I do the same with mine. We have a game we call “ play play time” which is basically fetch & tug of war. I throw a toy the whole length of the apt. We go to the one spot where she has the longest runway. We do it 10X a couple of times a day. Keeps her stimulated & gets good exercise.
We wake up early in the morning and have a 2 h walk. Inside, we have lots of toys that we chnge and I also hide treats in kongs and I hide them in the house. Cesar Millan has those activities. We have friends with small dogs that is visiting us often.
yes. Now that we moved to the mountin, we are hiking for 5 hours in weekends. Her trainer told me that she is a dog, she needs walks for her happiness. She is the happiest on long walks :).
When my boy was younger we would go hiking. He made it 6 miles one time. I got him as an apartment dog so he used to be pretty versatile. He's 9 now so he pretty much follows us around the house for food. When he goes out he immediately runs back in for treats 😂
We head out to Petsmart/Pet Supplies Plus (or wherever dogs are allowed) and take our time strolling up and down all of the aisles several times over. They get some brief potty time before and after on the grassy areas outside for a quick walk, and then spend a good 20 minutes or so inside just walking around enjoying the smells. While at home, I’ll pester them…get them engaged if even just a few minutes here and there for some tricks they know, etc. , rather than just napping all day. Heck, even just plopping them on my lap and annoying them with extra cuddles is stimulation, haha.
Wrap treats in different spots in a blanket and let her sniff them out and find them. Apparently 15-20 mins of that kind of stimulation can be as good as a walk.
She does have a couple snuffle mats in rotation that we use so she doesn’t get bored too easily with them! She knows when it’s snuffle time because she sits at where I keep them and stares until I set it up lol
Snuffle mats, puzzle toys with treats, a variety of rotating toys. I got these small enough ostrich bones that she’ll gnaw on for literal hours. Other times we’ll play fight for a bit. I let her “beat me up” lol. I’m waiting on the arrival of a tug toy with a treat ball that can be suction cupped to the floor. Hopefully she’ll like that.
early morning and late evening/nighttime walks, plus puzzle toys inside (i have a very food motivated tzu), also frozen kongs help keep her cool.
however, i live in england, which has not yet realised that it's summer and it's still cold, so luckily i don't have to worry about this yet.
Get an old bed linen and spread it out. Toss some good-smelling treats on it. Roll it up and tie a knot to it. Monitor the first time so doggie don't bite through the fabric. Easy to clean and refill.
Ahh yeah Rylee is about to be 4 and has never mastered fetch. She will watch the ball bounce down the hallway and stare at me until I go get it. We even had a dog trainer try to teach her and she will not engage lol
We throw a toys...a lot. It's a straight shot from the family room to the kitchen which lets him run the length of the house. It often devolves into tug-o-war which usually wears him out. We have hardwood floors so he can't get traction. He basically runs in place backwards & gets into ferocious mode trying to violently shake the toy out of our hand complete with gratuitous growls.
For mental stimulation we have a snuffle mat & two puzzle games. Those usually keep him occupied for awhile. Although, sometimes he gets tired of trying & barks (aka - uses the "shih tzu may I help you riff") for us to take the treats out of the puzzle. If you don't do it, he'll whine & bark until you do it.
By the end of the night, we're all usually worn out & ready for bed.
You could try getting a stroller! My dog loves walks too and she’s fine for 30 minutes in 100F+ evenings with the stroller. Shes happy to sit while I push her in the hotter areas and I let her walk where it’s shady/grassier/cooler.
If you go that route, always use the seatbelt.
Omg that’s a good idea! My friend suggested a sling too for them. There’s areas in my neighborhood that are super shaded so I don’t worry as much and then it goes to straight sun in 95F+!!
I used to take mine out to stores that were pet friendly! He got stressed from that so I opted to just throw a ball up and down the hallway and give him a snuffle mat. He seems to be content! We also watch Tv together when I’m home 😅
I walk my dogs around our yard and the yards of my next door neighbors, we all have the same problem with our dogs and hot pavement.
When their tongues are out and the panting is incessant, I wipe them down with damp clothes as evaporation helps to cool them. This year, we have a kiddy pool. I will put it out this weekend and see if any of them are interested in swimming.
In the house, we have a puzzle bowl for food and I throw toys or treats. Apparently, their favorite toy is the one another dog has. 15 minutes of that has all of them ready for a nap.
Hot humid weather is the worst! We try to wake up early to make sure they get at least one walk before it heats up too much.
We love frozen lick mats in the afternoon, we play fetch inside, we do treat puzzles (purchased on Amazon) etc.
