The coronavirus pandemic threatens the lives and livelihood of many. It is a serious situation that leaves many of us uncertain of what the future holds. But if you’re keen on finding a silver lining, it’s that quarantining and stay-at-home orders have given us a chance to spend more time at home with our dogs.
The issue with sharing your home with a dog during a period of quarantine is that they could quickly become restless. Even you can easily become bored due to the monotonous nature of being stuck at home for weeks. To keep you and your pup occupied, here are a few activities that will help you not only survive but actually enjoy this pandemic with your dog:
1) Play games.
If you don’t have a yard or a large enough space at home for your dog to get their daily exercise, you can make up for it through mental stimulation. Take a dog toy that gets them excited and hide it anywhere in your home. Then, teach them the “Find” command, which tells them to look for the toy and give it back to you. Start with obvious hiding places at first. When it seems like they’ve understood the concept of the game, increase the difficulty to stimulate not just their mind and vision but also their scenting ability.
2) Teach them new tricks.
Learning new tricks is also a good way for your dog to be stimulated. Plus, it dramatically strengthens your bond. If your pup doesn’t know them already, start with the basic obedience commands. That includes sit, stay, come, down, and leave it. Make sure you check out online videos that breakdown the tricks into small, easily achievable steps. If they’ve already mastered the basics, there are plenty of other dog tricks to learn. Dogs are incredibly smart, so as long as you’re armed with your patience and bags of treats, the stay-at-home order gives you plenty of time to try.
3) Organize a photoshoot.
Take your favorite dog hoodie and take some pictures of you and your dog. If you really want to get into it, create a makeshift studio in your home and decorate it with creative themes for your photoshoot. You can even learn how to make dog clothes to use as costumes. Of course, this activity is mostly for you. But, if you give your pup lots of treats, belly rubs, and playtime in between, they’ll definitely enjoy it as well.
4) Start an Instagram account.
If you don’t already have one, this isolation period is the best time to create an Instagram account for your dog. There, you can document your favorite moments together while in quarantine and use it to connect and share ideas with other pet lovers who are stuck at home. You can feature the games you play, your progress with new tricks, and all the photos you take during this precious time together.
Being stuck at home with a dog (or several!) is probably the best way to spend your time in isolation. In fact, many have fostered shelter pets to keep them company during this otherwise lonely and menacing time. For as long as you engage in activities together, having a dog throughout a quarantine period will keep you occupied and will also help keep your mental health in check. Likewise, your pup will definitely enjoy having you around all day.
