Ways to Stimulate Your Dog if You Have to Isolate
If you or a grown-up in your family test positive for Covid-19, you may need to isolate yourself. This means staying indoors to prevent the spread of the disease and following this rule will help keep other people safe. It’s normal to feel a little bored after being stuck at home for a few days, but it’s not just you who may be itching to get out and burn off some energy. Dogs need regular exercise and games to keep them healthy and stop them from getting bored too. This is called physical and mental stimulation and is very important. So, what can you do to keep your dog stimulated while you are in isolation? Let’s find out!
Stick to a daily routine
When you are spending all day sitting at home rather than going to school and your usual clubs and activities, the hours can blur together. However, just because you aren’t in your usual routine it doesn’t mean that you can’t keep one for your dog. In fact, dogs are much happier when they are in a routine, and they know what will happen during each of their days and at what times. We recommend that you create a routine for your pup and stick to it.
Make use of your yard/garden
Provided you aren’t in too close proximity to your neighbours, nothing is stopping you from taking your dog out in the garden so that both of you can get some fresh air. And if your garden is big enough, there may even be enough space for you to get a little exercise. Take their favourite toy out and play fetch or hide and seek for a few minutes multiple times during the day to help break up the hours sitting inside.
Play games indoors too
As long as you are mindful of any indoor hazards, there’s no reason why you can’t play games inside as well. Again, fetch is a great game, and you could use a soft toy to minimise the risk of any damage. Hide and seek works well with treats – check out this video of Gus and Pippi!
Invest in some puzzle toys
Puzzle toys are a great option to keep your dog mentally stimulated while you are in isolation and there are lots of different types to choose from. You just hide treats inside and when your furry friend figures out the puzzle, the treat will be released. You could ask a friend or family member to pick one up for you, or Amazon has a wide range with many available for next day delivery!
Watch TV together
Many people are surprised to discover that dogs enjoy watching TV just like humans do although their ability to see the screen is different, meaning that they usually need to sit closer than we do. Lots of dogs particularly enjoy watching tv shows with other animals, like nature documentaries. They also see blues, yellows and greens more than they do reds, purples and pinks which makes tv shows about being outdoors more interesting for your four-legged friend.
Need more inspiration about ways to stimulate your dog? We found this helpful video of 25 activities and games to play with dogs inside your home.
For other great tips about how to keep your dog healthy and happy, sign up to the Zara Dog Dog Club today!
We would love to see and hear about how you and your dog have kept each other company through Isolation, please leave us a comment.