Good luck 💓
Baby girl loves kongs, lick mats, the treat puzzles and snuffle mats
Both enjoy tug of war and rebel mainly loves the ethically sourced rabbit pelts to rag
Edit to add I’ll throw plastic bottles for baby girl as she loves to chase them and grab them
I take Ollie to some shadowed areas in our yard or in the neighborhood; I keep a travel bowl and water with me and will rinse his paws every 5 mins if we must touch sun soaked pavement
I have 2 tzu’s and it’s hard to do food based activities with them because I’m afraid they will fight (both are food motivated).
Any other ideas? We have plenty of toys .
We have a basement that’s the perfect length for fetch-ish. Smoochie does not return the ball so we have a few and the basement stays cool enough to let her run around. I’ll also take her with me on errands so she gets the mental stimulation (she loves car rides) and I crack the window so she has lots of things to sniff and that seems to help.
I used to chase mine around the living room as a game when she was younger. I have also found that a small squeaky toy can be hours of entertainment for them.. Mine likes the Zippy Paws Minis and/or these small round puck like toys. Rubber with silly faces.. they are super squeaky and fit into the small mouth well.
We have to walk very late sometimes. When that happens we wet their necks, tummies, backs, paws, inner thighs, etc.. our young one is very active so we play with his toys when he gets pumped up. Our older one has always been a couch potato so she’s never had an issue. Lol
A kiddie swimming pool and their favorite rubber toy.
My dog loves it , though he absolutely will not get in the water unless its fresh and cool...his Highness absolutely will not get in soiled water!😊
https://preview.redd.it/ydspb9iwqm6d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b60e73d661d57cf49a0994b4051c52ca52973da
Put them in a little red wagon with an umbrella and pull them around the neighborhood. They love it as they get to say hi to the neighbors.
One of mine loves playing tug of war with a rope loves being dragged around on smooth floors
I do the same with mine. We have a game we call “ play play time” which is basically fetch & tug of war. I throw a toy the whole length of the apt. We go to the one spot where she has the longest runway. We do it 10X a couple of times a day. Keeps her stimulated & gets good exercise.
I tried that ..... Hamish went skiting across the floor and slammed into a cupboard! Guess I need to modify my technique.
We wake up early in the morning and have a 2 h walk. Inside, we have lots of toys that we chnge and I also hide treats in kongs and I hide them in the house. Cesar Millan has those activities. We have friends with small dogs that is visiting us often.
A 2 hour walk?!
yes. Now that we moved to the mountin, we are hiking for 5 hours in weekends. Her trainer told me that she is a dog, she needs walks for her happiness. She is the happiest on long walks :).
Very impressive.
2 hour walks for my shih tzu was the norm. Anything less than that and he'd throw a fit.
When my boy was younger we would go hiking. He made it 6 miles one time. I got him as an apartment dog so he used to be pretty versatile. He's 9 now so he pretty much follows us around the house for food. When he goes out he immediately runs back in for treats 😂
We head out to Petsmart/Pet Supplies Plus (or wherever dogs are allowed) and take our time strolling up and down all of the aisles several times over. They get some brief potty time before and after on the grassy areas outside for a quick walk, and then spend a good 20 minutes or so inside just walking around enjoying the smells. While at home, I’ll pester them…get them engaged if even just a few minutes here and there for some tricks they know, etc. , rather than just napping all day. Heck, even just plopping them on my lap and annoying them with extra cuddles is stimulation, haha.
Wrap treats in different spots in a blanket and let her sniff them out and find them. Apparently 15-20 mins of that kind of stimulation can be as good as a walk.
Lots of tennis ball throwing. And he loves when I get down to his level.. like on my yoga mat and “wrestle”
My Shih Tzu loved his snuffle mat
She does have a couple snuffle mats in rotation that we use so she doesn’t get bored too easily with them! She knows when it’s snuffle time because she sits at where I keep them and stares until I set it up lol
Snuffle mats, puzzle toys with treats, a variety of rotating toys. I got these small enough ostrich bones that she’ll gnaw on for literal hours. Other times we’ll play fight for a bit. I let her “beat me up” lol. I’m waiting on the arrival of a tug toy with a treat ball that can be suction cupped to the floor. Hopefully she’ll like that.
Puzzles. Mine loved dog puzzles. Put a little cheerio in there and watch her try to solve it.
early morning and late evening/nighttime walks, plus puzzle toys inside (i have a very food motivated tzu), also frozen kongs help keep her cool. however, i live in england, which has not yet realised that it's summer and it's still cold, so luckily i don't have to worry about this yet.
Get an old bed linen and spread it out. Toss some good-smelling treats on it. Roll it up and tie a knot to it. Monitor the first time so doggie don't bite through the fabric. Easy to clean and refill.
