It is never easy to keep your dogs entertained while indoors, especially when you have a high energetic breed. It is very important to keep your dogs exercised. Luckily there are many ways to keep your dogs entertained while indoors.
1. Teach them a new trick
Dogs are very smart animals and can very much easily learn new tricks. The amount of tricks you can teach them is endless. You can teach them to sit, bark on command, fetch, and even attack if you have a guard dog. This will also keep you and your pup entertained for hours! You don’t need much to do this just treats, lots of time, a lot of patience, and a eager to please dog. By the end of this your dog will be smarter and you guys will have a stronger bond.
2. Play with Toys
This is an easy one. Dogs love to plays with toys. If you have a back yard or even a front yard you can play fetch with your dogs. This will surely tire them out! You can even get creative with the toys. If you need to be left alone for an hour without any distractions because of work the KONG Classic Dog Toy is the perfect toy for this! This toy has a hollow center with an opening in the top that will allow you to add treats. You can even get creative and add peanut butter, apples, oats and other dog friendly food. This will surely keep you energetic pup entertained for hours!
3. Running or walking
You can continue walking or running with your dog even while social distancing. Just make sure you stay 6-10 feet away from other people. This will not only entertained your dog but also you! With being stuck at home all day it is good to go outdoors every once in a while and feel the fresh air.
4. Play a Game
Playing a game with your dog such as Find the Treats will keep your dog entertained and mentally stimulated. This game is very simple, it just involves treats and an eager pup. The objective of the game is to hide treats around the house and have your dog find them. It is that simple! Nose work games like this help them strengthen their natural skill as well. Another mental stimulation game that is very simple it just requires 3 cups and a treat. In this game you hide a treat under one of the three cups and mix them up. Your pup then has to find which cup has the treat. This is a very good problem solving skills for your dog. It is very important to keep your dog mentally stimulated while indoors all day!
5. Homemade dog treats
Any dog love treats and making dog treats can help keep you entertained as well. Luckily dog treats are easy to make and do not take more than 30 minutes. Even better is that most of the ingredients you already own! Your dog will surely be entertained and focused on you with all the food you have lying around. There are many online recipes that involve only 5 ingredients. Treats can get expensive and this will safe you money, keep you entertained and satisfy your pup!
6 ways to stay mentally stimulated while indoors
Life can get very boring and uneventful while indoors all day. You find yourself repeating the same actions. In a time like this it is very important to keep yourself mentally stimulated. Mental stimulation is a very easy thing to do, you do not need much to do this.
1. Be active
Because of social distancing it is very easy to just stay in bed all day. However physical exercise is also mental stimulation. Staying active reduces your stress and anxiety levels (Dlamini,2020). If running isn’t your strong suite you can also practice mediating, yoga, and breathing exercises. These are also a creative away to mentally stimulate yourself.
2. Social Life
Because of social distancing we are unable to physically meet with our friends. However, this does not stop us from engaging conversations through out phones and laptops. Having a social life is mentally stimulating and can also keep you entertained!
3. Alone Time
Even though most people are indoors with their families we all know that some alone time is very good for us. Being alone with your thoughts can be very engaging. Practicing meditation in a quiet room can be very relaxing and good for your mental stimulation. This can be a goof time to reflect in your life choice and goals you have for the future.
4. Quitting bad habits
We all know quitting bad habits is hard, such as biting your nails. This is a very common bad habit. Quitting a bad habit can take some time but it can be done! Most bad habit can be fixed by keeping your mind occupied. This will keep you distracted from wanting to do the bad habit. Eventually you’ll find yourself not doing it anymore!
5. Foods that boost your brain
There are many foods that that a healthy for your brain. This foods include fish, eggs, avocado, broccoli, and dark chocolate that help keep the mind healthy (Kavanaugh, 2017).
6. Challenging Yourself
Trying something new is a great way to stimulate your mind. You can try to learn a new skill such as a language. Understanding a language is a challenge but keeps you engaged. Enhancing your knowledge in different topics can help further your career as well!
Written by: Samantha Munoz-Sanchez
