For many dogs, summer is the most boring time of year. In the cold weather we can take long walks with our dogs in our many local parks, they can ride to the store with us for a change of scenery, or play fetch or other games in the yard. In the summer, heat, ticks, wretched biting flies, and poison ivy preclude many activities. You can sneak in a decent walk first thing in the morning, but later in the day with 98 in the shade, dogs quickly overheat. Day after day of lying around in an air-conditioned house (poor dogs) leads to doggy boredom. Bored dogs, like bored children will make mayhem and mischief to entertain themselves.
We know our dogs are getting bored when we come home and find that every pillow in our house has been moved to another room and the sheets pulled off the beds. So how can you burn up some of your dog’s mental and physical energy and spend quality time with them without taking them on a forced march through heat and ticks? Here are some suggestions:
- Play Hide and Seek with your dog – you hide (with treats in hand) and your dog has to find you. This is a great way to hone your dog’s Stay skills.
- Buy a kid’s play tunnel for your dog. Dogs love tunnels. Pile all of your dog’s toys and treats in the tunnel and let him get them out.
- Give your dog some puzzle toys – buy or make your own (e.g., treats in a plastic water bottle)
- Take the bed sheets that are going into the laundry, throw them over Fido, and say “Where’s Fido?”. Start out gently and slowly and make it fun. Your dog will think its great fun. Get under the sheet with your dog and pretend you are hiding from someone and get your dog to be still and quiet.
- Get some really tempting dog treats, show them to your dog, then cover yourself and the treats with a sheet or blanket and call your dog.
- Read to your dog. It makes them very sleepy and relaxed.
- While your dog is watching, lie down on the floor and lay perfectly still. See if your dog tries to make you move.
- Put a blob of peanut butter on the roof of your dog’s mouth and watch him make faces as he tries to lick it off.Take photos of the faces and email the funniest ones to friends and family. They might feel sorry for you and invite you to visit.
Training of any kind will tire your dog’s brain and relax them. Silly tricks are great fun to teach and practice:
- Jump through a Hula Hoop
- Stay with a Milk Bone on their nose or head, or wearing a pair of glasses, or a hat. See if you can get them to stay long enough to take photos.
- Go around a bucket, build up to a chair, then to the kitchen table, then.….
- Go back and forth under your legs
- Spin in a circle
Do you have other dog-days-of-summer activities you do with your dog? If so, please submit a comment and tell us what you do.
Send your dog training and behavior questions to [email protected].
Or put them in the comments section.
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