Are you the owner of a dog who is hard to get off the couch and encourage to move? Or maybe your four-legged friend destroys everything around and you have no more ideas on how to channel their excess energy? If so, below you will find some ways to spend time with your dog that will engage their muscles and mind, relieve tension, and strengthen your bond.
Method 1. Learning commands
Teaching commands is always a good idea. It not only effectively challenges the dog's mind and deepens the bond with the owner, but it is also helpful in everyday life. It is much easier to introduce new commands when the dog is familiar with the environment they are in, without distracting stimuli such as street noises or the scent of another dog. Therefore, time spent at home can be used to learn something new.
It’s worth starting with simple commands like “sit,” “lie down,” “stay.” If your dog has already mastered these, you can teach them to spin, roll over, or crawl. You can also practice recall, walking at heel, and many other useful skills. Instructions for teaching each command can easily be found online. However, it is important to remember that positive reinforcement should always be the foundation, meaning a reward for a job well done. Punishing the dog might bring faster results, but they are not lasting and certainly do not strengthen the bond between dog and owner.
Method 2. Scent mats and nosework
Another remedy for boredom at home is scent games. You can buy a scent mat for this purpose or make one yourself (a rubber doormat with holes and strips of fleece are enough). For creative owners, there are also plenty of toys to make yourself from plastic bottles, sock organizers, or ordinary cardboard boxes.
For dogs who enjoy sniffing, nosework is an excellent game. This activity originates from working dogs whose task is to find specific substances by scent. At home, you can use various spices (for safety, it’s better to use those that are not toxic to dogs). Nosework involves distinguishing scents. For example, the dog must choose the bowl under which a bag with cinnamon is hidden.
This is a fairly advanced level of scent games. The difficulty level of the game is adjusted individually. This type of activity has a huge advantage: working with the nose tires much more than running. So it will be perfect for puppies and adult dogs with excess energy.
Method 3. Tug toy play
If your dog has already mastered all the commands you can think of and you can’t interest them in sniffing, try playing with a tug toy. Almost all dogs love this kind of activity, regardless of age or gender. The game forces many muscles to work, including the jaw and back muscles. It’s a great opportunity to teach the “leave it” command. However, it’s important to play safely. Do not pull too hard or too high. The tug toy should be at the dog’s nose level or slightly lower.
You should also remember to end the game properly. You can use the commands “leave it” and “go to your place.” If the dog doesn’t know these yet, gently take the toy away and put it in a place inaccessible to them. The dog should be rewarded for calm reactions to these actions.
Method 4. Toys from nothing
If your dog is a “destroyer” type and this results in damage to furniture, try to provide an interesting alternative. The simplest form of a disposable toy to destroy is a toilet paper roll filled with treats and folded at both ends. To get to the food, the dog must first destroy the makeshift packaging. During play, make sure the dog does not eat the paper. You can also create more complicated constructions, for example from closable paper boxes. The only limit is the owner’s imagination. Remember that if you choose this form of play, you must be prepared to clean up the resulting mess. Hopefully, the sight of a happy dog will make up for it.
Don’t be discouraged if the methods mentioned above don’t work for your dog. Maybe they need less obvious entertainment? Through trial and error, you will surely find an activity that interests them. Or maybe dog fitness? Building your own obstacle course and exercising while overcoming it? Any form of spending time with your dog is good as long as it is safe and enjoyable for both of you. The most important thing is to try and find something that suits both you and your dog.
Tags:
