A tired dog is a happy dog, and that means a good dog. A bored dog is one with lots of pent up energy and we all know that means a dog who’s very likely to get up to all kinds of mischief.
We dog owners all want a good dog!
The best way to keep your dog from being bored is to play and exercise with him. While you can most definitely go for a daily run with your pooch (great for you, your waistline and your dog), there are plenty of other things you can do.
- Indoor games - Games like ‘hide & seek’ are fun for you and your dog, and especially fun if you have kids. Hide on the dog behind doors, sofas, beside the bed and be very enthusiastic when your dog finds you. Other fun games are ‘fetch’, ‘tug-of-war’ (always be in control of the game), ‘put your toys away’ (we find our doggy friends love this, although it usually turns into ‘take my toys out’, instead), and of course ‘find the treasure.’
Indoor games are also a great way to teach the dog basic commands by always using consistent body language and tone of voice. And of course, don’t forget to reward your dog when he does something especially clever or correct.
- Outdoor Games - You can definitely play ‘hide & seek’ outdoors with your pooch, but make sure you only do this in secure backyard. Other games that dogs love to play are ‘frisbee’, ‘fetch’, ‘chase’, and ‘keep away’ all work extremely well outdoors.
There are plenty more outdoor games you can play with your dog. Make sure you play them in a park that allows dogs off leashes or in a nice big back yard.
- Tricks – dogs love learning new tricks. Some we love to do are ‘jump’ where we train our dog to jump up to variously heighted things. ‘Stop & go’ is a fun trick to play in the middle of fetch, where you command your dog to stop as he returns, or is going for the stick, and then command him to continue. Other fun tricks are ’speak’, ’sit’, ‘roll over’, and ‘bow’.
These tricks are just a few that you can start on. Once your dog does the trick, or attempts it, praise him profusely, and then when the trick is mastered, move on to another one.
- Classes - There are all kinds of classes you can attend with your dog. Currently our favourite is ‘doga’, yoga classes for dogs. But there are all kinds of classes to try, including ‘agility’, the ‘canine good citizen program’ where your dog learns how to be a good citizen around other people and other animals, and of course, simple ‘training’ classes.
Whatever you choose to do, you’re dog will thank you for it by being a good, good, good dog. So remember to reward him with high quality, natural or organic gourmet pet treats!
Visit Royal Pet Club
