The other day we found ourselves out on a walk in the middle of a downpour.. we quickly rushed for the cover of a primary school (Chapman Primary) and found an oasis in the middle of a rainy day; a children's playground. Not only did this give us the much needed opportunity to dry off but also a swag of fun equipment to train the dogs with and get their brains working. Belle was particularly adept at this game..
Just a classic children's playground.. it is amazing what you can utilise for exercise and general fun if you put your mind to it. Dogs also have a creative flair so they are usually quite happy to test out any games you come up with and our two are always keen to test their limits. You can see in the background just how wet it was, we ended up being stuck here for close to an hour!
After playing around the equipment for a little while, we found the need to keep them interested and decided to test their lateral thinking skills. Using their beloved ball as a lure and the different levels in the playground as tests we had them climbing all over the equipment in no time at all. Belle was an absolute pro and usually cleared the ladder in one jump, but I did try to teach her to climb it.. still a work in progress!
As puppies we were diligent at encouraging both dogs to test out different surfaces as to encourage less fear when encountering new areas. A slide was one of my old favourites as we have always lived in suburbs with parks/playgrounds. The slide was no trouble for either of them, however if your dogs seem a bit hesitant don't let them take the easy way out (jumping off the other side) gently encourage them with a lure or treat and show them there is nothing to be afraid of.
Remember the age old lesson for a harmonious house; sharing is caring. Our two dogs are wonderful sharers, even with their food bowls (we do not encourage this, they just don't seem to care themselves). If you are having trouble with sharing, start slowly, mark and reward the hesitant pup when the other comes within their parameters and then gradually move closer together the more comfortable they get. You definitely don't want to push an uncomfortable dog, so slow and steady wins this race. Particularly if they are older and take a little longer to change their habits. But don't lose hope - Believe! It will work!
Occa goes back to school.. and then decides to be the rebel.
Occa is what we'd call our trick dog. He can do all the party tricks and is generally eager to try out anything new.. (e.g. his parents dressing him in crazy outfits for photos). When Occa was a puppy we spent a lot of time loading on the human love, affection and touch. He didn't have another dog in the house to learn from so it became normal for him to be trained using props and outfits. The real trick to it, is just allowing them to get comfortable with what you are doing and to trust you aren't doing anything untoward.
Another staple for this that you'll need is the 'wait' command.. it makes photos like these possible. He doesn't neccessarily love having a hat or glasses on, but he knows his commands and if he's been told to 'wait' he knows it is only for a short time and will be worth it in the end. To begin with, start with treats or something the dog likes. Leave them by their feet or in your hand to train the 'wait' command. Then you can start introducing your props, leave them near them so they can sniff and see they aren't a threat. Again, just build up to the point you can pop them on and ask pup to 'wait' for the photo.. don't give up!
Happy and tired after another unconventional training session.
If you are ever bored with your dog exercise regime, or stuck in bad weather like we were, think outside the box. Dogs love to try new things and test their brains so throwing in an unconventional training session like this would spark up new energy in dog and you could be amazed with what they can do. It is also great bonding for yourself and dog to try out new things together and see that yet again you've come through with an awesome time outside the house! They'll only continue to love you even more.
Forever love your dog,
Emma
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