Walking the Dog. Some Clever Ideas on How You and your Dog can have Fun Exercising Together while you Self Isolate or can't go Outdoors.

[Blearyeyed]

I promised to put up some useful links and tips to help you while you Self Isolate , or if you have to regularly stay at home because of your Chronic Health Issues.

I thought I would start with this , as it struck me from reading replies on today's Covid 19 post thread that this may be the most urgent type of exercise to organise for all of our Dog Owners.

We need our Four Legged Friends to stay Happy and Healthy to help us stay Happy and Healthy too. They don't understand why they can't go outside for their usual walks and will get even more Fed Up than Us. The last thing we need when we feel like we are crawling the walls is to have to deal with the bad mood and behaviour of our usually Perfect Pooch.

So here are some exercise ideas for Man's Best Friends that you and even the rest of your Family can enjoy to. Perfect for a crisis but also for times when our PMR/ GCA and other Chronic issues restrict our Mobility.

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1. Running up and down stairs.

If your house has stairs this is one of the top indoor exercises for your dog recommended by Dog Exercise Trainers. It's high intensity for them , uses lots more muscles than a short walk and tires and amuses them easily. You stand at the bottom and tell them to run up , sit , the call them down. Until they are used to it you can use a ball thrown up for them to fetch . If there's more than one of you in the house one can sit at the top and you can call the dig up and down between you.

2. Hide and Seek

Perfect for any size of self isolated group. Tell your dog to sit in a room , then go and hide and call them to find you , keep doing it until you are both tired. If there are a number of people in the house you can all hide and take turns in a predefined order calling your dog between you . A healthy treat is a deserved prize when they find you.

3. Walk and Sit with you on a flat run in your house. With Fetch

This is great exercise for you both. Put a chair at each end of your walk . Walk to and Fro but both you and the dog sit at each end , treat them or shake hands after a 30 second sit , then go again. Keep it up as long as you need or do it a few times a day.

When you get tired use the ball to throw to the other end and play fetch.

4. Jump Broom

Not you , the dog! Get a mop , brush or stick and get them to jump it at different heights . So they don't get too excited get them to sit or lie down after a jump , wait then go again. Have a few healthy treats in hand as they learn it and give them a treat every three jumps when they are used to it.

5. Shake Paws Lunge or Shake Paws from the chair

This is great exercise for you both . Get the dog to lie down ahead of you and stay. You stand face to face feet at shoulder apart . You step forward with one foot and bend your knee in a lunge then put your hand out and ask your pooch to shake Paws. After the shake slowly go back to the standing position and tell the dog to Lie down again. Alternate your legs a few times.

If you can't Lunge , or after a few of them get into a chair . Tell your dog to walk away then Lie Down and Stay . Then call them , tell them to sit in front of you , stay , then call Shake Paws , then sit , give them a healthy treat for each repeat.

6. Hide the Treats Obstacle Course a Scavenger Hunt

Get chairs and other things and make a little higgledy-piggledy course . Put healthy treats hidden under low stools , chairs , blankets the dog bed etc or on top of stools and chairs . Even hanging off door handles and send them on their Scavenger Hunt.

7. Take a Swim in the Bath

If your Dog is small, loves water and usually cannot be kept out of water in the Park you can choose to fill the bath with luke warm water add balls and plop them in to play. This is best for Dogs that are well behaved , love water and if you are active enough to dry and tidy afterwards. Or if someone else is at home let them do it and clear up. Silver lining if Self Isolation could be that your dog may not hide from the Bath again!!!

8. Let them use your treadmill

If you have a treadmill it's great for Dogs too of all sizes especially if you are not up to activity yourself. Put them on it at a slow pace. Fun to watch , fun to do. If you need tips you can find them on the internet.

9. Get them to do all of their tricks

Collect all your dog's favourite tricks into an exercise activity for you both , or get them to do it while you sit in your chair. Fetch , roll over , play Dead , sit and stay , hold treats out to get jumps or your turn in a circle holding treats and they follow your hand . Instead of doing one or two , do more repeats and alternate between sitting and moving tricks for 15 mins. You will have both had fun and some gentle Cardio.

10. Internet Exercise ideas

Want more indoor fun with your dog there are a number of internet Dog Exercise blogs for you to find and explore.

With any luck these tips will be able to keep your dog's mind of the Park and forget about their need for the lead until Social Isolation has long gone.

Take care everybody , and a woof, woof to Rover , Auntie " Woodhouse" Bee xxx🐕🐾

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[Yellowbluebell]

I have the gorgeous millie here today and she smells of wet dog due to her short corgi legs and wet grass and is due to go in the bath in a few minutes. I expect to get lots of exercise and suitably wet and probably shampoo'd as much as the dog does!! YBB

[Blearyeyed in reply to Yellowbluebell]

Give her a duck and some balls and she might just stay in it. I see you are still able to get outdoors you lucky girl , but from the sounds of things there will be more restrictions from Monday , you might need to pass on the dog exercise tips to your children and only get to Skype the dog!😋😘😘🐕

[Yellowbluebell in reply to Blearyeyed]

Other than shopping i havnt been anywhere unfortunately and the dog has been getting dirty in the garden and has also been trying to dig holes hence the bath. Youngest had to get in the bath with her just to get her in it and she did her best to climb straight back out.!! She did not enjoy it much!! Mind you would rather see the dog than my children as they make more mess!!

[Blearyeyed in reply to Yellowbluebell]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 yes , they make more mess everywhere not just in the bathroom , I've stubbed my toe and nearly fallen over three random things left just inside doors or by the stairs today that wouldn't normally be there today.

