What to do with your dog when it rains or when it’s cold? If your dog’s walks are a little shorter, he’s more restless than usual, he’s bored, you always do the same activities indoors, and here are 4 activities to do with his dog. Dog at home.

Small Games Easy To Do At Any Time

Check if your dog is left-handed or right-handed: he will take the opportunity to play easy games, perfect for breaking the monotony of a cold winter day at any time!

Our dogs tend to have a “dominant” front paw. This tendency of a right or left-handed dog is sometimes obvious. It also happens that it is not very noticeable.

Under his eyes, put a treat that he really likes on the floor and cover it with a sheet of paper. Observe with which paw your dog discovers the treat by scratching the leaf. Next, slide a toy under the couch or other piece of furniture, and watch which paw your dog uses to retrieve it.

Do these two exercises several times and in different places, varying the toys and treats; write down the number of times you do one of these exercises and write in front of each number, L or D for Left or Right paw. The more you do it, the better your stats!

If things are already pretty clear to you, about 50 tests should be enough to find out if your dog is more left-handed or right-handed. If you have any doubts or have never noticed that he uses one paw more than the other, you may need to play some more.

You can continue even when a left or right leg trend has clearly emerged. Then find your own games to watch your dog use one paw more than the other!

A Game to Activate the Long Winter Evenings

Play hide and seek with your dog… in the dark!

To play hide and seek in the dark with your dog, you can teach him to look for where you have hidden by turning off the light.

To start, ask him to go somewhere, like in his basket, or on a carpet that he is used to and that you can move if necessary, in order to play in different places.

Go to the nearest light switch and call your dog by name, or whatever word you use for the recall, immediately after turning off the light.

It has to be very, very easy to get started: don’t go to the other end of the house!

When your dog has joined you, praise him while giving him a small food reward. Repeat the exact same thing, in the same spot, until your dog consistently rushes towards you when you turn off the light…without saying a word.

If your dog rushes to get you when the light goes out, reward him and make him happy. If he doesn’t come anymore, you probably need to do more repetitions of calling him and turning off the light.

Once your dog comes to you when you turn off the light, you can play hide and seek by standing near another light switch. You can go further and further, as long as your dog waits for this signal in a place where he can clearly see that a light has gone out.

If the configuration of the premises allows it, you can turn off the light and quickly go hide away from the switch, before your dog arrives!

A fun trick to teach your dog

This trick consists of teaching your dog to wake someone up (gently).

Your dog will nuzzle someone who is sleeping or dozing off twice. For an easier version, hit the target with a single snout.

You will need, at some point, the participation of an accomplice. That said, with a little practice, you can teach your dog to wake you up when you start snoring in front of the TV…

Step 1

Start by teaching your dog to touch your muzzle hand. Have him sit facing you, hold out the palm of your hand fairly close to his nose, and let him figure out what to do, rewarding him immediately after he touches your hand with his nose. Strong tape will then come in handy, so that your pieces of tape hold on clothing or on the skin. Here you can see the best paw cleaner cup at Family Pooch

First, present a piece of tape under your dog’s muzzle, sticky side on your hand of course, say “yes” when he touches the truffle tape and reward him immediately afterwards. Don’t do it too long because your dog needs to understand that he is being rewarded, not for one peck, but two.

Unless you prefer an easier version of this trick with a single snout.

Whether you start learning one or two snouts, it requires you to stay extremely focused so as not to miss the first or second snout (to say “yes” at the right time)!!

Take your time tweaking this. Your dog can understand that you have to touch the tape twice to get a reward, either very quickly or after a certain number of repetitions. Saying and doing nothing on the first peck and saying “yes” when feeling the second peck on your hand, then rewarding it right after, can go a long way in helping your dog understand what to do.

2nd step

Once your dog understands that you have to touch the tape on your hand twice with his nose, continue by sticking a piece of tape on your arm, this time between the shoulder and the elbow. Make sure it’s accessible to your dog, possibly by sitting on the floor or having him climb on the sofa, if you don’t mind.

When it seems to you that your dog willingly, quickly and voluntarily advances his muzzle twice to touch the tape on your arm, say “knock knock!” on the second truffle touch . Raise your tone well while saying it; be enthusiastic but always stay focused to say it at the very moment when you feel the second snout!

Take your time to repeat, until you can say “knock knock” and your dog touches the tape twice with his nose. That is to say, he understood the meaning of “knock knock”.

Stay in the same position, remove the tape, put it in your pocket or somewhere else but out of sight, say “knock knock”: show where the piece of tape was if your dog hesitates. Do a few reps to fine-tune this.

Don’t forget to reward successes.

Step 3

When your dog makes good “knock knock” on your arm, ask your accomplice to stand exactly where you were to do your repetitions, place the tape on his arm and say “knock knock” (your accomplice must not say a word). Then remove the tape and say “knock knock”. If you have several volunteers on hand, have them do it with different people, in the same conditions (same place, same arm, same position) but without the tape. Here you can see the best Snuffle bowls at Family Pooch.

Step 4

When your dog does a good “knock knock” on someone other than you, do repetitions by having your accomplice change places slightly until your dog, no matter where your accomplice is sitting, does good “knock knocks” on his arm. Don’t forget to repeat, on the sofa or near the bed, according to your plans… but especially by pointing the finger at the person, when you ask your dog for a “knock knock”.

It is time, if you wish, to repeat by very gradually placing your dog further and further away so that he learns to take a few steps to go “knock knock”.

The next time someone starts to fall asleep in your living room, point to that person and whisper “knock knock” to your dog!!

An endless search game

Organize a giant beanie for your dog and make him break his record.

Buy a set of 50 plastic cups. To start, use only one cup. Put it on the ground and put a treat under it. Your dog needs to see what you are doing; hide the treat in front of his eyes.

Say “search!” enthusiastically, at the split second your dog advances his muzzle or paw toward the cup (or drops it). If your dog isn’t doing anything, try getting him to find something more interesting for him. Repeat exactly the same thing with another cup next to the one under which you hide the treat. When your dog is successful, have him play with two more cups next to it.

In this way, gradually increase the number of empty cups around the cup that hides the treasure.