How to EnterTRAIN Your Dog during Wild Weather
Hello and welcome back,
As we’re talking all things ‘weather’ this month, today I wanted to share some thoughts on how we can boost our dog’s happy hormones even if the sun isn’t shining… or indeed if it’s too warm to play outside. This is all about those REST DAYS, days off from walks and the world - but not days off from fun!
As well as Rest Days allowing your dog time off from the stresses and strains of the outside world - especially if they are scared or anxious about other dogs / people / noises etc - it’s also a great approach for horrible weather days. Although I know that all of us here are committed pet parents who really want to provide the best for our dogs, I’m sure we’ve all had a few of those days of not wanting to go for a walk. Those rare days where we look out of the window, see the torrential rain, and wonder why we ever welcomed a dog into our life!
Our dogs have limited choices in life - we make SO many of their daily decisions for them. Where they walk, when they’ll eat, where they can and can’t go in our homes… the list goes on. So when it comes to providing a fun indoor or garden activity for our dogs on walk-free days, “Free Work” is one of my favourite things to do. In “Free Work” (a wonderful system created by Behaviourist Sarah Fisher) we create a doggy obstacle course of various foods, toys, or scents placed on and around different objects - which combine a range of heights, textures and angles. It allows your dog the choice to explore and eat as they desire - perhaps they prefer soft to hard treats, or they’d rather reach their neck up to take food as opposed to stooping low.
We can provide SO many fun activities for the dogs in our lives whilst remaining at home.. sniffing, chewing, licking, sleeping, searching, cuddling, playing, or training! The great thing is, all of these provide boosts of happy hormones - Oxytocin and Dopamine. So if your dog isn’t going to get the fun of a walk, you can still bring joy to their day. From simply throwing some treats around your garden for your dog to sniff out; to stuffing a dog toy with some soft, yummy food; to teaching them a new trick… what will you do with your dog today?
Until next time, Happy Mother’s Day to all the doggy Mums here in the UK,
Caroline