11/20/2021
INCLEMENT WEATHER ACTIVITIES
When the weather outside has you and your pup stuck indoors, sometimes it can be difficult to keep him/her satisfied. If your dog is used to going for long walks, running and playing in the yard, going to the park or other fun outdoor activities, being cooped-up inside can be tough.
Now that the weather is preventing those activities, many of you have a wound-up buddy, bouncing off the walls, sometimes driving you (and him/her!) a little nuts.
Fear NOT! There is hope to tame your cabin fever fido!
Since I know many of you are struggling/will struggle with bad weather, I accumulated a list of indoor activities to help you satisfy your pup in the house.
Although your dog may be used to other outdoor activities, doing some of these things throughout the day can help take the edge off or even tire him/her MORE than a run outside.
Challenge your dog's physical and mental abilities, to tire him/her and give yourself some sanity, with these inside games and activities!
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OBEDIENCE PRACTICE
Practice a few sessions of random obedience commands with your pup around the house.
While you are folding laundry, call your dog and put him/her into a down/stay for a bit.
Walk into the next room for another chore, call him/her again and ask for a place command.
During a commercial break, have your dog practice a few commands—sit, come, down, place, heel, etc.—around the room, then go back to a little duration work or snuggling on the couch when your show returns.
HIDE & SEEK
This is such a fun game for the dogs AND humans involved and can have many twists. Your dog can find you, another family member, a favorite toy, some of their kibble or a treat.
Start with easy distances and difficulties (possibly even showing him/her that you are hiding something at first until he/she gets the idea).
Have your dog on leash so you can easily guide and control them at first.
Then pick a cue like "go find it" or "where is (name of person or toy)" and help lead him/her back to locate it a few times before challenging him/her to do it on his/her own. When he/she finds it, celebrate and throw him/her a party—praise and pet him/her, give him/her a treat or play with the toy for a minute or two before setting it up again.
Once your dog gets the hang of it, add some difficulty by placing it in tougher locations, farther away and offering them less "help".
You can add variety and impulse control to the game by also adding in obedience commands such as sit, down and place. Put your dog into a command and then go hide yourself. Then tell the other person to hide or hide the item your dog is trying to find before releasing him/her to "find it/them" or calling your dog to "come find me".
TRICKS
If your dog knows some fun tricks, have him/her go through and practice them all with a few short sessions throughout the day.
Bad weather is a perfect time to teach your dog NEW tricks they don't already know as well.
You can mix tricks with obedience as well to have your dog do more things in a session.
Check out some of the doggie trick apps available, trick training programs or even free YouTube video's to get ideas on new things to try or variations of tricks your dog already knows.
BODY AWARENESS
If your dog is a bit of a klutz, this can be a fun and practical one!
Pick a few simple items from around your home such as a step stool, tool box, bucket, chair...even your stairs can work for some fun.
Using your leash, treats and/or praise, practice having your dog try to put his/her paws onto the object (or multiple objects).
You can mix it up to challenge your dog to pay attention to his/her body control and different positions. Try front paws only, back paws, all four feet, one paw at a time (front, back, left, right).
A lot of dogs I know will charge up and down the stairs! Try putting their leash on and challenging them to slowly walk up the stairs one step at a time! It's easier said than done for many excitable pups. Add extra difficulty by trying to get your dog to walk backward up one or two steps.
Many dogs struggle separating and controlling individual feet or front vs. back and these can be a fun and challenging activities.
TUG & FETCH
Lots of energetic and playful dogs that are cooped-up right now from all the bad weather would love a game of tug-o-war or short distance fetch in the house.
You can add extra brain challenges and difficulty by incorporating obedience commands into your dog's games too!
Play for a few minutes, then interrupt the game for a few commands (sit, down, place) and then you can release your dog to go back to playing again and repeat a few times.
Adding in some command practice is great for impulse control and draining your dogs mentally, too.
TREADMILL
Use the treadmill when the weather outside is frightful for confidence building and challenging your dog to try a new thing.
It offers a nice way for him/her to get some extra exercise without taking on the unforgiving outdoors. Some dogs take easily to learning to walk on the treadmill and others take a bit more time. It offers not only a physical outlet for your dog, but can also be mentally tiring as he/she focuses on staying centered and going the right pace.
If your dog knows the treadmill and can use it, give him/her a little workout once or twice throughout the day mixed with other activities.
If your dog is not familiar or comfortable with the treadmill, introducing it can be a new challenging activity and help drain your dog's energy. A few sessions learning to maneuver the treadmill can often times be just as tiring for a novice dog as walking for ten minutes or so with a dog that knows the treadmill.
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There are so many things you can do with your dog when you get cooped-up indoors. Take advantage of some of the activities listed here and help your dog feel tired and satisfied, while giving yourself some peace and sanity from all that extra energy!
