Lockdown survival guide for dog parents
Lockdown survival guide for dog parents
Is your dog driving you a bit crazy during lockdown, demanding constant attention, barking during zoom calls or interrupting while you are trying to get the hang of homeschooling?
Here are 7 strategies you can use for your dog so you can get your work done;
1. Physical excercise
Give your dog plenty of physical exercise, and you get a happier, healthier, better-behaved dog. Dogs need to run, swim, or do something else that gets their heart pumping for at least 30 minutes every day. Chasing a ball or Frisbee. Swimming. Playing tug. Active play with other dogs. Off-leash romps or hikes are all great workouts for the body. make sure that you play a part in all these activities – just letting the dogs play by themselves outside can be a recipe for many problems.
2. Mental exercise
Work to eat. Biologically speaking, your dog is not supposed to have a bowl of kibble plunked down in front of him. He is a hunter by nature, meant to work for his keep. Mimic this by serving your dog’s food in a Kong , or treat ball. Or, for a cheap DIY solution, put his cubes in an empty coke or water bottle. Your dog will spend the first part of the day figuring out how to get at his food and the rest of it recovering from the mental effort. Perfect!
3. A special place for your dog
The best way to ensure your dog isn’t going to disturb your conference call is to keep them in a separate area. Simply sending the dogs outside into the yard or garden is not really a solution. Without you keeping an eye on them, they can easily get into mischief, dig up the lawn or bark incessantly at something only they seem to see.
This is not going to help you concentrate. Until your dog has mastered the art of relaxing even with distractions set up a separate space, where your dog can hang out with a kong, a handful of kibble in a bottle or a chew bone, while you are on a zoom call or homeschool the kids.
Wondering how to set up a special space for your dog to relax in? See my posts about setting up a confinement area or why every fog should have a crate.
4.Set dedicated play times
One of the greatest challenges of working from home is time management. It’s easy enough to get distracted from work while at home by yourself, let alone with a cute puppy begging for a play session.
In order to keep your dog – or other distractions – from eating into your work day, set specific break times for you and your dog. Having this structured play time will not only help you get your work done, but it will strengthen the bond with your dog and gives you a chance to stretch!
Pro Tip: don’t always play at the same time. Dogs are expert detectives and often know a pattern before you even realize there was one! For example, if you get up every 2 hours to stretch and play with your dog – he will soon start reminding you ahead of time! Mix it up!
Run out of games to play with your dog? Join one of our classes or private training offers!
5. Don't reward the attention seeker
Mom, I am bored.
Don’t give in when your dog is asking for attention.
If your dog starts whining, nudges you or brings you toys – don’t give in!
One time means anytime to a dog. Even if you only give in occasionally, your dog learns that there is chance he can get your attention. Therefore he will continue to try. Rather wait until your dog has left you in peace for a few minutes, then get up and play.
6. Teach your dog to go to a mat
You can easily teach your dog to go to his bed, by playing the mat game. All you need is a mat and some super tasty treats that your dog loves.
Present a blanket or a mat. Reward your dog with the treats for ‘finding’ the mat: as soon as he touches the mat, throw a treat a little away from him, so he has to leave the mat to get it. This will give him the opportunity to find the mat again and earn another treat!
Pro tip: It is super important that you say “search” (or some other word) before you toss the treat. This word will help you later to teach your dog that he is allowed to leave the mat. Your dog also learns that he can chase a cookie and then come back to play.
For more detailed info, download my free step by step training guide.
7. Turn your dog into a Zen master
Teach your dog the art of Zen or how to relax on his mat even with distractions. Once your dog has mastered the mat game, and understands the release cue, you can work on increasing duration, and distractions.
The key is to work at your dogs level. You want to set your dog up for rewards before you challenge him with long duration or difficult distractions, such as running children or the ringing of the doorbell.
Create peace in your home: download my free step by step training guide to a relaxed dog!
