It is no secret that exercising your dog is of huge importance for his physical, emotional, and psychological health. However, several rainy days may impede his daily routine. You may struggle to keep your dog in a good physical condition; not to mention how this lack of exercise may affect his mood, resulting in all kinds of mischievous behavior. To get an idea about how to engage your dog on a rainy day, veterinarians from Eastshore Vet, the best veterinary agency in Madison, share the following tips.
Play “Find the Treat”
Dogs like to use their noses and sniff things. It is especially true when they find a yummy treat at the end of a game. At first, hide treats on places that will be easy for your dog to find and give him some clues. After he gets better at the game, gradually increase the challenge.
Hide and Seek
You can play hide-and-seek with your dog in two ways. You may hide first in the next room, and call him by name to help him learn what this game is all about. When he eventually finds you, praise him with words and treats. Another option is to hide his favorite toy and navigate his search.
Shell Game
For this game, you can use cardboard cups, plastic containers, bowls, etc. Hide the treat beneath the one while your dog is watching carefully. Shuffle the three “shells” around and let him guess what is the right one. As in the previous case, you may replace treats with his favorite toy, when your dog learns the rules.
Let Your Dog Help You with Chores
Collect his toys in one basket and then scatter them around. To help him understand what it is expected for him, put one toy in a basket and wait. If he fails to do the same, put another one and wait. Repeat the process until he learns how to put away all his toys. Don’t forget to praise him each time he does the job correctly.
Teach Him a New Exercise
Choose a kitchen chair, sturdy end table or coffee table and teach him to crawl beneath it. Reward him. Then, teach him to jump over it and go around the object. When he manages these simple activities successfully, you may want to combine them into a more complex set of exercises.