Well, it's supposed to rain all weekend here, so we're going to be inside more that normal here. That just means that instead of being outside from the time we are up to the time we sleep, we are in and out all day to dry off and/or change.
I always look for new and exciting games to play with the dogs for days like this. Some that my guys love are:
Hide and Seek
Treasure Hunts
Cookie Toys (or Water Bottles w/Food, etc)
Stuffed Kongs (beware too many food related things!)
Some Obedience (beware, too much is overwhelming and can turn boring)
What do you do to keep your canine companions entertained in rainy conditions?
By giving your dog something entertaining to do, you can prevent unwanted destructive behaviours and other boredom related problems.
It's not raining here yet, so we're going to go out and enjoy as much of the nice weather as we can!
6 comments:
We find treasure hunts can provide hours of fun and can get the dogs happily tired at the same time. A couple of hidden chews and the boyz will race up and down the stairs as happy as the day they were born - keeps their middle age spread down too.
Unfortunately the games inside are not enough. Me being me.. rain snow sleet or shine.. I am out on my walks. Mom says it's cuz I'm just about to turn two. But I love snow and a nice rain too. Keeps me clean.
Hmm but I do have treat filled kong balls that I roll around with my nose until it's empty. I love that. NOrwood
Find The Frisbee..
It's always a big hit.
Flip has started playing it too, she used to think it was silly/immature.
Rain on weekends should be illegal.
Oh, welll.
Those are great ideas. We play hide and seek but the cats haven't grasped the concept of hiding. They hide in the closet and do not want to be found.
Have a good weekend.
Angus - that's one of my favourite games ... They really do like finding the chews, but I'm careful not to put them places where I don't want the dogs to go. I'm not sure if the dogs appreciate it so much when I hide their dinner :)
Norwood - that's a GREAT point! Games shouldn't replace the daily walk routine because it is very important for the dogs to get out and about.
Something I found to be really nice and stimulating on a rainy day is a trip to the local big name pet supply store. We walk every aisle and the dogs get to earn the right to sniff each inch (if they heel properly down the aisle, we turn around and go back up and they can take extra time and sniff). It usually takes anywhere between an hour to two to get through the whole store (with meetings with the other dogs included). Of course, that usually is finished off with a trip to the vet clinic for cookies and tea.
GoLightly - I agree, it should be illegal but who would enforce our law? Find The Frisbee sounds like a great treasure hunt - similar to our Find The Kong. Frisbees used to be a big hit here, but then when we started having to eliminate things from the house for the Allergic One, Frisbees were one of the first things to go.
meemsnyc - Our cats are similar. We can always find one of them because he's always in the same spot! I wonder sometimes how rewarding his life could be if he doesn't move from the window sill ... if you could translate what he meows to the dogs it would be something like this in a BIG booming voice:
"Pay no attention to the cat behind the curtain"
When the sun goes away, the buddy ball comes out (if I'm remembering the toy's name right, the square plastic ball food toy). At least for our younger permapup, he loves that thing, but my hubby hates it with a passion. We have tile floors, so when he throws it around it sounds like a jet plane in our living room. XD
Other than that, pretty much everything you listed. We do games everyday anyway, because I cannot physically tire out our 10 month old BC and mental exercise can do just that. :P
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