Dogs get bored and restless when bad weather puts a stop to their daily walk or outdoor runaround. By combining indoors games with training, you can keep them entertained and make learning fun.
Stop (stay in one place)
1. Ask your dog to sit and reward them.
2. Try to take a step away and then back towards your dog. If they stay still give them a reward. If they move towards you, ask them to sit back down and try again.
3. Once your dog is staying still when you take one step back, try two or three steps away. Make sure each time you give your dog the rewards while they’re still sitting – if they start to stand up when you give the reward, try to be quicker and make them sit again before they get the reward.
4. Now your dog is staying still as you move away, start to add a command. Only do this once your dog is doing what you’d like 9/10 times or they’ll get confused! You can use a verbal cue (e.g., stop) and/or a physical cue (e.g., open palm).
From here, you can take the game as far as you’d like. Try moving further away, looking away from your dog or turning around. Just make sure you reward your dog for staying still, and that they’re having fun!
Snuffle roll
An easy game to keep your dog entertained, especially if they need to be rested.
1. Scatter a few treats or some food over an old towel or blanket.
2. Roll it up, making sure the treats don’t fall out the ends.
3. Allow your dog to sniff and snuffle the treats out of the towel.
Tunnel
You can make a really simple tunnel just using a cardboard box. This is a really useful trick for your dog to learn if they like to go into the undergrowth on their walks – once they learn how much fun it is to come to you at home it’ll be easier for them to leave their investigations when out and about!
1. Cut the flaps and base off a cardboard box that is big enough for your dog to go through.
2. Put the box on its side and let your dog explore the box.
3. Start to throw treats inside the entrance to encourage them to look inside.
4. Once they’re comfortable putting their face in, try throwing the treats further inside.
5. Start to call your dog through the tunnel until they are happy to go through on their own.
So while the weather outside’s not great, learning and having fun indoors with your dog will bring benefits to both of you.
Information provided by PDSA, the national pet charity. For details of their work visit www.pdsa.org.uk