How can you keep dogs well-behaved indoors?
Sometimes, we must keep our dogs indoors due to snow, rain, or the blazing heat. But the fun doesn’t need to end there. There are indoor games you can play with your lovely puppy.
Here are some tricks you can do to keep your dog’s memory sharp:
Patience training
Teaching your pet how to develop self-control is essential. Please place a toy a few meters away from your dog while he’s leashed. Then, make him sit without minding the toy in front of him. Hold the leash and walk your pup toward the toy.
If he tries to grab the toy, go back and do it again. Repeat the process until he learns to ignore the toy or unless you intentionally give it to him. The lesson your dog could learn from this is to develop self-control and not to grab the treat or toy even when it’s just right in front of him. Make him patiently wait until it is finally given to him.
Keeping your dog behaved when the doorbell rings
Usually, dogs get excited when someone’s at the door. They jump and bark out of excitement upon seeing visitors in the house. This could go out of hand, especially when the visitor is not a dog lover.
So, the best thing to do is teach your dog how to stay calm when someone arrives and opens the door. Train them to sit on their mat even if the doorbell rings politely. However, don’t use the doorbell yet. Walk to the door while keeping your dog on his mat. Your dog should be near the door to ensure they’ll develop this behavior.
If your dog remains on his mat while opening the door, repeat the process with the doorbell ringing. Ask a familiar person to ring the bell outside and try to keep your pup on his mat. Repeat the step until your dog learns to behave whenever the bell rings and the door opens.
Commanding your dog to stay put
It’s important to teach your dog to “stay” so they won’t get in trouble. This is particularly helpful when walking him outside the neighborhood. The skill your dog should master here is listening to his master despite the distractions in front of him.
Start by making him stay in his position for at least 30 seconds. Then, hold him up for a minute; repeat until you make progress. Familiarizing your pup with the “stay” command will help the both of you out of fuss whenever you’re outdoors.
Test your dog’s “stay command” skill by doing some activities like walking away, opening the door, lying on the tiles, jumping jacks, ringing the doorbell, or playing with your kids. While doing these, ensure your dog stays in place no matter the fuss.
These simple indoor training exercises allow you to control your pet’s behavior regardless of season.