Agility, Fetching & Co - sporty tips for your dog
Border Collie Max would love to dance the tango with you from 0 to 24 hours, and even pug Lilly, who really likes to take 2-8 naps a day, is slowly but surely getting the ants in her pants? If your furry friend has already given you his paw for the 4th time today, then it’s definitely time for something new.
In case you’ve run out of ideas or you are →sick at home and your furry friend is pestering you with his boredom, here are 7 tips on how to keep your four-legged friend entertained in different ways.
1. Refresh and learn commands
If your furry friend is one of those dogs that can “lie down” but only after the sixth request, you can use the time at home very well for →obedience training. You don’t need much for this: your four-legged friend, a room with enough space, and some tasty snacks for rewards.
If your furry friend has already mastered the basics, you can practice the →commands with hand signals by, for example, raising your finger for “sit.” New commands like turning around, sitting on the hind legs, or barking on command can also bring freshness to the training.
Choose a healthy, sugar-free snack for training. With a tasty treat, training becomes much easier, and motivation is guaranteed!
Tolle Belohnungen für fleißige Hunde - unsere Snacks
2. Intelligence and sniffing games
One way to make your furry friend’s daily feedings more adventurous is through →intelligence and feeding games. They are perfect for dogs that tend to gulp their food, as intelligence games prolong feeding time and create a feeling of fullness.
They come in various forms, ranging from complex “search boards” where treats are hidden under different wooden objects to homemade sniffing courses. Your furry friend learns to use his nose skillfully to get to the hidden food.
Feel free to be creative here. Use cups, boxes, pillowcases, and empty bottles to create the perfect sniffing adventure!
3. Agility in the living room
Do you want to →physically exhaust your four-legged friend, but also want to ensure that the work for the brain doesn’t fall short? Not only do [→active dog breeds](/magazin/hunde/hunderassen/sportliche-hunderassen-fuer-aktive-menschen) benefit from this type of exercise, but even small couch potatoes can quickly find their fun.
Our tip: Transform your garden (or even your living room) into an agility course! To build the various obstacles, you can simply use furniture and sturdy items that your home offers. Suitable items include:
1. Chairs for balancing or building a bridge
2. Boxes to crawl through
3. A broom placed on two stools for your dog to jump over
4. An exercise mat or a towel where your furry friend must hold a command for 10 seconds
5. Stools to create a slalom course
6. A bottle filled with treats that must be fetched
Look around your home - what can be transformed into a suitable obstacle?
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Agility ist ein toller Sport für Hund und Halter*in. Je nach Lust und Motivation könnt ihr in einen Verein eintreten oder du baust ein paar Hindernisse bei euch im Garten auf.
4. Training relaxed behavior around food
Once Lilly has the pig ear in her mouth, it’s impossible to take the prey away from her, and she even growls at you during dinner when you come closer than 5 meters to her bowl? Then now is a good opportunity to show your four-legged friend some boundaries regarding food. Ideally, →you train your dog from puppy age, but even adult dogs can learn boundaries.
One tip beforehand: If your furry friend shows clear →aggressions when you want to touch the bowl during feeding, don’t just reach in. As much as your furry friend loves you, he might snap in such a situation. A good method to counteract this is feeding during training and generally regular obedience training.
Feed a lot from your hand in small portions instead of letting your furry friend eat from the bowl. This way, he will accept you faster as his food provider and respect you. If your dog becomes pushy, barks, or jumps, end the exercise.
Keep in mind that your furry friend’s food should be diverse and varied within the framework of →species-appropriate dog nutrition and should be based on the findings for a healthy meal. We at Pets Deli focus on fresh meat, fruity fruits and vegetables, exquisite herbs, and rich oils!
Unser Futter für Hunde: gesund, ehrlich, lecker.
5. Don’t eat off the ground
An exercise that will also benefit you during walks: Teach your furry friend to not eat anything off the ground. This minimizes the risk that your darling plays vacuum cleaner during walks and might catch a →poison bait on the street. This exercise is also great for training a stress-free feeding routine with your furry friend.
To do this, scatter treats on the ground. If your furry friend shows signs of wanting to eat them, you can firmly but calmly say *"No!"* to put him in his place. If he establishes eye contact and stops going for the treats on the ground, reward him.
You can also practice eating on command by placing a treat on your dog’s nose and having him hold it until you give the command "Go!" to allow him to lower his nose and let the reward fall to the ground. If he tries to eat it, stop the behavior by saying "No!" again or making him sit. Reward with treats from your hand.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Futtern auf Kommando: Du bestimmst, wann dein Hund frisst. So gehst du sicher, dass er nichts vom Boden aufsammelt und anerkennt, dass es in deiner Hand liegt, wann und wie er futtert.
6. Fetching - when your four-legged friend becomes the newspaper courier
To teach your furry friend fetching, you first need a treat bag or an empty, sturdy plastic bottle filled with treats or dry food.
The process of fetching involves picking up the treat bag or bottle, transporting it to you, and ultimately handing it over to you. Until your dog can fetch newspapers, the item should initially be filled with treats, as otherwise, your dog might quickly lose interest.
It’s important to convey to your furry friend that he doesn’t need to secure the prey and that he only gets to the food if he brings it to you. When he is on his way to the treat bag and picks it up, give the command *"Fetch!"***
When he stands in front of you, he should hand over the treat bag with a *"Drop!" Reward intensively. Once your dog is confident in these exercises, you can replace the item with, for example, a newspaper and have him bring it to you every morning at 8:30 sharp.*
7. Massage - the perfect relaxation for your four-legged friend
Belly rubs are nice and all, but your furry friend will be amazed when you surprise him with a great massage - after all, →he shows you his love whenever he can! What provides you with absolute relaxation is also very pleasant for your furry friend. After playing, simply lay a towel or a cozy blanket on the floor and let your furry friend make himself "place." Start by petting the entire dog body, beginning with the ears, then the legs, gently kneading the dog paws, and stroking the back and belly.
For the perfect head massage, you can lightly circle your fingers on your furry friend’s forehead and scratch the area below the snout. After that, you can knead the ears with varying pressure. Your furry friend particularly enjoys that!
You massage the back and neck by gently lifting your pet’s fur and then smoothing it back down. Work your way over the entire back, making sure to apply no pressure on the spine. Because amidst all the fun, play & training, ample rest periods and cuddling sessions are also essential.
Additionally, you might also keep your dog entertained with one of our great →craft ideas (for Christmas, but who cares)?
