Indoor fun for your dog on rainy days
Kritika Manchanda
When the temperature is too high or when rain pours or when it is too cold, playing indoors with your pet is the best option. Here’s how to have fun indoors.
A lot of pet parents think that play sessions are only limited for outdoors. But, there are a lot of games and activities that you and your pet can engage in and spend quality time indoors.
Fun at the stairs: If you have a flight of stairs in the house, it can be turned into an all season play area. Just ensure that the surface is not slippery and the area is well protected so that your dog doesn’t run away. You can run up and down a few times with your pet and it’ll double up as a game and exercise. You could also sit at the top of the staircase and play fetch with your pet.
Hide n Seek: If you haven’t played hide n seek with your pet, you don’t know what you are missing in life. Hide n seek is an amazing way to exercise your pet’s mind and body. Hide somewhere and let the other family members ask your pet to find you. Keep some treats handy for rewards, cuddles should be complimentary!
Tug of war: Sometimes playing tug of war with your pet is the best therapy. A lazy hot weekend or a bad day at work, tug of war has the superpower to make everyone happy, and to make your pet happier. Just make sure your pet does not gets aggressive while playing. If he shows signs of aggression, leave the game right away.
Go Wild and Freeze: Go Wild and Freeze is a very popular dog training game. You need to jump around, dance and basically, go wild until your pet gets excited. All of a sudden stop moving and ask your pet to sit or stay or perform any other behavior he knows best. The moment he does it, start dancing and hopping around again. Don’t forget to reward good behavior and do not to be too strict if something goes wrong.
Fruity Games: In warm weather, your dog’s appetite might somewhat reduce. Feeding them fresh fruits and veggies is a great option to keep them nourished and hydrated. What if we told you that you can incorporate feeding fruits and vegetables during your pet’s play time? Cut small pieces of their favorite fruit and hide them at various spots in the house. Let them sniff and find out before relishing the treats. You can also play aim and catch with small bites. Just make sure that your pet doesn’t choke. Mix fruit or vegetable puree with some water and freeze it in ice trays. Give your pet these treats and let them have a great time licking, playing, nibbling….
Kibble Hunt: Put the nosy babies at work and let the kibble magic take over. Hide small pieces of kibble at various places in the house. Make sure these places are easily accessible by your pet. Let your pet sniff and find out the kibble. Initially choose easy to find places till they get a knack of it. Also if they find the kibble, it’ll be a great encouragement to keep going.
Bath time fun: What can be better than splashing in water in this heat? If your pooch is a water baby, you can get a tub for him to splash water and play around. If this isn’t possible, go the desi way with a pipe or a hand held shower. Bathing your dog is a great way to spend time and strengthen the bond. Just be careful that he shouldn’t hurt himself during the playing and splashing.
Playing with toys: To keep your pet engaged indoors you can get a variety of dog toys. Food dispensing toys, a squeaky ball or a soft toy, you will be the best judge to know your pet’s preferences.
Turn grooming sessions fun: You can also turn grooming session into a fun activity. Massage your pet, play around with treats, comb and brush, there are so many things that can be included in the indoor fun time with pets. The good thing is that the indoor play session will not only protect them from the severe heat or cold, but will also be a great learning. Playing is beneficial for your pets. It keeps them physically active and mentally alert.