Sometimes it’s just too dang hot out to do any serious exercising with your dog.
I normally recommend a walk every single day for most dogs, but with our changing climate and unbearably hot days, I still try to walk really early or in the evening (if it cools enough), but I know that’s not always possible or safe. So here are some ideas for you to do inside to mentally stimulate your wonderful dog and tire them out.
Get creative and resourceful it’s amazing what you can do with whatever you have at home
Make them work for their dinner and treats
· Feed them their dinner in frozen kongs, puzzle feeders, licki mats whatever you usually feed kibble, raw etc Scatter feed in a cool part of the garden or grass so they can search.
· Make it fun get your boxes, blankets, anything safe to hide their food or treats in in a big pile in the room (make sure its not expensive as they may try to destroy it to get to the food ….. all part of the fun) put in their food or treats and then let your dog spend ages using their nose and whole body to search and find the wonderful goodies
· Nose work games are one of the easiest ways to tire out your dog. When you teach your dog some basic nose work games – To play all you have to do is grab some treats and have your dog watch in a stay position as you place them around the room. Give your dog the cue to “find the treats” and encourage your dog to pick them up, remembering to praise them every time they find one. After your confident that your dog understands what “find the treats” means you can making it a bit more challenging. Have them stay in another room as you hide the treats, and start hiding them in spots they have to sniff out such as under a rug. Get plant pots and hide a treat under one of them and get your dog to go find… the reward is the wonderful treat.
· Play the the Shell Game - The shell game is a simple problem solving game for dogs. To play let your dog watch as you place a treat under one of three cups/pots whatever you have. You then shuffle them around and encourage them to ‘find the treat.’ The shell game gives your dog plenty of mental stimulation, and helps them work on their problem solving skills.
Shaping and teaching your dog to learn with 101 things to do with a box
This is a fun exercise to encourage your dog to problem solve and build confidence. Work at your dogs own pace.
· Put the box on the floor and mark any interest, movement towards or interaction with the box. Place your treats either near to or inside of the box. As the dog steps towards the box again mark (with a click or word) and reward, even if it is accidental movement and they are still eating the previous treat. At this stage there is a high rate of reinforcement connected to the box. Once the dog is happy at this stage you can reward in the box and then also back at your hand so the dog moves away from the box and can be rewarded for approaching it again.
You are not bribing, luring or cueing your dog to interact with the box simply letting them work it out that there is a positive association with moving towards or interacting with the box.
If your dog is nervous or unsure stay at this stage until he realises he can make you click and reward him for interaction with the box.
· Once we have a dog that is interested in the box we can start marking behaviours such as nosing the box, pushing the box, picking the box up, pawing the box, getting in the box... the list is endless. If your dog is a problem solver he may offer lots of different behaviours so you will need to be clear as to what you will click or not. Initially you will mark any or all behaviours. If your dog is more cautious at trying things out be clear to not just mark the exact same try each time but wait for a little more effort to build the behaviour. For example if they offer a gentle touch with a nose then gradually raise your criteria until they touch hard enough to move the box. Once you have a dog interacting clearly with the box we can shape multiple behaviours.
· Now we can shape specific behaviours such as getting in the box, picking the box up and carrying it, knocking the box over. Just make sure you know what criteria and what you want at the session. The list is endless. Can you think of 101 things to do with a box?!
Teach Your Dog to Clean Up His Toys
If your dog’s toys are kept in a container you can teach them to put their toys away. I know it sounds weird to teach your dog to clean up after themselves, but it’s actually a lot of fun. Teaching your dog new skills boosts their confidence, and it’s a great way to give them more mental stimulation.
· If your dog already knows “drop it” have them pick up a toy and give them their drop it command once they’re standing over the container. Praise them like crazy, then rinse and repeat. Eventually with consistency you’ll have a dog that will be able to clean up after himself.
Play a Game of Tug of War
· Playing a game of tug of war is one of the best ways to engage in meaningful play with our dogs. It’s a great way to mentally and physically exercise your dog. And since it doesn’t require a ton of room you can play it indoors.
· And contrary to what some people say playing tug will not make your dog aggressive, and letting them win will not make them dominant. Letting your dog win just makes the game more fun for your dog, and it will encourage them to play more. Dogs that play tug with their owners have been found to be more obedient and have higher confidence.
· Tug is a great way to exercise your dog as long as you have your dog follow a few basic rules such as “the game stops if your teeth touch my hand.”
· Don’t have a tug toy – make one from old towels/clothes from old socks scraps of material – you can just cut it up or knot and plat it. Nobody cares when it falls apart too.
· Play toy swap with 2 tugs so if your dog takes the first one away when they win have a party with the other one and your dog will come running back to play with you.
Teach Your Dog a New Trick
· Does your dog know how to weave through your legs and jump through a hoop? There’s always a new trick you can teach your dog, and trust me when I say teaching your dog how to weave through your lets is a lot easier than it sounds. Use a lure of a great treat in each hand and lure the dog under your leg. Reward often to start with for every little bit …. think of your leg being the centre of a clock start off rewarding for every 10 mins and as they get the hang of it increase the distance to 20min then 30 then for a complete rotation. Just have lots of fun
· Does your dog already know a bunch of tricks? One of the best things about trick training is that there’s always room to improvise and make it more challenging. Once your dog knows a bunch of tricks you can step it up a notch and combine their learned behaviours into brand new tricks.
Share your pics of the fun your having with us and your ideas for fun in the heat…
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