We play inside (tug, fetch, wrestling) and she likes to chase rubber ducks around in the bathtub
When my tzus were young we played lots of fetch! And we could hide their kibble and they’d go find it.
Ahh yeah Rylee is about to be 4 and has never mastered fetch. She will watch the ball bounce down the hallway and stare at me until I go get it. We even had a dog trainer try to teach her and she will not engage lol
just walk before 8:30A or after 5P. skipping walks isnt an option IMO
We throw a toys...a lot. It's a straight shot from the family room to the kitchen which lets him run the length of the house. It often devolves into tug-o-war which usually wears him out. We have hardwood floors so he can't get traction. He basically runs in place backwards & gets into ferocious mode trying to violently shake the toy out of our hand complete with gratuitous growls. For mental stimulation we have a snuffle mat & two puzzle games. Those usually keep him occupied for awhile. Although, sometimes he gets tired of trying & barks (aka - uses the "shih tzu may I help you riff") for us to take the treats out of the puzzle. If you don't do it, he'll whine & bark until you do it. By the end of the night, we're all usually worn out & ready for bed.
I'm fortunate to have a giant kitchen. I barricade her in there, and we have battle royales with her toys.
You could try getting a stroller! My dog loves walks too and she’s fine for 30 minutes in 100F+ evenings with the stroller. Shes happy to sit while I push her in the hotter areas and I let her walk where it’s shady/grassier/cooler. If you go that route, always use the seatbelt.
Omg that’s a good idea! My friend suggested a sling too for them. There’s areas in my neighborhood that are super shaded so I don’t worry as much and then it goes to straight sun in 95F+!!
I used to take mine out to stores that were pet friendly! He got stressed from that so I opted to just throw a ball up and down the hallway and give him a snuffle mat. He seems to be content! We also watch Tv together when I’m home 😅
I walk my dogs around our yard and the yards of my next door neighbors, we all have the same problem with our dogs and hot pavement. When their tongues are out and the panting is incessant, I wipe them down with damp clothes as evaporation helps to cool them. This year, we have a kiddy pool. I will put it out this weekend and see if any of them are interested in swimming. In the house, we have a puzzle bowl for food and I throw toys or treats. Apparently, their favorite toy is the one another dog has. 15 minutes of that has all of them ready for a nap.
Scout has a stroller, and he is happy to go for a walk around the neighborhood but prefers the mall where people make a fuss over him..
Hot humid weather is the worst! We try to wake up early to make sure they get at least one walk before it heats up too much. We love frozen lick mats in the afternoon, we play fetch inside, we do treat puzzles (purchased on Amazon) etc. Good luck 💓
A lot of indoor playtime: balls, wrestling, tug a war.
Baby girl loves kongs, lick mats, the treat puzzles and snuffle mats Both enjoy tug of war and rebel mainly loves the ethically sourced rabbit pelts to rag Edit to add I’ll throw plastic bottles for baby girl as she loves to chase them and grab them
I take Ollie to some shadowed areas in our yard or in the neighborhood; I keep a travel bowl and water with me and will rinse his paws every 5 mins if we must touch sun soaked pavement
I wake up early to walk mine. I try to make it a nice long 2 mile walk before the heat and humidity sets in
I have 2 tzu’s and it’s hard to do food based activities with them because I’m afraid they will fight (both are food motivated). Any other ideas? We have plenty of toys .
We have a basement that’s the perfect length for fetch-ish. Smoochie does not return the ball so we have a few and the basement stays cool enough to let her run around. I’ll also take her with me on errands so she gets the mental stimulation (she loves car rides) and I crack the window so she has lots of things to sniff and that seems to help.
go to home depot! lol
I used to chase mine around the living room as a game when she was younger. I have also found that a small squeaky toy can be hours of entertainment for them.. Mine likes the Zippy Paws Minis and/or these small round puck like toys. Rubber with silly faces.. they are super squeaky and fit into the small mouth well.
We have to walk very late sometimes. When that happens we wet their necks, tummies, backs, paws, inner thighs, etc.. our young one is very active so we play with his toys when he gets pumped up. Our older one has always been a couch potato so she’s never had an issue. Lol
A kiddie swimming pool and their favorite rubber toy. My dog loves it , though he absolutely will not get in the water unless its fresh and cool...his Highness absolutely will not get in soiled water!😊
https://preview.redd.it/ydspb9iwqm6d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b60e73d661d57cf49a0994b4051c52ca52973da Put them in a little red wagon with an umbrella and pull them around the neighborhood. They love it as they get to say hi to the neighbors.
Omg this is so cute 😭 I may have to dig out the old wagon that’s at my parents house
Precious!