Posts Tagged ‘fun with pets’

Here in Georgia, it gets way too hot to take our dogs on long walks for exercise, or even to throw the ball outside for more than a few minutes. We have a shih tzu, Gizmo, and dogs with short snouts over-heat even more easily than dogs with longer snouts. We are extra careful to avoid heatstroke in our pups, and in the pups that we pet sit. I’ve listed a  few fun activities to get your dog’s blood moving that you can do in the comfort of the air conditioning below.

Here are a few fun things to try with your dogs when the weather prevents you from taking your fur kids to the park or out for a walk:

• Laser Pointer- some dogs chase it, some don’t. A lot of cats do, too! Make sure you don’t put it near your pet’s eyes.
• Obedience Training-it can be fun! Make sure you use positive reinforcement, like Victoria Stilwell and Patricia McConnell. Only train in intervals of 15 minutes or less a few times per day, or it will stop being fun.
• Fetch- down a long hallway
• Hide And Seek- One person holds the dog, another person (treats in hand) runs and hides and calls the dog. When the dog finds you, reward them with a treat!
• Hide your pet’s favorite toy or treat and guide them to help them find them, but don’t give it away! It’s good exercise, both physically and mentally for your dog!
• Toys that dispense treats are a good mental exercise for your dog
• Rope Toys- for a good old fashioned game of Tug-O-War (not recommended for aggressive dogs)
• Got a basement? How about some soccer or fetch down there?
• For good time killers, try Nylabones or Kongs

Just remember to keep it light, fun and positive!

Jake and Gizmo will never turn down a good game of fetch, in or outside.

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.  ~Samuel Butler, Notebooks, 1912