Woofs & Wags

Beyond the Backyard: 6 Ways to Enrich your Dog’s Life

21st July, 2010 - Posted by Heather Davis - No Comments

BY KAT MARTIN

Simply put, we love our dogs. We pamper them with yummy treats and belly rubs. We walk them, and toss the ball, and play chase in the yard. And that’s just the beginning! There are so many ways in which you can enrich your dog’s daily life—while strengthening the bond you share and having fun to boot! Here are six of my favorite ways to offer health and happiness to your pooch pal.

1. Give Bowser a brain booster. You cannot underestimate the importance of exercising your dog’s mind. Dogs need mental stimulation just as much as physical exercise. Why? Because giving your pup a new challenge that requires him to think makes him more adept at learning things he needs to learn—such as obedience commands. It also helps tire out your pooch pal, and as you have likely experienced, a tired dog is a happy dog (and guardian)! Spark your dog’s intellect with these great brain boosting games and toys (all available at my shop, See Spot Eat: A Doggie Bakery)!

• Kong Wobbler: While the classic Kong toy is wonderful, it is not that challenging for most pups. However, the Wobbler is weighted on the bottom and has a small opening on the side. Fill it with some tasty treats or kibble, set it on the ground and let your dog have at it. Your pal can smell the food and then has to determine how to get said yummies out of the toy. The toy tips to the side then rights itself due to the weighted bottom. Hours of fun!

• Kong Canine Genius: Another awesome Kong creation, these durable rubber toys come in three shapes and feature cross shaped holes that can be used one at a time or attached to other shaped toys in the Canine Genius line. Once your dog is familiar with the first toy, you attach a second toy to make it more challenging. They’re bouncy, too, making for lots of physical fun.

• Nina Ottoson Games: These games were created to really challenge your dog’s IQ! Offering various levels of difficulty, these toys are created to be simple in the beginning (as your dog learns the game) and then to become harder as she figures out how to get to the treats hidden within them. Some have tops that your pooch pal must slide over to uncover the treats, some have covers that must be picked up or pawed away, and others have drawers that must be slid open and/or pegs that must be pulled in order to get the hidden treat treasures. My dogs adore these games. Each of my three pups plays each new game differently. It’s fascinating to watch how each pup approaches the game from a unique angle and to see their individual intellects at work!

• Premier Busy Buddy Toys: Some of my longtime favorites include Waggle, Bouncy Bone, Tug-A-Jug and the Kibble Nibble. Some are more challenging than others but most of these toys are fairly simple yet highly interactive, and most dogs really enjoy them. So get to playing!

2. Continue training throughout your dog’s lifetime. Oftentimes, obedience training is thought of as something that you do once and then never have to repeat. After all, once Fido knows how to sit, stay and come, what else could there possibly be to learn? Think again! The possibilities for teaching new tricks and behaviors are endless, and will not only provide lots of fun for you and your dog, but will also result in a healthier, happier and better mannered pooch. Plus, training with your pup pal helps to create a much stronger bond between the two of you. It allows him to be clear about what is expected of him and provides him with vital rules and structure in his life. What’s more, a dog who learns to think and problem solve is one who will also be able to make better choices in many different novel situations in his life. Clicker training, in particular, focuses on letting dogs think for themselves and make “good” choices. By using the clicker to quickly, concisely and clearly express to dog the exact moment he has done what we want, he is able to learn the desired behavior faster. I tell my clients to think of the clicker as a new way to communicate with their dogs. It cuts through everything else so that there is no doubt in the dog’s mind when they have offered the correct behavior. Clicker savvy dogs love training time and will readily offer behaviors. I recommend short, fun, successful training sessions—typically ten or fifteen minutes in length. Most dogs really love to learn but they don’t always have the longest attention span, so keep this in mind when planning training time.

• Tricks are fun! Rainy day? How about teaching Jake to do a trick or two? While teaching our furry friends manners is imperative, it’s always nice if they also know how to do some not so necessary things as well. And while showing off your dog’s ability to sit and stay is great, let’s face it: a high five or a rollover always gets a better response from your houseguests! And it’s easy with a clicker. For instance, for a rollover, lying down may be the first step. Click click and treat your pooch for a “down” for several repetitions. After your pooch completes five or so successful “downs”, then it’s time to wait until he realizes that the down is no longer going to be enough in this situation and he must offer something more or different. Maybe he is lying with his back legs underneath his hips and he rolls over onto the side of his hips. Voila… the next step! Click and reward for several fluent repetitions of being on his hip and then raise the criteria again. Perhaps your next criteria is that he rolls onto his side completely, then onto his back, then onto his other side, then back onto his tummy or feet. Continue the process and before long, your dog will know the rollover!

• Practice patience and consistency. Some dogs may have a hard time learning to think for themselves at first—especially if you have always shown them what you want or physically prompted them to do things. Be patient and let them make some choices. If they choose wrongly, ignore it. Wait for them to realize what will work in that instance and you will end up with more of the behavior you do want. Patience and consistency are key. Dogs are smart, and they do what works. You’ll find that it’s an absolute joy to watch them realize how much fun learning can be!

3. Try a new experience with your dog. Are you and Precious in a rut? Does that nightly walk around the block seem a little dull these days? Spice up your pet’s life with a new activity! Depending on her age, temperament, breed tendencies and overall health, there are several things you may want to try. And while choosing activities that are typically best for your breed or mix of breeds is a good way to start, you may also want to try one of the others out just to see. You never know which one your dog may really love! Be sure to always check with your veterinarian before beginning any new activity to make sure your pet is healthy enough for the exercise regimine. Also, do your homework on any trainers you’ll be working with ahead of time to ensure that they have great references and do not use any type of punishment or force during training. Force and punishment are absolutely not necessary in dog training and the majority of veterinary and canine behavioral experts in the country have made statements to this effect. You can train just as successfully with positive reinformacement, love and patience… and it’s much better for your friendship!

