Keeping Your Dog Active & Entertained In Coronavirus Lockdown

During the Covid-19 pandemic crisis it is important to follow the government’s advice on social distancing and limiting your time outside.

But some larger breeds and high energy dogs need a lot more physical activity in a day. Mental stimulation for your dog is also important for their wellbeing.

Below is some advice and tips for keeping your dog active and entertained during the pandemic. 

Play Hide and Seek

This is a very basic but fun game to play with your dog that keeps them active as well as stimulates them mentally. It’s simple and enjoyable enough that even the oldest or laziest of dogs will want to play.

This quick video breaks down the basics:

All you need is:

• A dog (this is always good advice for most situations)
• Some treats
• Good hiding spots

Even if your dog doesn’t follow the stay command at the start, running away from dog and hiding somewhere can still be a fun activity.

When your dog finds you make sure you celebrate the win by giving them treats or a lot of attention. This will keep your dog engaged in the game for longer.

Tug of War

If your dog is properly trained, playing tug of war with your dog is a great way to keep them active. Your dog should know a release command before you begin. This gives you control of when the games stops and prevents the game from getting out of hand.

A properly managed game of tug of war is a great way to tire younger dogs out, especially those who are used to more than one walk a day.

Important note: Puppies whose teeth are still developing and dogs with a dental issues shouldn’t play tug of war.

Choosing The Right Toy Is Important

Dogs have incredible bite and jaw strength and tug toys are made to be tough, durable, and flexible. It’s important for safety (for you and your dog) that the tug toy should be designed for tug games.

Keeping a designated set of toys for tugging only is also important for behavior reasons. Using the same toy for fetch play and tug games can confuse the dog about which activity they are about to do.

We have a wide range of suitable tug toys available to buy.

Playing Tug of War

Clear a large of furniture and distractions before you begin. You should also always start any tug games with your dog. This makes it clear you are in charge of when games begin.

Dogs become very excited during tug of war and this is normal. You can expect growling and tail wagging. But if you sense your dog is getting too over-excited – take a break.

If you dog’s teeth accidentally contact your skin you should stop the game. This helps sets out boundaries that this is not okay and reminds the dog to be careful with their teeth.

Keep your dog encouraged by letting them win when they behave correctly during the game.

Indoor Fetch Games

You can still play fetch while indoors. For the sake of your furniture and other valuables, it’s best not to use anything that will bounce. Training dummies make good toys for in the house fetch games as you can also hide treats in them.

Getting your dog to run up and down stairs while fetching is a great way to tire out puppies and more active dogs.

Fetch is meant to be fun for your dog, so if they start losing interest then the game is over. So don’t force them to play or punish them if they don’t participate.

If your dog is new to fetch and retrieve, here are some basic tips on getting them started:

 Safety Tip: Don’t over-exercise your dog with fetch and retrieve games. Some dogs get over-stimulated during repetitive activities and don’t know when to stop. This can lead to fatigue and even mental distress. So limit the amount of time you play fetch.   

Rotate Toys

You should rotate your dog’s toys weekly and make sure there are only four or five toys played with at a time. This doesn’t include comfort toys, like a soft toy they cuddle with for example. If your dog has a favorite toy they keep in their bed then you should let them have access to it.

Toy variety is important. Having a mix of textures and toy types available in each week’s cycle will help prevent your dog missing certain toys and keep them engaged.

Rotating active and playing toys helps prolong the life of the toys and keeps your dog interested in them. Keeping a set of four or five toys out also works as a good reminder to clean the out of rotation ones. This gives you a chance to wash and dry them.