Games
Most dogs love games and ‘Find the Toy’ will quickly become a favourite. Ask your dog to sit and stay (you might need someone to hold them initially). Make it easy for your dog at first, by allowing them to watch where you ‘hide’ a favourite toy, so they can easily retrieve it when you enthusiastically ask them to “find the toy!” Repeat these steps until your dog clearly understands the command. You can then gradually make the game more challenging by hiding the toy in different locations around your house. Remember to start with the toy being partly visible so it’s easy to find and, as your dog becomes more confident, hide the toy in more difficult places, such as behind doors and under cushions. A squeaky toy will help stimulate your dog’s interest and be sure to make the game exciting by encouraging them to run back to you with the toy when they’ve found it. Alternatively you can play ‘hide and seek’ with your dog by hiding yourself and encouraging the dog to find you.
Trick training
It’s fun having a dog that can do tricks and it can surprisingly easy to achieve. Always use hand signals and rewards and only attempt to teach only one trick at a time. Start off with something simple like ‘shake’ or ‘roll over’.
Toys
Dogs love all sorts of toys, particularly squeaky toys and chew toys. Interactive toys are designed to keep dogs entertained by dispensing food when moved in a particular way. Other simple toys can be filled with a small amount of food or peanut butter, or something the dog considers a tasty treat. Most dogs are happy to spend hours trying to get every last bit of food out of the toy. Make sure all toys are safe, especially if your dog is playing with them unsupervised.
Training
Get your dog focused with some indoor training. Not only will this stimulate your dog and keep them occupied, it will improve the dog’s response to your commands. Start off with the basic ‘sit’, ‘drop’ and ‘stay’. Then progress to ‘heeling’ your dog around the house, using food rewards and commands to guide them to walk exactly beside your left leg. Make some tight right hand turns so the dog has to move around quickly to stay alongside you. Then try some tight left hand turns where the dog will be almost stationary as you move around them. Keep training sessions short and sweet and you’ll be surprised how quickly your dog will respond.
Wintery weather is no excuse to let your dog become inactive. With a little creativity you’ll find that you can still give your dog the daily exercise they need, and it will be fun and rewarding for both of you.