At the present time, we are living in a world like none of us have ever had to experience before. With stay-at-home orders in place across the country due to the pandemic, our lives and the lives of our families and those we love are essentially frozen in time. We sit at home with our families and our loving pets and wait to hear what the next step in our journey is going to be, praying we will stay safe along the way.
Humans and animals weren’t designed to spend as much time indoors as we all have been lately. Logically, spending too much time indoors can cause boredom in humans and canines alike. This article is designed to give you a few ideas of some different activities you can participate in with your dog that will remedy his or her boredom, and just might take the edge off yours as well.
Walk The Doggie
Your precious pup needs daily exercise! For times when taking a walk outdoors just doesn’t feel right and you need to stay indoors, you can walk your dog on a treadmill.
Begin by allowing your dog to become comfortable with the sight and sound of a running treadmill. After this, place your dog on the treadmill, give him a treat, and then turn it on the lowest speed. Continue to give your dog treats, to keep him interested in participating. If you choose to use a leash to guide your dog, be sure to never tie it to the treadmill. Once your dog has gotten used to the lowest speed, you can turn it up a notch to really get his heart pumping. After repeating this just a few times, he will have spent some of that energy he didn’t know what to do with.
Create an Obstacle Course
Although dog obstacle courses generally are saved for the outdoors, it’s time to improvise, folks! Dog agility is a great way to bond with your dog, and have some fun while teaching him some tricks at the same time.
To get your dog to go through the course you have designed, it is important to reward them frequently for each desired behaviour that they perform, with a mixture of praise, toys and food.
In regards to the actual components of the obstacle course, you may already have some things hanging around you can use, such as a child’s play tunnel for example. Other objects you can pick up for very little cost, such as orange cones for the dog to weave in and out of. If you have a card table, it can be used as a “pause table”, which is a raised platform that your dog jumps up on and stays there for a bit before moving on. Get creative!
Hide and Seek
Why not give your canine companion some attention by playing hide and seek with him or her? Good for the body and the brain, even the laziest of dogs will enjoy a good game of hide and seek.
Begin by getting your dog’s attention with a favourite toy or good dog treats. Having someone else hold the dog at this point would be helpful. Next, call the dog’s name as you run away. When your dog finds you, make a big deal out of it by giving him lots of praise and a treat. Now, get the whole family involved by taking turns.
Fetch
Ah, the old tried and true game of fetch. Of course, fetch is better played outdoors, but it is also doable if you have a nice, long hallway that you can throw a favourite toy or tennis ball down.
Playing fetch is an excellent way to have fun with your pup, while exercising him at the same time. Hopefully, your dog is not new to the concept, and he will know to bring the object back to you when you throw it.
Experiment with different objects, to keep your dog’s interest alive, as some dogs are very particular about the toys they will play fetch with.
Dog Yoga
Do you enjoy practising yoga? If so, you have likely been doing it within the comforts of your own home lately. Did you know that you can include your dog in your yoga practice?
Termed as “Doga,” let’s take a minute to talk about what dog yoga is and is not. First of all, it doesn’t involve twisting your dog into pretzel-like positions. Your dog isn’t going to be following along with a majority of the postures that you are going to be doing.
However, what dog yoga does involve is a lot of canine to human bonding. Your dog will adore the stretching of his muscles, the gentle massage, and the calming energy that this activity will have. With regular yoga sessions, your dog’s flexibility will increase, right along with yours.
Not sure how to get started doing dog yoga? That is what YouTube is for! Check out what Doga is all about and if nothing more you can have a good laugh to break the monotony.
More Ideas
- Use this extra time indoors to work on obedience training with your dog.
- Play tug of war with your pup.
- Keep your dog busy and entertained with bully sticks, which can also improve your dog’s dental health!
- Pick up some treat puzzles for your dog to make mealtime more interesting.
It is a challenge for all of us to stay entertained at this time. Why not whip up some homemade doggie treats for your pup? He is sure to appreciate the extra effort. Here is a recipe for Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats.
We hope you enjoy spending time indoors with your dog today, and helping to take some of the edge off of their boredom!