Rain, Rain, Go Away!
Well, it has been a repeat of last May with constant raining. Hard for the dogs that are used to a lot of outdoor activities! Made me peel back the layers of the old onion and really "think" about some indoor activities. Nobody minds a little soft rain, but the big boomers with lightning are just a little too dangerous!
What's on the menu....okay, when we can only go outside for a quick potty break, energy builds up with the young GWP's I have here....now with four under the age of two years...with two of the four just under a year, I have really had to pull out my old kong recipes and jazz it up a little.
You can google Kong Recipes and find many sites, I like this one
New Kong Recipes
or
Nutritional Kong Recipes
The mental stimulation of the kong after a game of hide the treat allows the dogs to relax and become a little more tolerant of the rainy day.
Indoor Games
One of the best indoor games I have found is Hide the Treat! I use little pieces of treats, and hide them throughout the house. I engage the nose and ask one of my furkids to "find". They catch on quickly, and have a really good time tracking the treats down.
Hide and Seek
Hide and seek requires the same idea> Hide and call your dog....see how quickly they can find you and praise them.
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.
Indoor agility
We purchased a very inexpensive agility kit.
We move the furniture, set up the tunnel....get the treats and practice!
Treadmill Training
We rely heavily on the treadmill during the rainly times. Odie has mastered the treadmill off leash, and is quite funny to watch him running along, rolling off and once again jumping on. He loves it! We start slow...onleash with a stuffed kong they can lick as they focus more on the kong than the treadmill!
Team Recall
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.
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. The new Kong food dispenser can allow your dog to roll the kong and dispense the kibble.
There are several food puzzle toys on the market just now...
check out these puzzle toys from one of our Sponsors-
SitStay.com
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.
Well...the rain is setting in...time to batten down the hatches! Til the next time...have "fun" with your Dog!
