No matter what the weather is outside, you can always find
something to do inside. You can play with your puppy or dog. You can also work on improving his or her skills. You can play
indoors with your dog, have fun, but still have a purpose in mind.
Playing Indoors With A Purpose
If you wish, you can play indoors with a specific purpose
in mind. Your games do not have to be mindless fun. They can act as a way to increase your dog’s skill levels. The exercises
can also strengthen core muscles or prepare him or her for class work.
Try these activities. Remember some may demand more room
than others. Some may also be louder than others. Remember to consider or warn anyone in your home or building.
• Practice basic obedience. You can use sit
and stay commands. You can even attempt some of the more complicated manoeuvres.
• Does your dog know how to weave? Practice
having him or her weave in and around your legs. If he or she really enjoys this skill, perhaps you can consider entering
them in dance class for dogs.
• On that note - try doing heelwork to music.
This will make it more fun for you and your pet. You can step in time to the music, stop, have the dog go around you and continue.
If you can, control the music so the stop and change are
in time with a pause of the music. It can become sort
of a heelwork musical chairs.
• If you have 2 dogs or more, play Canine Musical
Chairs. Use music and have the dogs practice circling a chair or object. When the music stops, say stay or sit. The dog who
moves gets removed from this portion of the game. The others move on.
• Practice racing and other forms of agility
work. Time you and your dog. Do this to music. Pretend you are members of the Superdogs’ team.
• There are also the old chestnuts. These are
excellent practice for obedience. They help you and your dog focus on the very basics commands a dog needs to know. These
are come, sit and stay. You can spice it up with music, or treats. You can break it up with racing and other fun games.
• Fetching is another exercise with a purpose.
It helps your dog respond to command.
It encourages you and your pet to bond together in performing a task. You can do
the traditional sit, throw and fetch. You can also create a variation by hiding the object or make him or her smell it out.
Enter Technology
There is another way that individuals can exercise their
dogs. Take your dog to your indoor exercise room or gym. Put him or her on the treadmill and let it go.
Using the treadmill as an indoor exercise tool is quite
popular. In fact, some dogs actually love walking on this machine - and they do not even have the distraction of a TV, music
or video display. There are certain requirements when you introduce your pet to treadmilling.
• Make sure your dog is working with the machine.
• Keep it at a trot pace. Make sure it is within
the range of your dog.
• Make sure the treadmill is the right size.
It needs to be at least twice as long as the length of your dog from the front of the chest to the tip of his or her tail.
• Never ever leave your canine on the treadmill
alone.
This is a mechanical way to exercise your dog. It is only
1 of several possibilities you can enjoy when the weather says no and your dog says yes.
Article
written by Katie Morrison of ohmydogsupplies.com, check out our cool assortment of backpack style dog carriers online.
