3 PET-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES YOU SHOULD TRY WITH YOUR GREYHOUND
With the weather changing and cooling, humans and animals stay indoors more often. On occasion, you'll still have to let out your pet's energy by walking outside. But as highlighted in our article on keeping warm, it's essential to be extra mindful of pets sensitive to cold weather, like Greyhounds, and equip them with additional layers and booties. However, there may be times when the weather is too harsh to spend outside, even with a thick coat for your dog.
Rather than let your dog become bored, you can try pet-friendly activities to let your pooch have fun. Greyhounds are surprisingly mellow dogs, so entertaining them won't take much. If you're looking for some things to do, below are some activities you should try with your Greyhound:
BRUSH UP ON DOG TRICKS
The winter days are often the best time to refresh your pet on tricks and learn new ones. Like us, dogs also tend to forget things they haven't done in a while, so we recommend that you reinforce their tricks through clicker training. While words like "good girl/boy" are adequate, a clicker makes it easier to teach a complicated series of behaviors, as all you have to do is press a button. If you have children, training also makes for a fun activity for kids to do as they are also cooped up inside, allowing them to learn more about their dog and enjoy the teaching process. You can even turn this into your family's passion project, which would be a great way for everyone to bond and grow with each other. A unique and helpful trick you can teach your dog is "clean up." You would first need to teach your dog "fetch" and "drop" so that they can pick up their toys and drop them on cue before moving on to teach them to put their toys away in their toy box. Then, lure them to stand over the box and drop their toy in. Like with most tricks, repetition and giving your hound lots of treats and praise can help them master the trick.
VISIT A PET-ORIENTED ESTABLISHMENT
There's no better way to enjoy time with your Greyhound than to pamper them with attention. In particular, food always has been the best way to a dog's heart, which is why pet-friendly restaurants have become common worldwide. They make a great place to spend time with your Greyhound as they offer delicious foods for human customers and homemade treats for your pet. Some restaurants go above and beyond, serving specialty meals for their four-legged customers.
Beyond food, you can also soothe your dog with other pet-friendly visits, such as a hotel staycation. These locations provide pet-friendly amenities, like a garden for your dog to run around leash-free. Some hotels host a spa for fancier stays where you can get massage package deals for humans and pups.
Perhaps easiest of all, how about a visit to a pet-friendly store, like PetsMart or PetCo? It's fun to browse the new stuff and maybe even let your dog pick out a new toy. A quick stroll past the bird and small animal cages is always entertaining.
BAKE HOMEMADE TREATS AND USE THEM IN PUZZLES
Making homemade pet treats can be the perfect way to show your love while ensuring your pet gets the best nutrition. There are plenty of safe human food ingredients that you can use in baked treats, such as pumpkin, banana, and peanut butter. While you can use these snacks to reward your pet during training, you can also use these nibbles to engage in puzzles and games. Puzzle toys can be a great way to hide these treats and engage your dog's mind as they sniff out the food. These can come in the form of a ball food dispenser which drops food when tossed, or within snuffle mats where they have to make their way through layers of fabric. For toy-free ways to play, you can hide a few treats around the house in familiar places. You can use one of these treats to lure your dog to the first hiding spot and teach them to "find it" to get them started on their fun hunt.
Article written by Rose Jules
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