Valerie Money, Petco Dog Trainer, came into our ABC 7 Eyewitness News studio with her dog Beauty to show us a few fun games you can play with your pets indoors.
Valerie's Suggestions For Games:
1. Puzzles:
New pets are full of energy, especially if the adopted dog is a puppy.
Kyjen Dog Games are a great solution.
Ten minutes of thinking play equals 45-minutes of active play, meaning these food and treat motivated games will give dogs what they need to stay healthy and entertained during colder months.
2. Red Light, Green Light:
Use the training commands "come" and "stay" to cue dogs when to walk and stop.
Pets need mental stimulation to stay alert and refreshing training commands will not only get them out of that comfy bed, but will challenge dogs to complete the task.
Don't forget to reward them for a game well played.
3. Hide and Seek:
Teach a dog to "stay" before hiding in another room of the house.
After finding that secret spot, call the pet by his or her name.
Keep calling the pet until he or she finds the hiding spot.
If the house has stairs, put the dog downstairs while the person hiding goes up, so the dog burns extra calories going up and down those stairs.
4. Bubbles:
Cats need to be kept active just like dogs.
Catnip bubbles will get them up and moving.
Just blow these bubbles through the wand and cats will pounce on them as they float slowly to the ground.
5. Musical Chairs:
Just like regular musical chairs, the pets and pet parents will walk in a circle and when the music stops the last pet to "sit" is out.
This game will help dogs socialize with other friends, as well as reinforce one of the most basic dog training commands.
6. DOG:
Much like the favorite basketball game, HORSE, a dog must complete a trick and then another dog must complete the same trick.
If that dog fails to do it they get a "D."
The first pet to spell D-O-G is out and concedes the win to his or her pal.
However, it's easy to start again because dogs don't typically take the loss too hard.
Learning new tricks is beneficial to keep pets mentally alert, plus 10 minutes of thinking play can equal 45 minutes of active play so this simple activity can keep pets in shape during the cold winter months.
For guidance on how to begin teaching new commands, Petco Certified dog trainers are available to give advice to pet parents at their nearest Petco store.
