Cold Weather Workout For Dogs

Having trouble keeping your dog entertained this winter ? Too cold to stand outside for long periods of time tossing a ball ? Here's a game that any dog can learn to play.....Hide the Toy (or cookie or ball etc).

1. Find a toy that your dog really likes to play with or one that has a pocket inside that you can put a treat in.
2. Tease your dog with the toy and get him excited about it.
3. Tether him to a piece of furniture or have someone hold his collar and hide the toy in an obvious place.
4. Hold him back so that he is eager to find it and release him.
5. When he find the toy, act excited and pop the treat out and give it to him.
Congratulations....your dog made his first find !

Once your dog is on to the game make the hiding places more challenging, behind the couch, on the seat of a chair, behind the door, on a window ledge, etc. Gradually increasing the difficulty until your dog really good at it. Once you have reached a level of proficiency where he is finding it easily go ahead and label the search behaviors " find it" and encourage him to look for it.

This is a great indoor game for cold winter days when the weather outside is just too frightful to stand out in.

Have fun !