The Crazy Dogs of Winter
We wrote in a Twitter/Facebook post last week that our cocker spaniel Leaf is going bonkers with all this cold weather. He likes snow but below-zero temperatures make it too frigid for us to walk him for a long time. So he's not getting enough exercise.
We take him for a couple hours to doggie daycare, but that can be expensive if we do it too often. So we asked people what they do. Here are some of their responses. They may help those of you who are coping with the winter crazies.
Mary T.: I have just trained my dear darling beagle on the treadmill. She happily sits and waits for me to put her collar on and then trots for 20-30 minutes. Has made ALL the difference this winter!!!
Richard O: Live in Vermont with 3+ feet of snow on the ground right now. In 2004, I put in a big doggy door leading to a covered porch, leading down 3 steps into a BIG fenced yard. Even when I'm off at work, the dogs can come and go as they please. I keep a wide path shoveled in their yard. They both love to bound around in the snow.
Bob D: We're taking Mabel (rat terrier; no fat, little fur) to Petco and PetSmart for walks around the store and a little socialization. The staffs are very friendly and accommodating. Doesn't replace chasing squirrels outside, but better than nothing.
Judy M: If I get desperate, I'll do some "living room rally" and set up a few cones. Or figure 8's using one dog as a post, and a cone as the other.
Jennifer W: My Hearing Dog, Hattie has numerous interactive toys, which I give her to play with. Sometimes I give these to her or a special chew bone, perhaps a stuffed kong. Other times we do training work indoors to keep her busy. We work on obedience and other commands. I also work on teaching her new things, so the usual commands don't become boring. It's a win-win situation for both of us and helps pass the time on these cold winter dreary days.
How do you help your pets keep exercised and stop boredom in beyond-cold temperatures?
Allen and Linda Anderson
Angel Animals Network
www.angelanimals.net
Note: To subscribe to the Angel Animals Story of the Week Newsletter, send a blank message to AngelAnimals-on@mail-list.com
Categories: Observations,Amazing Angel Animals
Tags: dogs animal angels winter angel animals
I live with three cattle dog types, so I go outside every day with them for at least 20-30 minutes, whether I like it or not! But I can think of many indoor games to keep a dog busy. Train your dog to associate a clicker with a reward. Then “click” to define the precise instant that your dog does what you want—moves the right way or makes the right decision. Clicker training has been used to teach dolphins that they would get a reward once they performed a trick. They had to perform the trick first, then return to the trainer for the reward. The clicker marks the behavior in the instant that the animal will be rewarded for. Find helpful information about clicker training at www.clicker training.com.
When you’re housebound by bad weather or laid up with an injury, exercise your dog’s mind by playing games for thinking dogs. To use your new clicker training skills, look up 101 things to do with a box at www.clickertraining.com/node/167.
Play hide and seek with your dog. Teach her to wait while you hide (easiest with a second person to hold the dog). When you call out the release word, your dog can begin searching for you. When she finds you, reward her with praise and/or a treat.
Play the toy recognition game. Start with one toy in your hand or on the floor and click/reward when the dog noses it. After several repetitions, say the name of the toy before the dog touches it or picks it up. Once she has learned the name of one toy, introduce others as dummies. Make it easier by putting the other toys farther away so her chances are greater for choosing right toy. Once she has learned to select the first toy by name, you can begin to train the names for other toys the same way. Using one toy at a time sets her up for success and makes the learning quicker. If your dog only stays focused for short periods of time, play this game in short sessions. In a more advanced version of this game, select a toy and ask your dog to find the matching toy (please make sure there are two matching toys first!).
Play a similar game using scent discrimination. Use a group of two or more similar objects, like wooden clothespins. Rub the scent from your hands onto one of the objects. Handle the rest of the objects only with a pair of tongs (like kitchen tongs). As with the toy recognition game, set your dog up for success by gradually adding other objects. In this game, stay silent and reward your dog when she finds the correct object by its scent.
Teach your dog tricks, like “shake hands” and “rollover”, teach her to walk on different surfaces, like a 1” x 8” board placed on the floor or a piece of indoor-outdoor carpeting. Get a small throw rug and teach your dog to “go sit on your rug” (use target training and a clicker to shape this behavior). Now that you’ve seen a few examples, I bet you’ll think of more.
Many of these games are included in the Not Without My Dog Resource & Record Book, by Jenny Pavlovic, available this spring at www.8StateKate.net.
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