This time of year, you might be dealing with some unpleasant weather, and it could mean that you aren’t spending as much time outside with your dog as normal.
If you are stuck inside, however, this doesn’t mean you need to call a halt to your training routine – instead, make the most of being indoors by practicing some of those all-important skills, such as how to stop your dog pulling on the leash!
Juliana DeWillems, the owner and head trainer at JW Dog Training & Behavior, has showcased some of the steps you could take to practice dog’s leash-walking skills at home, so let’s take a look!
“Being stuck inside because of weather doesn’t have to be all bad!” begins DeWillems. “I love using it as an opportunity to practice and sharpen our skills.”
In her video, DeWillems demonstrates the versatility of cues you can give to keep up with loose-leash training when you’re stuck indoors. She gets her dog to walk at her heel, before giving them a treat, and uses the “Let’s go!” cue to encourage the dog to walk around the room on a loose leash with her.
They turn together, and she gets her dog to stop when she stops. She uses the ‘Switch’ cue, too, which instructs a dog to change from one side of you to the other. Even if you might not have as much space as you would at the dog park or in a field, why not do what you can while you’re at home? Even if you don’t have a lot of space, there will be things you can train.
But there are plenty of other fun activities you can do with your dog without going outdoors, too. Hide and seek is a classic, while you could even make your own agility course with plenty of things for your dog to go under, over, and through. Take a look at these indoor games for dogs for more inspiration!
Food can be invaluable in giving your dog plenty of physical and mental stimulation, too. Kong toys, feeding puzzles, and the best snuffle mats are all great forms of food enrichment for dogs that will provide plenty of fun when they’re stuck inside.
If you’ve got the space, perhaps you’d be open to creating a section of your home purely for your dog to play in? If so, here’s how to make an exciting dog play area at home for your pooch.
