Although it may be one of the most mild winters in years, the issue of training and playing with your dog outdoors in the muck and dark leaves something to be desired.
It's always best to get your dog out and about, every day, in every weather. However, when the parks are full of mud and the evening light is closing in as soon as we arrive home from work, we can make a compromise. Get your pooch out for a nice brisk leash walk each day. Stay on the paths and sidewalks and utilize dog boots and coats as needed. The length of time will depend upon the breed, age and physical capabilities of your dog, so speak to your vet for more advice.Along with your leash walk, you can have some fun indoors. You don't need a lot of space to practice some obedience. Try teaching your dog to stay and then progress to leaving him to stay while you go and hide. Call him to come to you, and let him search. Once he gets more proficient with the game, find more difficult hiding spots or leave him in his stay for a bit longer before you call him.Speaking of hide and seek, there is another great way to spend time with your dog, and he will love you for it. Take a recipe card or piece of paper and fold in half (into quarters if you use paper). This will make a "tent". Put your dog on a leash and then place into a stay. Put the tent about 10 feet away. Place a treat under the tent. Return to your dog. The leash is used to guide the dog if he gets up before you return.Now, give him the command "find it" and race toward the tent. Get him excited to find the treat, which shouldn't be hard. Do a few times, and have him sit further and further away. Don't allow him to break his stay until you have released him. This fun game can be made more advanced by hiding the tent and sending your dog to go find it. You can then turn the "find it" command into a "find my keys" command.Hide your keys under the tent, send him to it and treat him once he uncovers the keys. There is certainly not a more important job for a dog than helping you find your keys.Enjoying the great indoors can be both rewarding for you and your canine buddy plus will help to tire him out mentally. Another great way to have fun indoors and end up with something useful is to teach your pup to go to his own mat. Start by teaching him to lie down when asked. Then, put a mat out and have him lie down on the mat many times, with you standing beside it. Each time he lies down, say the word "yes" to indicate he is correct and treat after the "yes". Remember to reward with treats he loves each time he lies down. This will build his motivation for the game, plus ensure he stays focused. After all, this is supposed to be fun for both of you.Once he goes to the mat and lies down on it consistently, start to move away from it step by step. Make sure you step to the mat to reward him before he gets up. You can add the word "mat" as soon as he starts to head toward his mat and before you know it, you will be sending your dog to his mat from your comfy seat on the couch. What a great way to direct your dog after a long day. And the bonus is, when you have guests visit, you will be able to send your dog to his mat, to enjoy the company, but not pester. It will all be worth your effort.Happy training.
Gillian Ridgeway has been featured on many television interviews, radio talk shows, magazines and newspapers. She is a feature writer for Dogs, Dogs, Dogs newspaper and had a monthly column in Dogs In Canada magazine for nine years, including the training segments of Dogs In Canada Annual. Her involvement as the founding member of two dog training associations ensures she remains up to date on all current training issues. Gillian is an in-demand speaker at many trainer and vet tech conferences and her warmth and humour attract a large audience. Gillian, and her canine buddies Yareley and Noah, is a guest lecturer at the University of Toronto, using dogs to shed light on learning theory to the psychology students.