No need to be stuck for what to do with your pet during COVID-19

You might not be able to let your dog off-leash but one of Brisbane’s leading trainers has put together a list of ideas to keep your furry friends happy and healthy in lockdown. SEE THE LIST

With dog off-leash park closures due to COVID-19 many ‘pet parents’ are looking to find new ways to keep their furry friends occupied, now one of Brisbane’s leading dog trainers has put together a list of great games and ideas to put to bed boredom and bad habits creeping in.

“The bond we share with our pets is very important,” says A Furever Life Canine Training’s Shannon Ratahi.

“Our pets provide much needed support, comfort and companionship to people in these difficult times. However many pet parents are worried about the impact the coronavirus is having on their dogs.”

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Dog trainer Shannon Ratahi’s tips on helping ‘pet parents’ keep their dogs occupied during COVID-19 isolation. Photo supplied.

Ms Ratahi said worrying about how to burn of a dog’s excess energy “that would have been drained in off-leash parks and puppy play date gatherings” is a number one concern.

“Time spent at home without an outlet for your dog might see undesirable behaviours creep in such as inappropriate vocal behaviours, digging, chewing and other destructive behaviours,” she said.

“It is important as a pet parent to keep our dogs busy. Prevention is always key.”

Ms Ratahi said mental stimulation was a great way to keep dogs entertained and occupied.

“You can keep your dog happy by replacing exercise with other activities until you are able to take them back out for their usual exercise schedule,” she said.

RSPCA Qlds School for Dogs has gone online to help its clients stay connected during COVID-19 isolation. Photo. RSPCA.

While the RSPCA Queensland School for Dogs is embracing internet technology to bring class to its clients.

“A lot of our current clients have embraced the new technology after the outdoor classes had to be put on hold,” School for Dogs trainer De Durdevic said.

She said using the video conferencing system Zoom to connect trainer and clients in the comfort of their homes School for Dogs was allowing “everyone to see each other and interact which is important”.

“After the online class our clients and their dogs get to put what they’ve learnt into practice,” Ms Durdevic said.

“This is also really good for dogs that might have some “issues”.

“If they’re a bit nervous around other dogs or people then they’re much more at ease in familiar surroundings.”

“Using this technology we could teach people and their dogs all over Australia. It’s actually very exciting.”

Shannon Ratahi is a leading Brisbane dog trainer.

Shannon’s Top Five tips for keeping dogs busy

1. Ban The Bowl

Retire your dogs food bowl and feed all of your dogs meals out of a food puzzle or other food dispensing toys.

Feeding thorough toys has many benefits, such as providing mental stimulation, appropriate outlets for normal doggie behaviours such as chewing and sniffing, and if you choose them wisely they can be a great tool to assist in training and behaviour modification programs.

Did you know the act of your dog licking and chewing triggers the natural release of “feel good” chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin?

When selecting toys, choose toys that are made of a safe, durable and non-toxic material that they can’t chew through, particularly if you plan on leaving them alone with them long term.

Split your dog’s daily ration of food into a couple of treat toys to be dispensed throughout the day and create yummy variations on filings to give them a different adventure every day.

Like any game, if it’s too hard and you never win, you usually give up. Or if the game is too easy, it becomes boring. With this in mind, the general rule is start easy, gradually make it harder. Not all dogs understand how to work food out of a puzzle toy, you may need to show them how to use a new toy.

2. Teach Your Dog A New Trick

For anyone that knows me, I love a good dog trick. Speak, sit pretty and roll in a blanket are some of my favourite tricks and are also very achievable for most dog breeds. The benefits of trick training for your dog are many and the fun for you and your dog is endless.

Trick training is a great way to channel your dogs excess energy into a behaviour that is both enjoyable for your dog and entertaining for you. It is a great way to build confidence and strengthen the relationship between you and your dog.

Like all new skills, start easy. Sessions should be short and highly rewarding for your dog. Here is an easy one to get you started.

Spin in a circle.

