With the crazy weather we’re having this winter, everything from extreme cold to mild and rainy, your dog may not be able to get outside to “shake his sillies out”.  A busy or energetic dog with cabin fever can create havoc and stress in the home.

Luckily, there is more than one way to exercise a dog. Putting their brains to work can be as tiring and fun as physical exercise. There are many games, puzzles and learning activities you can do with your dog that will bust their boredom, boost their brain, and maybe even set them up for a good nap afterwards.

Tricks for Kicks

If your dog has learned the basic commands, a rainy day is the perfect time to work on some new material. And yes, you can certainly teach an old dog new tricks. My 14-year old is still keen to learn new behaviours. Learning tricks is a great way to give your dog enrichment, develop your training skills and strengthen your bond with your dog. When teaching new tricks, keep it simple and break down the behaviour into small steps, rewarding your dog at each approximation to the final behaviour. For instance, if you want to teach your dog to spin. Start by rewarding your dog for turning their head to the side, then towards their flank, then taking a step in the direction of the turn, then turning half-way until they turn all the way around.

A great resource for trick training is the Do More With Your Dog website. You can also find books about trick training such as The Big Book of Tricks for the Best Dog Ever. Many dog trainers, including myself, offer trick training classes if you want in-person coaching. 

Nose Workouts

Getting your dog to use their super sniffer is an excellent way to give your pooch enrichment and tire them out. Nose work is also used regularly by trainers as therapy for anxiety and hyperactivity in dogs. It requires a great deal of focus, and has a calming effect on the brain. When the dog finds the source of the scent, dopamine, a “feel good” hormone is released. As with training any new behaviour, it’s important to start off easy and progress in small steps. 

1. Use some tasty and smelly treats. Say, “Find it!”, then toss a treat on the ground. Repeat several times until your dog’s eyes sparkle and tail wags when you say the cue. 
2. Next, have your dog wait while you place a treat further away. Return to your dog and give then the cue, “Find it!”. 
3. After several repetitions, you can start to place the treat in easy hiding places such as under a coffee table or behind the leg of a chair, still in full view of your dog.
4. After several successful finds, let your dog watch you hide two treats, then three treats, in easy places. During this step, start rubbing the treat on a paper towel and ask them to sniff before you tell them to “Find it.”
5. Next, let them watch you hide treats in harder places – on elevated surfaces, under things, and behind things. Continue to ask them to sniff the scented paper towel before sending them to “Find it.”
6. Eventually, your dog will be ready for some great hunting fun. You can put your dog in another room while you hide a few treats. Then you bring them back into the room, have them sniff the scented paper towel, and tell them to “Find it!”. Resist the temptation to help your dog if they struggle. The object of the game is for your dog to use their nose to find the treats, not ask their human. If they can’t find some of the treats after trying for some time, remove your dog from the room, put the remaining treats in easier places and let them try again.

You can find many videos on Youtube that show you how to introduce nose work to your dog. You can also find online classes. For in-person coaching, you can ask a local certified dog trainer for help.

Food Puzzles

 There are many commercially-available interactive dog toys such as Kongs, and Nina Ottosson puzzles. You can also make DIY toys from materials around the home to give your dog some challenges.

• Muffin Tin Game – Take a muffin tin and as many tennis balls as your tin has cups. Place a treat in each cup, and press a tennis ball into the cup. Show your dog there’s a treat under the ball if necessary, then hold the tin steady while they work to get the goodies.
• Roll out to win – Take a bathmat, old towel or carpet runner and drop treats onto it. Roll it up then give it to your dog to figure out how to unroll it and get the treats.

• Bottle feeder– Puncture a number of holes into an empty plastic water or pop bottle. The holes should be large enough for your dog’s kibble to fall through. Then put some of your dog’s dried kibble or treats into the bottle, fasten the cap, then give it to your dog to roll around to make the food drop out.

So when the weather outside is frightful, there are plenty of activities you can do with your dog to keep cabin fever at bay. These activities are equally good for occupying dogs who are convalescing after an injury. Give their brains a good workout and you could have a dog as equally tired and satisfied as if they had had that hour-long walk.