We know how important it is to for our dogs to go for a daily walk, so what do we do when the rain is coming down too hard to make that walk pleasant? Some dogs may be deterred by just a drizzle but sometimes it’s just not enjoyable for us even if our dogs don’t mind getting wet.
Here are some ideas for rainy day activities that can be carried out inside your home, no matter how big or small your house is. We enjoy these activities and we know your dog will too!
- ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT: Our favorite, described in detail below.
- TREAT SEARCHES: This can be done in just one room, or all over the house, depending on how much your dog uses their nose as a guide. At first, you can accompany your dog and once they learn the routine, they can follow a route on their own.
- CHEWING: Save that special bone for a long chew session that will keep your dog entertained and help relax them.
- TRICKS: Spend the time you would have walked with your dog on teaching them a new skill. It’s best to build on something you’ve seen your dog do before on their own or a trick you know your dog will really enjoy. Always end your training session with something your dog did well so it’s satisfying for you and your dog.
- BASIC SCENT DETECTION: Contact us to schedule a session so we can teach you how to teach your dog the basics! Think about a disagreement with a partner or a colleague—our reactions to these situations can eat at us for days, sometimes causing physical problems as well. . We can use it to anchor our dogs if we learn to be engaged, calm and present when we are with them—something akin to leading our pets in a dance.
Environmental Enrichment
It’s quite simple to set this up in any space in your house. You will need to gather a number of objects that are new to your dog and have different scents, either of people, the natural environment or other animals. Some examples are:
- Cardboard boxes
- Towels or other fabric with the smell of other people or animals
- Potted plants
- Recyclable objects (that are not dangerous)
- Throw rugs or mats with other people’s smells on them
- Hairbrush
- Shoes
- Dirty clothes
- Tree trunks, leaves, sticks or branches
- Pinecones
- Flowers
Be creative to think of many more! The important thing is that the object has a smell that is new to your dog. Use objects that vary in size and texture. If you know your dog tends to feel insecure or fearful of new things, use small objects and you can place treats next to the objects that your dog does not want to approach.
Then follow these steps:
- Leave your dog in a room, a pen or a crate while you place the objects around the house. Try to avoid having your dog see you do this.
- Once you have finished placing the objects in different places around the house, let your dog explore while you accompany them. Don’t say anything and don’t get too close to your dog—simply observe keenly. Note which objects seem to be more interesting to your dog, and if any scare them. You will know when your dog has finished exploring because they will probably move away from the objects and quite possibly lie down.
This exercise may only take a few minutes, but it is one that will stimulate and relax your dog. They will use their olfactory, auditory (if any objects make a sound), visual and tactile senses, in addition to having the opportunity to freely explore. The latter is a natural canine instinct, and something we often don’t do enough with our dogs.Quickly recognizing when our emotional states are out of balance is the first challenging step. Cultivating an awareness of what it feels like to be present and relaxed allows us to quickly recognize when that is not the case.
In sum, this activity will help relax your dog, build confidence and over time will provide emotional well-being for them. This, in turn, will allow us to strengthen our bond with them in a healthy way and to teach them many more new things!
