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19/01/2025
*Cold Weather Boredom Busters*
Hopefully some of these ideas will help you and your dog get through those days when it's too cold (or hot) outside.
All are intended to be easy for you. Quick (5 minutes) but as frequent as possible sessions of whatever are almost always better than one long session of activity.
*My go to are frozen kong type toys.*
BUT... I strongly suggest you do NOT stuff with peanut butter. That's a lot of fat and frankly it's expensive.
I will take regular kibble from a brand I trust but in a different protein than the dog's meal and I'll let a few cups of it sit in water for an hour or so. Mash it up and stuff the kongs then toss them into a zip bag into the freezer.
You could also use yogurt, have a thick slice of carrot or blanched green bean sticking out the top (a light very quick blanch of veg makes them easier to digest, remember that prefrozen veg is almost always already blanched before packaging), dry kibble mixed with the mash, etc...
You can do the same freezing method with licki mats.
Do be aware that if the mash is too wet it might make carpets iky while the dog works on it. This is rarely an issue for me but there is a fair amount of slobber left on the floor YUCK so be ready to wipe that up.
*Another super duper favorite of mine is the ball pit.*
Tossing kibble into a pool of balls or bottles.
If you don't have a baby pool, just use a wide but not too tall box filled with empty water bottles. It doesn't have to be huge.
If your dog tends to play with the bottles, remember to take off the labels and caps and the extra little plastic thing that remains after you take off the cap.
This is the cheapest form of entertainment and is fantastic for dogs who are environmentally sensitive (skittish) and great for bravery in puppies.
*Play the Two Bowl Game*
(If you haven't learned this yet, you will in one of your lessons)
Remember this does not have to be done in a big area. The "cone" can be a garbage can or a chair or anything but try hard to use the same item each time you play this game.
Most importantly, as you play this, remember you are looking for the dog to make the decision but don't let him stop moving for too long (a few heartbeats). You want to create a quick pattern and look for decision making. Remember to LOWER THE CRITERIA if he makes a mistake.
*If you have a treadmill in your home, use it with your dog.*
No running or galloping, just a brisk walk or a slow trot.
We have used a full sized treadmill for years but it takes up a huge footprint in my small house. So this past year I bought a "pad" treadmill which was not a big expense and I love it! It's too small for me to use it WITH the dogs but it's still a very good boredom buster for them.
*Practice just for a few minutes, small easy things like targeting boop, nose, paw, chin, etc*
Raise the criteria when the action is reliable and ask them to target other items. Make your sessions short.
*Practice the It's Yer Choice game*
(The one where you hold food in your closed fist, while dog makes the good decision ON HIS OWN to stop nudging at you)
Most important to remember it's about the dog making the decision, not you telling him to "leave it" or "stop".
You are building on his own inner SELF control. Raise the criteria by expecting him to look at your face as he practices patience for that treat in your hand.
This will also reinforce your marker word value.
*On your television, search YouTube for videos that are meant to entertain dogs or cats.*
They are usually just long shots of birds and little critters, but frankly I find myself watching the funny cat videos along with my dog.
You can fall down a seriously perilous rabbit hole with those videos!
*Staircase fetch*
If you have a staircase, toss a tennis ball up or down the staircase letting your dog fetch it back to you. This can be an intense workout so proceed with caution especially for elderly dogs. Let him chase it or raise the criteria a bit by incorporating a "wait" "get that" "bring it to me" thing.
*I'm not a huge fan of hiding treats around the house* for the dog to find (I never do this) but it's an option that a lot of folks like. If you like it, do it!!
*We do have a couple of newer videos on your YouTube channel* (yes I'm still aiming to get an It's Yer Choice" video done LoL)
https://www.youtube.com//videos
*Lastly if you are so inclined, please leave us a Google review.* Honestly there is nothing other than word of mouth that helps us more as a small family owned business than Google reviews especially since we do no active advertising. The link is below my signature line in this email.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to those of you who have already left us a review!
Happy New Year!! Sending warm wishes to all our FoxGem friends!
Kind regards,
Terri Vaira
FoxGem Dogs LLC
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