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Stuck indoors? That doesn鈥檛 mean all of the great training momentum you and your dog have built up has to come to a screeching halt. Even though you may be confined, your dog still needs the physical and mental stimulation that comes from learning new skills. Here are some ideas for indoor dog training.
Teach a New Skill
Choose a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) skill your dog doesn鈥檛 have (or needs to polish) and set up an indoor dog training time daily. You can work on sit, down, come, and stay in a small space.
If you鈥檙e ready to move beyond CGC skills, you can start to teach your dog to heel. By moving furniture, such as small tables or chairs, you can create obstacles that you can use to refine your dog鈥檚 heeling skills.
Provide Mental Stimulation
Try hiding dog treats or toys, then have your dog find them. Or, if your dog has a reliable stay, you can play a fun game of hide-and-seek. Put the dog in a stay, and then go and hide somewhere in the house or apartment. Have a family member tell the dog, 鈥淕o find them.鈥�
Work on Indoor Exercise
You can help small dogs exercise indoors by having them chase a ball in a hallway. Canine freestyle (dog dancing) moves are a good way to exercise larger dogs indoors. Your dog can even get a certain amount of exercise from doing CGC exercises 鈥� sit, down, come, 鈥淩un with me鈥� (in a small area), stop, down, and 鈥淟et鈥檚 go鈥� 鈥� as speed drills.
You may also consider training your dog to use indoor exercise equipment such as a .
Get Creative
Now is a great time to try out new recipes and crafts. There are lots of dog-friendly treat recipes you can make from items in your pantry, such as Xylitol-free peanut butter, broth, and plain oats.
Create your own toys and games to keep your dog alert and stimulated.聽Cardboard containers make great destructible treat dispensers. Empty toilet paper tubes or paper towel rolls can be stuffed with soft treats for an easy homemade toy.
Keep Active in Sports or Start a New One
There are many ways to keep up with your dog鈥檚 training for sports like Agility, AKC Scent Work, and AKC Rally in your home. If you don鈥檛 have agility equipment, make your own by stacking a broom on top of two piles of books or use large packing boxes as tunnels.
Although learning 42 Rally signs at home might seem overwhelming, the AKC has that will show you how to perform each sign correctly. You can even create a complete mock AKC Rally course at home. All you need are the signs and pylons. You can download and print all of the , and you can also . Some courses require up to 12 pylons, so it鈥檚 a good idea to purchase that many.
There are lots of easy scent work games to try at home as well.聽Have old shoeboxes or egg cartons? Hide treats in containers you already have around the house and watch your dog鈥檚 nose and brain go to work.