• Agility: The fastest growing dog sport in the country, agility involves training your dog to perform a series of obstacles set up on a course—such as jumps, tunnels, seesaws, A-frames and more. I have found agility to be an amazing bonding exercise for pups and their people. In addition, it is an incredible confidence builder for shy or nervous dogs. Plus, it really helps to teach your dog to focus on you and listen to what you are asking of them and is lots of fun!

• Rally: Rally is another dog activity that is quickly gaining popularity. You guide your dog through a course comprised of various stations, each posted with a sign indicating what task your dog must complete there. Your pup must heel throughout the entire course but also will do things like slalom through cones, do automatic sits, lie down while you walk around him, perform concise U-turns and more. Rally is extremely helpful in teaching a dog to walk nicely on a leash. And, like agility, it’s fun!

• Schutzhund: This type of training is typically done with the working breeds that have a good temperament for doing guard dog work. However, other breeds can do this as well. It is a type of protection training and is wonderful for teaching a dog to listen well and respond reliably to you and your cues.

• Canine Freestyle: Dance with your dog! While this activity may seem odd to some folks, I personally find that dogs that do freestyle tend to be some of the best trained dogs I’ve ever seen. It’s challenging, but offers fun for all ages and experience levels. Best of all, nearly all breeds of dogs absolutely adore it.

• Carting: Carting is an activity that involves having your dog pull a cart with varying degrees of weight in it. It’s the perfect way to give a “job” to a dog belonging to the larger working breeds, such as Bernese Mountain Dogs, Swiss Mountain Dogs and Rottweilers. They will love having a task to perform and it helps burn off excess energy. Other dogs, such as pit bull breeds, may enjoy it as well.

• Tracking: Let your dog put his nose to work! Since canines generally come with an excellent sense of smell, this is an activity that almost any dog can do and enjoy, although hound breeds certainly excel at it. The idea is to give your pup a sniff of a particular scent, and then head out together on the trail to track it.

4. Explore your world together. There are many exciting things you can do with your dog outside of your everyday routine. Approach new experiences slowly with your pooch, and never force her to do something she is too afraid to try. The goal is for both of you to have fun!

• Take a hike. Percy Warner Park, Shelby Bottoms Greenway, Radnor Lake and many other natural areas throughout Nashville welcome your canine companions as long as they are on a six-foot leash. Even if your pooch is off-leash trained, keeping her on lead while hiking and walking is important not only to other park users but to prevent dogs from scaring and chasing after wildlife. If you’re up to venturing out a little farther, Bowie Park in Fairview has very nice trails, and if you’re looking for a challenge, Fiery Gizzard Trail near Monteagle Mountain offers twelve miles of scenic hiking.

• Take a swim. Many dogs really enjoy swimming, particularly water-loving breeds such as spaniels, setters and retrievers—but keep in mind that some breeds (such as English Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers, Greyhounds and Corgis) cannot swim or do so with much difficulty. If you’re unsure, outfit your pup with a canine lifejacket and stay close by. Take to the lake and start in shallow water to see if it’s something your dog in interested in or afraid of. If she seems to enjoy the water, you can gradually swim out for her to follow you. Keep swim session short and slowly build over time to avoid exhausting your pup pal—and always be careful to avoid extreme heat and to provide plenty of fresh drinking water.

5. Pamper your pooch. Everyone likes a little TLC, and your dog is no exception! Nashville is fortunate to have plenty of pooch pampering options available, so take advantage and show your four-legged friend some puppy love.

• Treats for two. Take Bowser with you to relax on the patio of a local dog-friendly coffee shop, such as Fido or Bongo Java. Or, better yet, bring her to my shop, See Spot Eat, in Berry Hill, where you’ll find all sorts of fresh baked goodies as well as the interactive toys I’ve mentioned here. Afterward, stop in next door for some homemade ice cream at Pied Piper Creamery. (Hey—you have to treat yourself, too!)

• Fun in the tub. Get your groom on at Dizzy’s Dog Wash in Berry Hill or Wags and Whiskers in East Nashville, and leave with a squeaky clean canine! Both shops make it a breeze to do it yourself, and Dizzy’s offers drop-off service as well.

• Massage your mutt. Visit a doggie masseuse or pick up a book or video about how to massage her yourself. I recommend Stretch Your Dog Healthy by Nashville author Raquel Wynn or Getting in T-Touch with Your Dog by Linda Tellington-Jones. The Farm at Natchez Trace offers a great canine massage service, as does Paws & Effect Wellness and others.

• Enjoy a local event. Nashville is home to a plethora of dog-friendly events and festivals, so leash him up and bring him along! Most events at Centennial Park, such as the Earth Day Festival and the Tennessee Arts and Crafts Festival, welcome well-mannered dogs.  allow you to bring dogs. And, of course, there are plenty of festivals just for the dogs, too—such as Nashville Paw Magazine’s very own “Rex in the City” series at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. Join dog lovers for live music, food, drinks, contests, prizes and fun at the Tailwaggin’ Tailgate Festival on August 26 and for the 2nd Annual Barktoberfest on October 28.

With all these ideas in hand, there’s no reason not to try something new and fun with your pooch pal today! Add some excitement to your dog’s life and experience a new level of fun together. Your dog will thank you for it, and your time spent bonding will enrich both of your lives a million times over. Have fun!

Kat Martin is the owner of Dogs & Kat Training and Behavioral Counseling and See Spot Eat: A Doggie Bakery. Be sure to see this article and her ad in the August issue of Nashville Paw Magazine!