Indoor Doggy Fun & Games
Brrrr! We’ve been having a cold snap here in the San Francisco Bay Area and rain’s expected for the next several days. At times like this, exercising my dog Vinnie outdoors can be a pill. Vinnie is a wet weather wimp. He hates going out in the rain. He’d rather hold it for hours than venture out into a drizzle. We’ve tried putting him in a raincoat and enticing him with meatballs to no avail. I haven’t worked to resolve this as hard as I could have because I haven’t been very motivated. I can’t stand cold wet weather either.
Given our aversion to bad weather, trips to the dog park and hikes on rainy days aren’t an option. Vinnie very reluctantly steps out for a walk just long enough for him to relieve himself, than turns and drags me back home. In the moment I’m glad to head indoors. But unless I find ways to get him some indoor exercise – mental and physical – I know it won’t be long before I have a bundle of over-the-top doggy energy to deal with.
Vinnie can be extremely creative in finding ways to amuse himself. He’s been known to turn the living room into his own agility course, leaping over the couch, racing around the coffee table, and bounding from couch to chair and back again. He might suddenly find Ted our cat, irresistible and will try his darnedest to get Ted to run, sheep style, so Vinnie can give chase. Every passerby or noise outside might be cause for a bark fest, especially when I’m on the phone or deep in a piece of writing.
Making his own rainy day fun
Vin’s creativity on rainy days sparked my own. We now have a list of tried and true indoor activities to keep him busy when the weather isn’t cooperating. These are no substitute for outdoor walks or off-leash exercise but they do serve to burn some of his energy any day, rain or shine. That’s always a good thing!
Tug. No, tug won’t make your dog “aggressive,” and it won’t make him want to control you. There’s zero scientific evidence to support these myths. Tug is a great doggy energy burner, a wonderful opportunity to get in a little impulse control training, and best of all, tug is lots of fun. To build impulse control training into tug games, ask your dog to sit or do any other behavior for the reward of you offering the tug toy. (Watch for a longer post on safe smart tug play soon.)
Hide and seek. If your dog has learned to stay while you’re out of sight, and if he comes when you call him, combine the two behaviors into hide and seek games. Ask your dog to stay as you hide in another room or behind a large piece of furniture. Then call him to come. Reward him with lots of praise and a yummy treat when he finds you.
Even if your dog’s stays and recalls aren’t yet solid, you can play this game with your dog and other people. As one person distracts the dog, the other person hides and then calls the dog’s name in a happy upbeat voice. As the dog scurries to find the hider, the other person hides. As soon as the dog finds the first hidden person and claims his reward, the second person calls the dog’s name. In no time, your dog will be racing around the house to seek out hidden humans.
Train new tricks. Pick a trick, any trick, get a bag of treats and start training your dog! Just five minutes at time, several times a day, are a fun easy way to get that doggy brain churning. Teach your dog to retrieve an old credit card to the cue, “Let’s go shopping.” Teach him to take a bow or to weave through your legs. The sky’s the limit.
Rocket recalls. Get some treats your dog loves and at least one more person to play this game. Stand about 10-15 feet apart and take turns calling your dog to come. Reward him when he does. Gradually increase the distance between the people and work up to positioning the people in different rooms of your home. How fast can you get that canine rocket to run those recalls?
Food puzzle toys. There are all sorts of food puzzle toys on the market in which you can stuff food treats. Your dog has to use his brains and sometimes his brawn to get the food out. Kong and Premier Pet Products make great food puzzle toys. Vin’s new favorite is the Tricky Treat Ball. He goes positively bananas when he sees that thing, so much so we have to keep it hidden when not in use.
For added fun, try tying a food stuffed Kong in an old sock, or hiding the toy in a room so your dog can have the pleasure of hunting it down.
Early Recycling Fun
Recycling helper. I need to think of a better name for this one. My husband came up with it shortly after we adopted puppy Vinnie, who made it known on Day 1 that he had a thing for shredding cardboard and paper. Use old egg cartons, cereal boxes or any cardboard box. Make sure no wires or staples are attached to the box. Put a few treats or a food stuffed Kong into the cardboard container. Use masking tape to tape the box shut, then let your dog have at it. He’ll have some dissection fun, burn some energy, and your recycling items will be broken down quite conveniently.
Do you have some favorite indoor canine games? Please share them with us in a comment.