Dogs are the pets par excellence, although it is true that pets are becoming more and more varied (which allows a better adaptation to each person's lifestyle), the statement that The dog is man's best friend is based on the great emotional bond that we can create with dogs and how this fact can enrich our lives in an extraordinary way.
For this reason, dogs deserve our best care, aimed not only at preventing disease, but also at covering all their needs and allowing them to have an optimal quality of life.
In this article on our site we give you ideas so that you can interact more with your pet and ensure its complete well-being, and we do so by showing you various 5 games to play with your dog at home.
Games to avoid stress
Although it may be hard to believe at first, dogs are very susceptible to stress because they are very sensitive animals. Stress in dogs can be caused by various factors, such as lack of play, lack of physical exercise, loneliness, lack of interaction with other animals or lack of sufficient attention from the human family.
If our dog suffers from stress, it will show it in the following way:
- He is nervous and startles easily at the slightest external stimulus
- His behavior shows significant changes, he may be shy and reserved or develop aggressive behavior towards other animals or people
- You cannot relax and your sleep hours decrease
- May become unrelated to owners and show lethargy
- He may defecate and urinate indoors as a manifestation of his nervous state
If your dog shows these symptoms we recommend that you go to the vet, however, we also tell you that to prevent and treat this situation you must stimulate your pet in the right way, and one of the best methods to achieve it are games for dogs.
One game that works wonders to reduce stress and separation anxiety is the use of kong.
The infinite possibilities of a cardboard box
To start with the first canine game options only we will need a cardboard box, yes, it must be a clean box, rigid and wide enough for our dog to fit inside.
We can place the box in a large place in our home, if possible where there are not many objects that can interact with the dog as obstacles, and then the fun begins, since a simple cardboard box contains numerous game possibilities.
Here we show you some examples:
Placing a treat as a reward inside the box will make your dog discover it and get inside it, discovering then that this can be a great hiding place. In addition, you will be able to exercise it physically
Another way to get our dog to interact with the box is by showing him a toy that he is attached to, which we will later hide inside the box
We can also hide the toys following the opposite path, that is, place the toys inside the box and allow your dog to entertain himself with them, then hide them in a corner of your home and leave let him look for them
A fun option for the cardboard box is to make it wide enough that we can fit in it too, like this we are completely playing with our dog, and this will motivate him. Using positive reinforcement with dog treats, clicker or hugs will make our pet enjoy even more.
Play hide and seek with smell
A dog's sense of smell is extraordinary, in fact, it is the sense that deteriorates least with age, so this game is exceptional for continuing to stimulate older dogs. We must take advantage of the fact that the dog's snout has millions of olfactory receptors to stimulate its cognition.
To start this game we should only have air fresheners, fruits or any object with a smell (always making sure that the dog does not ingest any substance that could be toxic), the ideal is to use odors that are unknown to our dog.
First we'll let him sniff the object for a while, then we'll hide it in a corner and he'll have to look for it, while he's in this quest, we will be stimulating your nervous system.
We can also use searching if we don't mind if the floor is a bit dirty. It consists of spreading food so that the dog looks for it and relaxes. Although it is preferable to do it outdoors, we can also do it indoors with puppies or elderly dogs.
Catching the toy
This game is a lot of fun and most importantly it allows the dog to get physical exercise and stay active. It's perfect for rainy days.
We will only need a toy that is attractive to our pet, a stick, and a rope that is at least one meter long.
The game runs as follows:
- We tie the rope to one end of the stick and at the end of the rope we must tie the toy.
- We hold the stick and hide behind a pillar, wall or door, letting the toy tied to the rope rest on the ground.
- We started to move the toy slightly at ground level to get our pet's attention.
- Once our dog has decided to go to explore the toy, then we can move the stick in different ways and intensify the movement, so that the dog will be very entertained and excited.
Finally a pleasant reward for our friend will be to untie the toy and give him all the freedom to experiment with it.
Can I have your toy?
This game will allow our pet to be alert and maintain optimal physical condition. We only need a toy that is attractive to him and above all whose touch is soft, since it is important that at no time is there a risk of damaging the teeth of the animal.
We will allow our dog to play freely until we decide to take the toy away, obviously, our pet will not leave us and here starts a fun game of tug and grabto which we can also incorporate a multitude of movements in order to allow our pet more physical exercise. If you have several dogs do not doubt that this will work.
Musical game to relax
Playing with our dog not only has to have the function of stimulating or exciting him, but it can also be an excellent way to relax him.
The popular saying tells us that music tames the beasts, and it is quite right, in fact, the effects of music therapy they are diverse, positive and amply demonstrated.
To relax your dog through music you only need to follow these simple steps:
- Find a surface where your dog can lie down comfortably and relax
- Stay by his side, as he calms down you can shower him with affection
- Play some music, dogs may love music that incorporates howling wolves or other wild animal sounds, this will stimulate their brain while keeping them relaxed
After five minutes you will be able to see how your dog has changed and is completely calm. Also discover how to practice yoga with your dog.
