Hanging out at home is always better with your furkid by your side. From lounging on the couch, binge watching movies to doing yard work — having your pet with you makes day-to-day activities more enjoyable.
However, having to stay at home with your pet for a prolonged period of time can make you both a little bit stir crazy, bored, irritable or downright blue. Maybe it’s time to mix-up your stay-at-home routine to help you de-stress and get your pup’s tail wagging a little more.
Here are some ways to beat the stay-at-home blues with your furry sidekick.
Hide and Go Treat
Yes, this game is a spin on hide and go seek. Hide dog treats around your yard, then let your dog outside and let him sniff away, as he scours the lawn searching for his reward! It won’t take him long to figure it out. However, if he needs a little nudge, let him see you toss a treat into the yard for him to find. That will get the ball rolling! It’s best if you have a fenced yard. Also, if you treat your lawn with chemicals, we recommend playing this game INSIDE.
DIY Agility Course
Put together a fun agility course for your furkid using household items you already have. Be creative! For weave poles, gather up some sticks and put them in the ground or perhaps you have some orange cones around the garage.
Use your dog’s elevated bed, regular bed or even a blanket as your pause table. Incorporate hurdles into your agility course by grabbing some boxes of varying sizes and placing them in sequence. Your high (or low) jump can be achieved with a stick. You can even set it on the ground to have your dog “jump” over or set the height by placing either end of the stick on bricks or even chairs.
And of course have your dog’s favorite treats on hand to “guide” him through the course.
Baking with Dogs
Your dog likely loves treats more than anything else (besides you). What better way to please your pooch and bond with him at the same time than baking with him? Whether your dog loves peanut butter, carrots, pumpkin, or liver…you can find a dog treat recipe that’s sure to please. It’s very likely you can find a recipe using the ingredients you already have in your pantry. So preheat the oven, pull out the cookie sheets, grab the measuring cups…and BAKE!
Change-Up Your Workout
You may find yourself in a rut with either the same old workout routine…or no routine at all. If you’ve got the stay-at-home blues, both you and your pet can greatly benefit from some type of physical activity.
To mix it up a bit, on your next walk, practice some walking lunges. You can do this up and down your driveway, in your lawn, or down the street. Or, how about some Doga (dog yoga)? Grab your mat, your pooch and head outside. Practice your downward dog while he practices his! Another sure fire way to beat the stay-at-home blues is to dance! Dogs are natural dancers – even though they have two left feet. Crank up your favorite tunes and just dance!
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– By TripsWithPets.com
