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Foraging For Fun
By Helen Burns | Dated May 31, 2021 | 0 Comments
Foraging is an innate behaviou […]
Pet games for a rainy / hot / smoky day
By Helen Burns | Dated February 3, 2020
Did you know that your dog or cat can do puzzles? Or play hide and seek? How about the cup game, or which hand? Keep reading to find out how.
Whether its hot, smoky or rainy, indoor games to keep our pets mentally stimulated are a valuable addition to their physical exercise. Give these games a go!
Muffin Tin Puzzle:
Equipment: muffin tin, treats, tennis balls
Place a small treat in each hole of a muffin tin, and then put a tennis ball on top of each treat. Encourage your dog or cat to sniff out the treat and dislodge the ball in order to get the treat.
The Cup Game:
Equipment: 2 or 3 opaque cups, treats
The aim of this game is for your pet to find the treat hidden under a cup. It is a surprisingly tricky game for pets, so start easy with this one!
Turn two cups over and clearly show your pet that you are putting a treat under one of the cups. Give them a chance to choose a cup. If they are correct, they get the treat. If not, show them again which cup you are putting the treat under and give them another go. Once they have mastered this, and it may take a while, you can then swap the cups around and up the ante!
Hide and Seek:
Equipment: you and your dog (and possibly an assistant)
This is an oldie but a goodie. Basically you hide and your dog needs to find you!
Ask your dog to sit and stay. Go and hide (its ok if they peek). Once you are hidden, call your dog to you, and praise them when they find you.
Which Hand?
Equipment: treats
Ask your dog to sit and stay. In front of your dog, pick up a treat in one hand, then clench both hands into a fist facing downwards. Place both hands in front of your dog and say “Which hand?”
If your dog chooses the correct hand, praise them and give them the treat. If not, start again and reward them when they get it right.
Find the Treats:
Equipment: treats or if your dog is focussed on a particular toy or ball, that would be perfect too.
Ask your dog to sit and stay.
Place a few treats around your dog then ask them to “find the treats”. Encourage them as the eat the treats. Repeat this a few times until they start to see the pattern. Next, place the treats a little further away, and once they work that pattern out, you can start to place the treats further away and where they are out of sight, eg under a box or a cushion.
Written by Helen Burns
Helen graduated from Sydney Uni in 1997 with First Class Honours and worked in a practice on the Northern Beaches for 16 years. Helen joined the Gordon Vet team early in 2014 and our clients have really enjoyed getting to know her. She loves being a vet and takes a keen interest in all of her patients. Her gentle, friendly nature helps pets to feel relaxed when they visit the vet. Helen lives locally and has 3 children. At least one of her children seems destined to be a vet! When not ferrying her children around, Helen cares for her menagerie of pets. These include Chloe the dog, Obi and Leia the cats, Little Cocky the galah and Rosie the very tame eclectus parrot who all happily coexist at her house. In her spare time, Helen likes to be active outdoors, running, kayaking, camping or playing any manner of sport with her children.
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