Dog's Just Gotta Have Fun!

Play Time For Your Dog.

It is very important for your canine companion to have a job. That job will depend on his/her breed. In addition to the responsibility of working, your pet needs to relax and have fun.

How does your pet have fun? Maggie loved to play with her toys. When we bought her a new toy she was so excited and raced through the house squeaking her new plaything and loved to play outside with her outdoor toys. One of her favorite toys was a soft bite floppy disc. She was so proud, and I think she knew the dog with the most toys wins!

Dog-Friendly Activities In Your Area

Where to go with your dog while you are on vacation or in a new city. Bring Fido has us covered with ideas of dog-friendly places for you and your pup.

For example, here in Boise Bring Fido suggests there are 30 dog-friendly activities in Boise. Use the links on their website to get an overview of each one, see pictures, print directions, and even read reviews from other dog owners. Coming from out of town? Get a discounted rate on pet friendly hotels in Boise.

Senior Dogs 

Blue Belle is now going on 14 and has several health issues. So she does do quite a bit of resting. But she basically hangs around with me. And this senior citizen needs to rest as well. Blue Belle's eye sight has dimmed and in addition to dealing with cancer, she has arthritis. We know she still needs some exercise. She likes to play hide and seek in the house. And I taught her to dance with me. Using a treat I tell her we are going to dance and she knows right away what to do. She circles around in front of me and goes under my legs back around to the front of me where she gets a treat. There is more to the routine, but I think a few twirls is all she is up to at this time.

 

Dog Enrichment

We can help keep our dog's mind active with activities and games. Here are some ideas I found on reddit.com. By incorporating a variety of these activities into your dog's routine, you can help keep him/her mentally and physically active.

• Puzzle toys or food dispensing toys can challenge your dog's problem-solving skills. We have several puzzle toys that Blue Belle gets to enjoy throughout the day. We just use her regular kibble as a treat to locate and she figured out the puzzles in a short period of time.
• Dogs like to learn new tricks and obedience commands. Training sessions can be mentally stimulating.
• You can play hide and seek with your dog to find members of the family or toys. This game engages your dog's sense of smell and provides mental stimulation.
• Setup an agility course with chairs or boxes providing physical and mental exercise.
• Keep your dog mentally engaged with tug ropes and fetching balls and toys.
• Here is an idea that I didn't think of - train your dog to search for specific scents or play scent-based games. This taps into your dog's natural instinct to hunt and can be mentally tiring.
• Take your dog on walks, or trips to new environments providing new sights, sounds, and smells to stimulate his/her mind.