Nicci Lawrence A Paws for Pets
The cold arctic winds have calmed down since last week, and it's clear that winter is coming. When high temperatures are in the single digits and snowdrifts are taller than your dog, long walks and backyard play tend to lose their appeal. Unless you have a husky or other cold-loving breed, most dogs will be happy to run their errands outside and return home as soon as possible. With fewer opportunities for outdoor exercise, here are some ideas for keeping your pet active while stuck indoors.
There are many dog enrichment items on the market, such as treat puzzles and snuff mats, but you can easily use items you probably already have at home to give your pup a fun challenge.
Hide treats or pellets inside an old towel, roll, fold, or roll the towel around the treat and let your pet smell it, unwrap it, and find it. An old tea towel is suitable for small dogs, and a large bath towel is suitable for large dogs.
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Fold the end of a toilet paper or paper towel tube and place a treat inside. Your dog will love the cardboard for a treat. For larger dogs, it is more difficult to use a sealed cardboard box with holes cut in the sides.
To freeze treats and dog-safe food in ice, use food containers such as ice cube trays or recycled yogurt. These will keep your dog occupied for quite some time while he licks towards the reward.
Muffin tins or mini muffin tins for small dogs make great food puzzles. Place the candy inside the tin and cover with a tennis ball or crumpled newspaper to hide the candy.
Do your kids get stuck at home and drive you crazy on a snowy day at school? Or maybe even drive you crazy? Get them involved and make it even more creative and fun for your family pet Encourage them to come up with activities.
Of course, all of these ideas should always be used when you can directly supervise your pet to prevent them from getting carried away and ingesting any part of the toy.
And don't forget that spring is just around the corner.
