Equipet is here to help!
The schools are closed and you are juggling work, kids and pets...
It can be super hard to manage to do all three things together, especially when limited to staying home.
Kids and the dog always thrive on structured routine, healthy food and exercise but their routine and level of exercise has had to change a little bit.
Without exercise kids and dogs can get really bored, both need to be given the opportunity each day to run off that energy.
This can be hard to do especially in houses in the towns and cities that may have limited space. Being cooped up without activity could leave your dog feeling stressed and suffering from anxiety.
There are a number of things you can do to keep both dogs and kids occupied while at home. A dog is a child’s best friend and they love to play with them so why not get both of them to use energy together?
Our friends at Equipet suggest some great activities to keep them both happy.
Hide and Seek
Dogs and kids love to play hide and seek and even better if they play it together. Hiding toys or treats will keep your dog physically and mentally engaged. Try putting the dog in another room while you or your child hide their favourite toy, alternatively get your child to hide with a dog treat in hand and tell the dog to search/go find it.
Treat Treasure Hunt
If you have children in the house you may have tried hiding letters or word cards around the house for them to find, read and earn a reward. If you haven’t why not try it and have the dog join in by hiding some of his treats or even small pieces of his dog food with the cards.
Game of Fetch
You can’t be lobbing a ball or stick around the average household so a game of traditional fetch could be awkward to play in the house as a ball could accidentally break things. It is possible though to play fetch by just rolling the ball along the floor or in the hall. Your child can easily entertain the dog this way. Add in learning for your child by combining counting and number games with this activity.
Some Extra Training
Learning and paying attention will help tire a dog out. Take this time to reinforce dog training or teach your dog new skills. Dogs learn very quickly by using treats as rewards. A couple of simple ones to work on are the ‘recall command’, ‘sit’ and ‘stay’, once those are learned, maybe ‘search’ could be the next one. A silent dog whistle or clicker is useful for alerting the dog to the command.
Tug of War
Dogs love to play tug of war with a rope or tug toy. This is a game for adults to play with dogs. Always stop playing immediately if a dog tugs aggressively.
Puzzle Toys
Dogs need to be kept mentally stimulated otherwise they can become bored and this will lead to behavioural problems. Puzzle based dog toys are a great way to keep them entertained. Products stocked by Equipet such as K9 Connectables are designed to stimulate and entertain your dog for longer than usual toys. The K9 Connectables design encourages your dog to think and work to unlock the treats hidden in the toy. The KONG Hopz treat dispenser ball is also a great way to keep your dog occupied while you are working or doing activities with the kids. It has an orbital shape with a rocking motion and the dog must move it to get treats dispensed. The rocker motion also triggers a squeaker to keep the dog’s attention.
Living Room Obstacle Course
Dogs love to run and jump but this isn’t always possible in the house. Maybe design an obstacle course for the dog, kids pop up tents and tunnel sets can be used, kids hoops also. If there is someone in the house that is good at DIY then they can make a simple dog jump with wood or a series of steps. Kids sports cone sets may also be used to create a weaved path.
Popping Bubbles
Dogs and kids love bubbles, kids love blowing bubbles and popping them and dogs love jumping to pop them. If you don’t have bubble mix at home don’t worry you can easily make your own. Mix 50ml washing up liquid with 300ml of water very gently. You can also add 1tsp of glycerine to make it more stable if you have it, don’t worry if you don’t as it should work anyway. The water has to be added very slowly to avoid creating too many bubbles at the start, leave it to rest overnight before you use it. You can also use things around the house to make the bubble wands. Get the kids involved in making the bubble mix for creative play and doing some maths by measuring the liquids. Kids may then enjoy looking around the house for items that could be used as bubble wands such as:
- Slotted Spoons
- Colanders
- Scone or biscuit cutters
- Whisk
- Paper clips/wire and pipe cleaners can be bent into the shape (circles or squares) of wands
- Key rings
Which hand is it in?
Dogs love attention. Playing a simple “which hand” game with dog treats can really grab their attention. Alternatively use 3 cups with a hidden dog treat, switch them around and get the dog to sniff out which cup the treat is in.
So there are at least a few ways to keep kids and pets happy and buy yourself some guilt free time for yourself knowing they are learning and having fun.
If you need any products to keep your pooch stimulated Equipet stores remain open (weekdays 10am to 6pm and Sundays 12pm to 6pm) with social distancing in operation. Or use their online order system.
For more, check out equipetstores.com.
