If nothing replaces long walks for the well-being of your dog, certain circumstances in life sometimes mean that you are not able to offer him anything other than short hygienic outings outside. Fortunately, there are other ways to spend your dog effectively without leaving the house.
By giving him something to chew on
In the absence of physical activity, offer your dog more chewing activity by giving him to gnaw:
- a real raw fleshy bone, adapted to the size of his jaw,
- a deer antler,
- a dried pig's ear,
- a Kong-type occupation toy filled with minced meat or dog food and that you will have previously put in the freezer to make the pleasure last longer,
- a mash-coated knotted rope.
Note!
However, respect the precautions for use related to real bones and deer antlers detailed in our articles dedicated to this subject and which we invite you to consult.
Giving her an occupation toy
To occupy your dog, you can also opt for a Pipolino-type occupation toy. This is a treat dispenser toy, which will keep a dog mentally occupied by forcing him to turn it around so that the kibble/treats you have placed inside come out.
If you don't have this type of toy at home, you can make one using a plastic bottle that you drill holes with a diameter very slightly larger than the kibbles of your dog along its entire length.You can also use cardboard boxes inside which you can place food and that the dog can destroy (be careful not to use them if your dog does not just destroy but tends to eat the cardboard).
By working on your sense of smell
Applying to the dog's sense of smell is also an excellent way to spend your pet mentally and offer him a pleasant activity.
On this subject, a canine trainer from Reims shares on her Facebook page an easy tracking exercise to do at home, with a simple tea bag, to stimulate your dog's sense of smell:
You can also offer your dog a "hide-kibble" session. Just scatter a few kibbles or small treats all over a room in your home (or in your garden) and encourage your dog to look for them.You can also use a "snuffle mat" or search mat.It is a mat with large fringes in which treats can be hidden and which will guarantee great research sessions and mental stimulation for your dog. If there are search mats in pet stores, it is also possible to make your own at home using a rubber mat and pieces of fleece.
Also bet on "intelligence toys" for dogs to effectively occupy your pet. These toys are very often composed of skittles to be moved, hatches to be slid, cavities or lids to be released to obtain treats. These games are designed to train the dog's thinking ability and intellectual activity, an activity that consumes a lot of energy!
By teaching him new tricks
What if you take advantage of these moments spent together at home to learn dog-dancing or to teach your dog new tricks? This is both an opportunity to strengthen your relationship and intellectually spend your dog.You can just as easily go back to the basic indications such as "sitting" or "lying down" or even teach him brand new indications such as "do the beautiful / the beautiful" , "report" , "play dead / pan », « rolls on your back » You and your dog will certainly have a great time working together!
You can also improvise an agility session at home by teaching your dog to jump on a chair (if his size and state of he alth allow it) or to zigzag between several chairs placed in staggered rows.
Limited walks, beware of overweight!
You will have noticed that many ways to keep your dog busy involve food. However, if you are not able to offer your dog long walks, his energy expenditure will decrease and you will therefore have to adjust his food intake accordingly so that he does not become overweight. How then?
Simply by recalculating the amount of food your dog needs based on modified energy expenditure and taking care to reduce his food ration when he has received treats outside of meals. If your dog is fed kibble, you can also decide to give him his entire meal by playing "hide kibble" , in a search mat or in a Pipolino.
" We explain how to do it in our articles en titled How much kibble to give my dog? and calculate a household ration for your dog."