Staying at home is always more enjoyable with your four-legged kid. From kicking back and relaxing with a movie marathon, to getting outside and planting a garden - when your pet is with you, it makes the day's activities WAY more pleasant!
However, there comes a point where you both may start to become bored, a bit depressed...next thing you know you've got cabin fever. So, how about changing up your daily routine, to brighten both your spirits?
Here are some ways you can perk up your days with your favorite furkid.
Baking and Bonding
What better way to make your pooch happy and share some bonding time than baking some treats right along with him? Pick a recipe with simple ingredients that he loves! Whether it's peanut butter, pumpkin, or beef, whip up a batch of treats featuring his favorite "flavor" -- that he's sure to enjoy. Most dog treat recipes have minimal ingredients...all that you likely already have in your pantry. You can follow some of our favorite dog treat recipes or search for your own. Either way, fire up the oven, get out the cookie cutters, put on your favorite tunes and bake away!
Try a New Workout
Maybe you're getting bored with the same old exercises, or you haven't made a plan for daily workouts. Finding time for some new physical activities can really be a boost for you and your pet.
Try something simple to start, like adding in lunges the next time you walk your dog. You can do this just about anywhere, whether in your yard or up and down the street. Then, incorporate some stretching techniques, like Dog Yoga (Doga). Grab your mat and take your pooch outside to practice some basic downward dogs, and he will probably join right in!
Next, try something that we all were born to do - DANCE! Dancing releases those endorphins that will brighten your moods. And, dogs are naturals when it comes to dancing -- because they have no inhibitions. So turn up the music and shake your groove thing (oh yeah).
Find the Treat
Try an easy spin-off of hide and go seek, by hiding your dog's treats around your yard for him to sniff and seek. Keep him inside while you hide the treats, and then let him out to start sniffing his way to the rewards. He shouldn't have trouble figuring this one out, but if he needs some guidance, let him watch you throw a treat into the yard that he can find. That's a good way to get started, and soon he will be running from bush to tree and back again to find the treats.
This is a game that's best for outdoors, but you can take it inside if the weather's not so great or you've got chemical treatments on your lawn.
DIY Obstacle Course
It's easy to put together an obstacle course for your furkid, to help increase his activity and agility. Use your imagination and be creative with items you already have around the house. Try gathering up some sticks and placing them in the ground for easy weave poles. Or, get some boxes of different sizes, put them in order, and have him do some hurdles up and over them. You can use your dog's bed or a blanket as a pause table. Next, on to the high jump! Grab a long stick and elevate it using bricks or even a couple chairs. You can also try setting the stick on the ground for your dog to jump over.
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