Don’t let one hour of exercise stop your dog from getting their enrichment and exercise needs met. It’s time the dogs did some home schooling!
With the limit of 1 hour to exercise and an 8mth old kelpie cross, I will admit that I feared for my furniture and my sanity. And then I remembered that as a vet who does post op physical rehabilitation on dogs. I design enrichment programs for dogs that can not leave their crate for hours on end. And during their recovery even if they can spend time out we need to keep excitement low which often means getting fit in the house before we can go on outside walks. With this in mind, I have brought my work home with me and the whole pack is having a blast.
Scatter feeding– I will walk around the backyard and sometimes the house scattering pieces of kibble (or peas for those who need fewer calories) that Toby has to search high and low for. Rather than feeding from a bowl twice a day Toby is getting the same amount of food but having to use his nose and brain to get it. A dogs nose is the equivalent of our sight. So you could say that this is me setting him multiple reading tasks during the day. He usually needs a nap!
Time to set up- 5min. Time spent searching- start off easy and hide lots of food in 2-3 locations which will take them 5 minutes. Slowly make it harder until you can hide individual kibble Pieces and have your dog spend an hr finding them all!
Variation– not a foodie? hide your dog’s favourite toys instead. I have been hiding Kongs with peanut butter, nylabones and rope toys. An added bonus is that they get slobbered on a lot less as it takes a bit more effort to get them out of the toy than it does to open a ziplock bag!
Toys– all I can say is more variety is better. If you use the same toys every single day your dog will become desensitized to them very quickly. Your dog doesn’t care if it is their favourite toy as long as it’s fun for them at that moment in time, which means they may not be interested anymore by tomorrow morning. So make sure you rotate through your dog’s toys so he never knows what exciting surprise he will find next time.
Tug– nothing is more fun than a good game of tug! If your dog doesn’t play tug then ignore this one. But if he LOVES to tug and you have an old towel or blanket that you don’t mind getting chewed through then get it out and wrap it around your waist while holding the ends in your hands. Keep both hands free for playing by keeping at least one hand behind your back so they can not take the toy from you. Practice short sessions until you feel comfortable with how to hold and handle the toy I like to play games where I will hide toys around my home and make him sit and stay before letting him “find it” He has to wait until I say, once he has found it then I will let him tug it back to me. This game has become so much fun that now every time we play Tug at home- his tail starts wagging and he can’t contain himself!
Brain games– Kongs are the most popular used as a brain game toy. You can fill them with anything from cream cheese to peanut butter or even frozen leftovers like rice, pasta etc. Hide them around your home for him to sniff out. Common sense applies here though- don’t give him something that is too hard or will take days to eat all up otherwise you know what happens… Little pieces of kibble (or peas for those who want fewer calories) scattered around the home, in old socks or in puzzle boards are also a fun way to keep your dog occupied.
Arts and crafts in the sandpit- let your dog dig it out – in a clamshell sandpit rather than your grass.
Free play– give your dog the empty pizza or take away containers (after making sure that any fatty foods or onion are removed). Let them rip it up and lick it outside. This is great for younger dogs who want to chew on things to guide them away from your couch.
Group play– after warming up (this is just as important for your per as it was when you were playing sports) with some sniffing play some tug of war or fetch. When playing fetch use a big soft toy that your pet can not swallow and is easy to pick up without having to break suddenly. Intersperse fetch with some chases with the human to give them a chance to catch their breath.
Formal training– work on a new trick like nodding and shaking their head. Spinning in a circle or paw shake. This is the perfect time to reach out to a trainer for some online loose lead walking lessons so your pet is ready physically and mentally to walk out of lockdown on their best behaviour when we are free again.
Skin Rolls – all pups love a good massage – skin rolls keeps the blood flowing
These activities take only a few minutes a day and are great for the human’s mental health as well!
Want to know about more activities you can do to help your dog thrive during lockdown? Head over to Primalpaws.com for toys, advice and chews to help your family come out of this stronger and ready to play.
About Primal Paws
We are passionate about improving the lives of your pets through clinical services, exercise, massage, games and therapies. At Your Home, Over Skype or in Person.
Dr. Jaime Jackson, BVSc, CCRT, is an Elite Fear Free Practitioner specialising in pre-emptive, post-operative recovery and injury. Open 9am -5pm Monday to Saturday, contact us on 0426 068 374. http://www.primalpaws.com
