you have a long haired dog that takes forever to dry ~ teach them to accept the hair dryer -- cold setting please; or keep your hand between the hair dryer and their fur. Younger dog that is a fool in the bathtub? Set aside some time, get those treats and help them learn to stand quietly, under the shower, while the tub fills with water, while having their face washed, etc. Toenails a bit long? Find your clippers (btw if they seem really rusted and dull; go out and buy a new set -- don't traumatize the dog by mangling their toenails), or get out your Dremel. Teach your dog to accept toenails being clipped or dremelled. Lots of good, stinky, high value treats and if it takes 3 packages of hot dogs to desensitize and trim one foot; que sera sera. Do it again tomorrow; with 3 more packages and 1 more foot. Excellent Dremel link here;
Dober Dawn Dremelling Dog Toe Nails.
play Hotter/Colder, Find It or Hide and Seek -- high drive dogs love this, low drive dogs will generally play Hide and Seek (Hide and Seek is good for children too). Hotter/colder is played just as it is for humans; with a little twist -- I use it for my Rat Terrier when he comes up and smashes his toy against my leg. First I wrestle the toy from his yap (use whatever method works best for you and your dog -- we think tug games are kinda fun), then I flip a blanket over his head (your low drive/slower dog will be baffled -- just let them see you throw/hide the toy), then I chuck his stinky torn-up stuffie into a corner or some other hidey-hole. Then I let him loose and ask him (use your chirpy-high-pitched happy voice) Where is it? Where's your toy? Off he leaps to find his toy. If he's close to the hiding spot (should be a fairly obvious spot for those lower drive dogs) then I say Warm - good dog - warm (depending on proximity) in my sweetest, butter couldn't melt in my mouth; he's the best dog in the world voice, if he's completely away from the toy, a little lower pitched, not so happy (but not a correcting voice) Cold, No, No Colder. If they are on top of the toy and you get very excited and good dog/hotter/hotter them too much; they sometimes come back to you, just move yourself towards the toy and start voice rewarding again when they are searching the right area -- clicker trainers just click for hot (but associate the word; 'cause it's kind of a neat trick to show off), use whatever negative for cold. Most dogs get the idea of Hotter/Colder pretty quick. Find It is pretty easy too. Grab either a favourite stinky (they will eventually use their nose) possession or a few pieces of food (works really well for lower drive dogs). For the first few times, have them sit at the end of the room (you can work on some sit stays) while you obviously and in their view -- go to the end of the room and place the toy/food on top of a flat surface. Go back to them and tell them Find It (be careful of your command depending on what you will show/train in the future -- can be a bugger to untrain). Your dog will run to the toy/food and either return with it to play some more (cause that was pretty boring) or eat the food and come back for more treats. Yay them; lots of pets and good dogs. Sit them again/ or down them; whatever is easiest for them to wait (games are no fun if Mom is always nagging about down/down/sit/sit); take the toy/food and again make it an obvious "hide". Do that a couple times until you figure your doggers gets it (don't worry too much about how many times; you can always go backwards with this game and make it easier if they stop being able to find the toy/food. Start to make it more difficult -- put it slightly out of their sight (behind the edge of a chair/sofa), put it up a little higher, or between some books or behind a box, you should be able to move into hiding it obviously in another room, then hidden in another room, nice easy game to play. Hide and Seek is fun; fun for dogs, fun for kids. If you think your dog needs the extra incentive, have the kids hide with a cookie; otherwise the rewards is in finding their kids (you can hide too; just have the kids hold the dog; or keep them behind a bedroom door until you yell Ready) First few hides, make it easy for the dog, you hold the dog in one room, and tell the kids to go hide behind a piece of furniture; just sit/stand there. While waiting with the dog; have them sit/stand/down -- whatever is a good command for them; and count out loud for the dog's sake. (tell the kids they get 10 seconds) Position the dog beside you; yell READY OR NOT HERE WE COME and in as excited a voice as you can possibly muster -- get your dog going "Where's the kids, where are they? Where's Billy, where's Susie? (I suggest using your kid's names; could be very confusing for all players) Most dogs are cognizant of family names; this is a good association. Start walking through the house, peering into possible hidey-holes; most dogs think this is the best game and will avidly search (for what they don't know -- but they will peer with you into the hiding spots), if you don't find the kids; say NOT HERE; and keep going. Have a good ole time when you do find the kids and make it just the gosh-darndest happiest occasion ever! Once everyone has settled down; do it over again. Once your dog starts leaving you behind to go seek his kids; then we up the ante. Now the kids can hide a bit better; maybe in the bathtub, behind a curtain; in the closet; somewhere not so obvious (not in areas where the dog isn't supposed to be (cat room) or where they aren't so happy~bathtub). Now if your dog is searching and having a hard time; the kids help -- you are the spotter for the dog; if she is searching and just not hitting on the hidey holes -- yell out for the kids to call the dog's name, give the dog a chance to puzzle it out; still not in the right area; have the kids call again and so on. Neat game and most family dogs love it.
- Quiet games for quiet dogs (or just to settle down). You can play the Cup/Bowl game -- have the dog pick the bowl the cookie is under (use bowls that you don't mind being drooled all over or pawed and set the game up far enough apart that the dog doesn't knock all of them over. Play Which Hand is it In? Same idea; have the dog indicate which hand holds the cookie. Teach "Shake a Paw -- easiest thing in the world to teach btw). Teach "Over", a jump. Teach "Through/tunnel/ring" -- if you have a hula hoop, awesome.
Be creative, have fun, be positive -- this is not the time to correct your dog (unless he's having a melt-down -- then I'd suggest a time out (room/crate/outside) and try again in a few minutes. After playing a few games; most dogs will settle down and quietly nap; -- you have your solitaire or Bejeweled; they want something fun too.
