Indoor Quality Time with your Dog

Quality Time during Bad Air Quality

What can you do with your pet when you are limited to indoor exercise and play?

Please try these at home!

1. Play a Game of Find The Treats

Nose work games are one of the easiest ways to tire out your dog. When you teach your dog some basic nose work games such as ‘find the treats’ you’re mentally tiring them out and helping them hone in on some of their natural skills. (chopped up carrots are my favorite treat to use for this game)

Grab some treats and have your dog watch 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.

2. Play the the Shell Game

The shell game is a simple problem solving game for dogs. To play the shell game with your dog let your dog watch as you place a treat under one of three cups. You then shuffle the cups 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.

3. Teach Your Dog The Names of Their Toys

Have you seen Chaser the Border Collie? She knows over 1,000 words and can pick out any given toy among 800 just by it’s name. We can’t all be overachievers like Chaser, but we can teach our dogs the names of their toys and make some fun games out of it.

Start by playing with one specific toy and giving it a name while you do. After some practice & praise your dog will assign that verbal name with the chosen toy. Once your dog has learned that specific toys name you can test their skills by seeing if they can pick it out among their other toys.

4. Teach Your Dog to “Go Find” Their Toys

Once your dog knows the names of some of their toys teach them the “go find it” game. Have your dogs toys in a pile or container and tell them to “go find” their favorite toy. As your dog gets better at this game you can make it more challenging by increasing the number of toys they have have to sift through.

Keep it fun for them by rewarding them handsomely with a treat or quick game of fetch when they succeed. This game will give your dog a great mental workout.

5. Play a Game of Hide & Seek

Playing a game of hide and seek is by far one of George’s favorite games. Hide and seek might not seem all that complex or entertaining to us, but a lot of dogs get a real kick out of it.

If your dog doesn’t have a good stay command you can ask a friend or family member to help by having them distract your dog as you go and hide (or you can practice your “stay” before you get started.

6. Make your own toys and treat dispensers

Check out home made games and ideas from the ASPCA.

7. Create a video showing how you and your family are playing indoors and share it!

Do you have a great idea for play to share with George & Friends? Post a video or comments on our Facebook for everyone to enjoy!

Learn about the signs of smoke irritation in your dog by reading this article, “Signs of Smoke Irritation in your Pet”