Entertainment When It’s Hot

I don’t know about the rest of the world, but it is ridiculously hot here in Salem, OR! Much too hot to go walking after about 9am. So let’s talk too-hot boredom busters.

First, the messy but fun ones. LOTS of dogs like to play with hose water, and quite often any toys you attach to a hose to spray water around–the kind you might use for your kids. Be careful if they guzzle it, as they can overfill their stomachs, causing problems. But otherwise, have a ball!

Another good way to avoid boredom is chewing. Most dogs love to chew, and even those that aren’t too into it can often be temped by something like a kong toy stuffed with peanut butter, cream cheese, yogurt, or canned dog food. For anything you stuff, you can also freeze it to make it harder to get out! New bones, stuffable chew toys, anything that will keep those jaws going will also keep your dog calm, at least for a while, and burn off an unexpected amount of energy.

Indoor sniffing games like “Find it!” are awesome. Start by tossing treats on the ground and saying, “find it!”, then graduate to hiding treats behind things and letting your dog sniff them out. There are plenty of steps in between, and YouTube has a ton of videos on it.

Puzzle toys are also great, and you can make your own. For instance, roll a line of kibble up in a towel, and let your dog figure out how to nose the towel open to find the kibble. Once they’ve mastered that technique, roll the kibble up and tie the towel in a loose knot. Let them start all over again.

People who are able to think ahead (better than I can) can also do things like put treats in a bag, add water, and freeze. It’s now a great chew toy.

I’m going to add one people normally don’t: do 7 minutes or less of training or playing outside. I know, it’s hot out there. Your dog will expend so much energy cooling down when you come back in, that they’ll be calm for a good long while. I used to take my dogs out, throw the ball five times, and then bring them back in. They’d all sack out for an hour. Not long enough to cause anything remotely resembling heat stroke, just enough to burn off some energy and get a little hot so they could come in, lay down, and be happy to just cool down.

There’s always the option of taking your dog for a walk indoors, too. Most home improvement stores, a lot of pharmacies, some major clothing stores allow dogs inside, so you can stroll the aisles and get some movement in. Google what stores allow it, and head out! (Be careful where you park; the blacktop is going to be HOT on your dog’s feet. Have some boots, or be ready to abort if you can’t find appropriate walkways.)

Do you have other ideas? Comment below!

Jenna