Christmas can be a tricky time. With all those meals to cook, and children and guests to entertain, the family dog is usually last on the list. Bored dogs can add up to a Christmas disaster, not to mention unwelcome emergency vet visits, because Fido has tried to eat the Christmas baubles or galloped down part of the Christmas pudding. Set up a safe space for your dog and make time to settle them down with some great indoor games.
1. Work that nose
Dogs ‘see’ the world through their noses so give them problem-solving scent games.
- Get some opaque containers, plastic flower pots are good- around 4 or five is ideal.
- Without your dog seeing, hide a smelly food treat inside a pot.
- Let your dog go over and sniff it out. If they sniff the right pot, touching it with their nose or paw or just staring, lift the pot and let them get the treat.
- With practice, your dog will locate the treat more quickly. Next start spacing the pots further apart.
- Eventuall,y you can add more pots and even start hiding them in different rooms around the house.
2. Hide and seek
Teach your dog to ‘find’ or ‘search’ on command.
- Tether or have someone hold your dog while you hold out a treat or toy for them to sniff.
- Place the object a few feet or yards, where your dog can see it, go back to the dog, and let them sniff your hand, then say ‘find’ and point towards the hidden object.
- Say ‘yeeeees’ as they get closer and nothing if as they move further away.
- If they find it hard at first, help by pointing or walking up to the object.
- When they find it praise them.
- They will soon get the hang of it and you will not need to help.
- Once your dog starts to actively sniff the ground or air as they search do not say a word, they are now focussing and on task.
- Eventually, you may be able to hide the object out of sight, in increasingly difficult locations around the home.
3. Wild and freeze
Teach your dog to ‘rev up’ in short bursts and then calm down with an instant sit.
- Dance around on the spot, flinging your arms and legs around, and at the same time repeat to your pup in a silly, squeaky voice ‘Go wild’ – encourage your dog to leap around with you.
- Do this for 5 seconds.
- Now stop dead and fold your arms to your chest saying ‘freeze.’ Your dog should also stop. Say ‘sit.’ Hold for five seconds then ‘go wild’ again.
- You can slightly vary the duration of each freeze session, keep your dog guessing when they can move again.
- Avoid slippery floors for this game. If your dog is excitable or ‘bitey’ this game may not be suitable.
Remember, dogs get used to having you around all the time at Christmas, so keep up any separation training. There is lots of good advice about hidden seasonal dangers and keeping dogs safe at Christmas on the Dogs Trust website, be sure to look
Have a great Christmas everyone.
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