No walks this week!?

Enrichment deck by Calm Dog Games

Enrichment toys from Calm Dog Games

That's right, no walkies!

Why? - It's too damn hot.

Wednesday night we did go for a swim at around 9pm but otherwise the dog's haven't been out. Some struggle more than others and although Noddy is a small breed and currently hand stripped/short coated, he really struggles in the heat. I'll share some Summer specific enrichment activities shortly but if I'm honest we've not even done an awful lot of that. The dogs are like restless zombies, not themselves, sleeping lots and don't have the same energy levels as normal. They're more than happy resting and they've chosen to do so even though various toys and other options are available.

A dog's normal body temperature is 38.5 degrees celsius, it only takes a tiny 2 degree increase for heat stroke to kick in. At 43 degrees, a dog's organs can begin to fail, it only takes 15 minutes for a dog to die of heat stroke. They DO NOT die from not being walked. There's also the risk of burnt paws too, if you can't stand bare foot on the ground, don't make your dog do the same. Don't take the risk, it's not worth it.

Serious stuff out of the way, here are some of our favourite enrichment/mental stimulation activities that are great for hot days as they don't take much physical exertion..

1. Treat bobbing

Whether you have a paddling pool, a normal sized water bowl, a bucket or washing up bowl - sprinkle some treats (whatever your dog likes) in to some shallow water and let your dog go treat bobbing. This must always be a supervised activity!

2. Frozen lick mats

Fill a lick mat with your dog's fave snack and pop in the freezer for a cool, lasting treat. If you don't have a licki mat then Kongs, Zogoflex toys etc can also be used and if you have no toys at all you could always fill an ice cube tray or similar. For a fully edible version you can even de-core an apple or carrot and then stuff the inside with something tasty - cool, long lasting, tasty AND healthy!

3. Calm/Settle and boundary games

'Settle' is such an important and handy behaviour to have in the bag, the hot weather is a great time to help your dog's switch off. If your dog isn't yet at the stage of mentally switching off for a period of time, basic boundary games are also great. Pop a treat on your dog's bed, blanket, mat etc every time they interact with it, even if it's just one paw initially. They'll soon learn that it's a place of value and it's good to chill out and stay in place. Noddy will now automatically lie down on his 'boundary' and wait there until released. Not only is it helpful for keeping still and cool, it's great for a whole range of situations such as having guests over, taking your dog to a cafe or training class, not dashing out of the door etc.

4. Snuffle mat/towel/puzzle toy

Scent games are a firm fave in our house, with all the dogs. Snuffle mats are fantastic but if you don't have one you can use a rolled up towel (this can be a damp towel in hot weather) and hide treats inside it so the dog has to snuffle around and unravel the roll. Interactive puzzle toys are also great - Nina Ottoson and Outward Hound are some of our favourites but there are lots out there. Again, if you don't have any of these toys just get creative - you can use old toilet roll tubes, cardboard boxes, empty bottles etc as treat dispensers to provide a fairly low level exercise that your dog will love.

For a great range of puzzles, training games and enrichment ideas we cannot recommend Calm Dog Games enough. This is an amazing small business now based in the Lake District and the card decks are a must-have in my opinion, you'll never be stuck for something to do again and a lot of the games will also aid various aspects of training whether you're wanting to work on calmness, bond, focus, owner value, recall, there is something for everyone. 

You can save some pennies storewide at Calm Dog Games by using code 'NODDY' at checkout, there is a link to their website on our Instagram and Linktree page. https://www.calmdoggames.com