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6 boredom-busting activities for dogs when it’s too hot for walkies
When the weather heats up it can be dangerous to take your dog for their usual dog walks. You might be worried about your dog getting bored at home when temperatures rise, but there are lots of ways to keep your dog happily entertained indoors.
We’ve put together some easy enrichment ideas for activities you can do at home with your dog.
These are simple ideas that can go a long way to keeping your dog happy and stimulated over the coming weeks.
We hope you find them useful!
How hot is too hot for dogs?
Once the temperature hits 24°C it’s important to be cautious about walking and exercising your dog. Heatstroke in dogs can be incredibly dangerous, yet often if your dog is having a good time they may not show signs that it’s too much for them, until the symptoms of heatstroke have already set in.
Download this infographic from Vets Now.
Stay safe and stick to early morning or late walks when the weather is cooler. Give our enrichment ideas to keep boredom at bay a try, when it’s too hot for dog walking and games outside.
1. Sniff it out
According to experts, just 20 minutes of sniffing is as enriching for dogs as a one-hour walk - so games that involve your dog putting their nose to work are a great shout right now.
Our favourite sniffing game to play at home is find it! Use The Clam, our treat dispensing ball or hide treats in scrunched up paper and hide them for your dog to sniff out and find.
You can build on this activity by filling a box with scrunched up paper and other noisy household materials and hiding a Clam filled with smelly treats (like dried sprats or fish treats) at the bottom for our dog to seek out.
This is a great way to build noise confidence, too!
2. Teach your dog to find your keys
Or how about taking things up another gear and teaching your dog to find your keys? This is a fun game that'll work your dog's brain, banish boredom and turn out to be pretty useful too!
Using a Tug-E-Nuff keyring plus matching Bright Fauxtastic tuggy, you'll be all set to teach this handy skill that'll help you out when it's cool enough to go out for walkies again!
3. Teach your dog a new trick
From ‘high five’ to ‘sitting pretty’, use your time indoors to add a new trick to your repertoire. A clicker and some yummy treats are your best friends when teaching tricks, along with patience and plenty of encouragement.
Download your free guide to getting started with clicker training here.
You can also grab yourself a Tug-E-Nuff clicker trick training bundle here so you have everything you need to start your training
4. Play tug
Don’t underestimate the benefits of a simple game of tug with your dog’s favourite Tug-E-Nuff toy. Keep tug sessions short - just two to three minutes is enough!
Remember to offer lots of praise and mix up the toys you use to keep them motivated and interested.
When the game is over, put your toys away. This keeps them safe from chewing and retains their prized status as a high-value reward!
If you want to treat your dog to new toys as part of your preparations, we are dispatching orders made before 12pm Monday to Friday the same day and our usual 45 day Tug It + Love It guarantee applies so you can buy with complete confidence.
5. Treat your dog to a massage
Dog massage has been proven to have benefits for you and your dog. There are the obvious physical and relaxation benefits, but it’s also a lovely way to spend quality time together and helps improve your bond.
Plus, regular massage can help you keep track of your dog’s health as you get to know your dog's body so you can quickly spot any unusual lumps or bumps.
We recommend getting some specialist advice on massage techniques from a dog massage therapist or your vet before you try this one.
Discover the benefits of massage for dogs here.
6. Try interactive feeding toys
To keep mealtimes interesting and enriching, try replacing some meals or snacks with food placed in interactive feeders or stuff toys with dog-safe peanut butter and freeze before offering to your dog.
As always, if you need training advice or help choosing a Tug-E-Nuff toy for your dog, we are happy to help. Drop us a line on hello@tug-e-nuff.co.uk or message us on Facebook or Instagram.
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