1. Hold a treat in front of your dog’s nose. Slowly move the treat toward the side of your dog’s head, so it has to turn its head to follow the treat. 2. Keep moving the treat in a circle all the way around your dog’s body. Your dog will have to spin in order

to follow the treat. 3. Once your dog has followed the treat in a complete circle, tell your dog “yes” or “good dog”. Then quickly

give your dog the treat. 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 several times or until your dog is reliably following the treat in a complete circle. 5. Once your dog understands the action, add the command word “spin”. Say “Spin” first, then repeat steps 1 to 3. 6. Spend about five minutes several times a day practising the spin. Your dog will be spinning in a complete

circle before you know it.

After your dog is good at completing one full spin, you can add more circles. Then you can start asking for 2 to 3 spins before you give the treat. After a few successful repetitions, use your hand motion without the treat so your dog does not become dependent on doing the trick based on if you are holding a visible treat.

3. The Nose Knows

We all know how much our dogs love to get their Pee-mail!

A dogs sense of smell is their most powerful sense and one we doggie parents often overlook. While we have around six million olfactory receptors our dogs have up to 300 million! Additionally, the part of the brain that analyses smell is around 40 times larger in dogs than humans.

So get sniffing! Scent work can be a great way to keep them busy and the “find it” command can be one of the most versatile and fun commands you can teach you dog.

Teach your dog to “find it”.

1. To start the game place your dog in another room or out of sight. In an alternate room place a few small

pieces of food ( or your dogs favourite toy) in the middle of the room, in full view. The treats should be obvious when your dog enters the room. 2. Bring your dog into the room, give the cue “find it.”, then release your dog to go and eat the treat. After

several repetitions your dog should understand what you’re expecting them to do. 3. Once your dog understands “find it” you can make it harder. Hide the treats or toy in less obvious places,

in a corner, behind a pot plant or under a chair for example. 4. When you are ready, give the cue “find it.”, then release your dog to go and search for and find the treats.

Now your dog is actively searching for the treat or toy, gradually make the search harder by building up to new distances and later to new areas of the house. When first starting out keep the game isolated in one or two rooms until you’re confident that your dog knows the “find it” command.

4. Lets Get Physical

We all know how important physical exercise is. For all dogs this is not only an important outlet for pent up energy, but is integral for maintaining optimal physical and mental well being.

Dogs that go without regular exercise may be prone to a variety of behavioural issues, including destructive behaviours like barking, digging or chewing. Aside from preventing these issues, providing your dog with regular exercise supports healthy ageing and allows them to be social and explore their environment.

Providing exercise at home is a great way to ensure our dogs stay in optimal health whist we are busy protecting our own. There are plenty of indoor games you can play with your pet such as fetch, hide and seek, or flirt pole.

One of my favourite games however is not only a fun way to teach some basic obedience and impulse control, but is great to strengthen the bond between you and your dog using a fun interactive game.

The “Leave it, Take it” Game

Start to teach this in a low distraction environment and teach the skill crouched or sitting on the floor to begin. You will need a rope tug or similar toy to plat the game.

1. Ask your dog to sit. When you dog is sitting present their tug. ( hold the tug with two hands, one on the end of each knot) 2. Give the command “take it” first, then initiate a game, allowing them to grab hold of the centre of the tug

and pull. 3. When you are ready, give the command “leave it” and then move the tug toy down to the ground in front

of you to end the game. Your dog will likely continue to hold on for a minute or two. Be patient and wait for them to release the toy. 4. As soon as your dog releases the toy from their mouth tell them “yes” or “good dog”. 5. Then give the command “take it” and quickly recommence the game. 6. When you are ready end the game and remove the toy. Give your dog a food treat to end the game.

5. Snuggle & Settle

We all know that pets improve lives. Every day is see how pets benefit the lives of their owners and the community on a mental, physical and emotional level. While we may be facing isolation at home, this is a great opportunity to spend quality time with our pets.

Spotify has recently launched Pet Playlists. Available is music for your dog which has a range of carefully selected spoken word, sound and original music designed to encourage relaxation, or you can create a custom playlist for your pet.

Above all at ‘A Furever Life Canine Training’ we appreciate that this is a difficult time for our community, as we continue to actively monitor the situation. We encourage you to practice safety measures both at home and within the community as we all work together to take care of each other and those around us.