We’re living through strange times and concerns for your pet, and how you’ll be able to keep them exercised and happy, are likely to be popping into your mind.
It’s important to remember that, as things stand, there are restrictions on going out that allow you to only leave your home once per day for exercise (the advice is different if you’re isolating with symptoms of the coronavirus). It is mandatory to remain two meters away from people outside of the household and to avoid travelling unnecessarily
So, alongside trying to spend some time walking in the park or running in the garden, what else can you do to keep your dog happy and entertained?
What is exercise?
Contrary to popular belief, exercise is more than just physical activity – this goes for dogs and humans alike! So, what do I mean by exercise?
When trying to adapt remember S.P.I.C.E:
Social:
Dogs are social creatures. They crave interaction with others and it's important for dogs to have the right opportunities to exercise their social skills, develop confidence and maintain wellbeing. Through positive interactions dogs develops the resilience and coping mechanisms needed for life.
Physical:
All dogs need physical exercise in order to keep their bodies and minds fit and healthy.
Intellectual:
For your dog to be comfortable in their environment, they must first understand it. Training isn't just something that happens at the beginning of a dog's life. They need constant reinforcement in order to learn and maintain the skills they need to cope with everyday life.
Communication:
You and your dog need to exercise and reinforce the ways you communicate with one another, to ensure that you have a positive life together. Although dogs have a limited number of ways to interact, they can communicate a variety of complex needs. The right environment and direction helps you and your dog to learn polite and effective communication skills.
Emotional:
Dogs have feelings too! They’re better behaved, calmer and more relaxed when they feel confident, safe and secure. Aiding the development of resilience and confidence are important parts of any activity.
Different dogs require different levels of support and stimulation so it’s important to track how your pet responds to different activities as well as researching breed specific needs and preferences.
What can you do?
There are lots of resources available to teach you how to support your dog’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Many of the games and activities can easily be done in the home or garden. Here are a few examples…
An important note: you should always gear any activities toward your dog ‘winning’, they will be more engaged with the activity if it is more rewarding. Whilst at the same time you should be gradually adapting the difficulty to keep it interesting.
Practice Basic Commands:
‘Sit’, ‘Stop’, ‘Stay’, ‘Leave’, ‘Fetch’. When life is busy it can be easy to forget to practice these simple commands with your dog. Many people think that once their puppy has completed basic training, that’s it. But it’s not! By working on these basic commands, you not only improve behaviour but the overall relationship with your dog and you will have lots of opportunity to give your dog some praise for completing them.
Hide & Seek:
Hiding treats and encouraging your dog to find them is great stimulation for their senses as well as a good distraction from the ‘boredom’ of being stuck inside. Start easy by getting your dog’s attention, asking them to sit and stay, hold a treat or toy and allow them to watch you hide it. Release them to search for it, repeating and reinforcing the ‘Find It’ command. Once this command is established, you can hide treats or toys around the room and encourage pup to find them.
Agility/Obstacle Course:
This can be done inside or outside. Create different agility tasks – climbing over/crawling under/weaving/going through hoops/tunnels etc – and work with your dog to understand and achieve each one individually. Once they’ve got the individual tasks, create a course for them to complete.
An important note: safety should always be considered when trying new activities, ensure that any equipment, objects, toys or treats are suitable for use and your dog, check that size and strength are appropriate for anything your dog is climbing over, under or on . Always limit high impact activities like running and jumping based on your dog’s size, age and physique.
Play Box:
Fill a box with shredded paper or strips of fabric. Hide your dogs favourite toy or scatter some dry treats in among them. As with the other games, start simple and offer lots of praise when they find the treat. Once they understand the premise, make it harder, offering more stimulation and longer periods of play.
Bungee:
Fill a kong or plastic bottle with treats and attach it with a bungee cord to the washing line. Encourage your dog to retrieve the treats. The elastic cord allows it to bounce, making it harder to catch and scattering the treats. Again, this is a great game for mental and physical wellbeing.
Being stuck in your home doesn’t mean your dog has to suffer from a lack of stimulation or exercise. In fact, you may find you have more time than usual to concentrate on training, and now is the time to do the incredibly important work of providing your dog with emotional, physical and social exercise.
How can we help?
Are you still feeling anxious about your dog getting their usual walk?
Do you have a particularly high energy dog who needs to run?
Do you live somewhere without a suitable outdoor space?
Give us a call on 07450 782561 or email bigpetservices@gmail.com
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