[Hidden]

🤣😂🤣 I was imagining me trying to do them all. I have been throwing the ball down the garden, hide and seeking, high fiving and I had a sneaky bit of sourdough toast (my last out of the freezer...I ate it to make room 😊). I had to do something with her she did the mad dog run from front door to back half a dozen times then jumped out of the back door and ran up and down the garden which is 60ft of uneven ground. Given she can't climb up stairs and has no toes on one foot. I was thinking vet bills. But after that her eye were less 🤪 and more 😛.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Hidden]

Obviously , just like for Us with our Health issues, you need to choose your dog's activities based on their age , mobility and health needs too , each dog is as individual as us in terms of what exercise they can do. By the time this crisis is over a bet a lot of forum dog owners will feel like Trained Dog Physiotherapists , we might even be able to give the Human Physios a lesson or two!😋😂😂😂😘

[Hidden in reply to Blearyeyed]

I cut all her fur off and she sits shivering making me feel even more guilty. I don't thing she will have gone as long without a walk, as with most dogs, after this isolation now..

[Blearyeyed in reply to Hidden]

I want to see a film if you decide to try playing hide and seek 😋

[Hidden in reply to Blearyeyed]

The island in the kitchen. She likes to play found it. When she isn't walking into it.

[Ranchero in reply to Hidden]

Have I missed something? what's wrong with sourdough bread??

[Blearyeyed in reply to Ranchero]

Some people can't do wheat and others are Low Carb so a piece of sour dough is a treat , and it tastes nicer if it seems naughty and you Sneek it!😋😁😘😘 Toot!toot!

[Ranchero in reply to Blearyeyed]

Ah. Thanks for that Blearyeyed. I get a sourdough and rye bread loaf in Tesco - delicious! But the rye bread (no wheat) is lovely too.

Did you ever catch up with Carol Jarvis on you tube?

[Blearyeyed in reply to Ranchero]

Yes, thank you , I have the time now 😋

[PMRpro Ambassador]

My friend had a collie that needed a lot of exercise. When she couldn't go out she would sit on the garden swing - as long as she was moving even slightly the dog raced round and round ...

But strict as our lock down is, you are allowed out for short walks for the dog. Of course, since everyone is in the same boat you don't have many crowds to negotiate!

[Blearyeyed in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, people even in strict regulations in different countries are being allowed to give their dog a short walk with a permit , but they are meant to stay indoors if they come down with symptoms for the 7/14 days so that's the time that something like this can help during the virus. Plus many people are feeling anxious and don't really want to break their social isolation even though they know it's quiet outside and the dog needs exercise.

When I looked into this I also thought it would be handy in general for Chronic Illness Sufferers for times when we are too unwell to go out , or during recovery from an operation , even when we have Deathly Fatigue or are feeling too wobbly to feel confident to go out with a dog pulling on the lead.

Many of these things are used to help dog owners with severe mobility issues and wheelchair users too.

[Hidden]

My dad's dog used to catch the charabanc, as my granddad said, to go to the local park. There was even a bit in the paper about him. The drivers would pick up, drop him at the park gates and same on return.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Hidden]

My Nana had a cat called 'TISH' that used to go everywhere on holiday with them and sat in a basket on the back of their bikes when they went touring. They accidentally left her in Wales once and she made her own way home in two months on foot . Back sore , skinny with bloody paws , but she did it , amazing !!!

I got leads for my cats originally as we were near a big road , after basically pulling them in a laying position while they scowled at me I knew that idea was never going to bear fruit.

[Hidden in reply to Blearyeyed]

Omg. Rarely cats are happy on a lead. But...Far too independent.

Amazingly resilient to travel that way. If they want to get home they will.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Hidden]

I love those stories about cats and dogs that walk other dogs , there are some great pictures of them. Plus I spent a very happy half hour watching funny films of dogs on treadmills earlier but I couldn't manage to load it to put at the top of the post

( hint!hint!)😁

[GOOD_GRIEF]

If you don't have a dog, those who are minding kids can play the same way.

[Hidden in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

🤣😂🤣

[Blearyeyed in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

😂😂😂😂😂 Yes, but I think the dogs might be easier to train into the routine than the kids !!😋😘

[GOOD_GRIEF in reply to Blearyeyed]

You'd be surprised what a few bits of chocolate or biscuits can do...

[Blearyeyed in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

Not at all , even the adults will do some incredibly silly things in order to win a mini mars bar . I know, I've tortured people with games to win free choccy for years.

Even a badge or a plastic medal will make many people whom should have known much better do some very mad things.😁

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to GOOD_GRIEF]

Not with this generation of parents!!!

[Blearyeyed in reply to PMRpro]

If you look at the behaviour of the under 30's in the UK they might require a bit off intensive training , or a short leash , to control their behaviour , they are all acting as though they are already immune.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Blearyeyed]

Never mind under 30s! Apparently my 40 year old nephew and his partner took it into their heads to go skiing last Friday in France, Verbier. Got there to discover the slopes had been closed without warning, spent Sat with their friends and then flew back early from a packed Geneva airport because everyone was there trying to get home. Both now have symptoms of CV, too ill to even work from home. I thought they were intelligent!

[Constance13 in reply to PMRpro]

Good Lord! Does it catch on so suddenly? I thought it took a while!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Constance13]

From 4 days ... But they live in London, they could already have had it by the time they were there - and in that case have potentially infected a lot of others.

[Constance13 in reply to PMRpro]

Don't, don't - I don't think I can stand any more!🥺 Does stupidity never end?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Constance13]

I suspect not ...

[Constance13 in reply to PMRpro]

Your post has made me make a decision!😂 I have decided that I will be reading nothing about the dreaded C word tomorrow. Nor will I watch it on TV.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Constance13]

Good idea Constance , take care xxx

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Constance13]

See you next week then!!! Enjoy your rest

[Blearyeyed in reply to PMRpro]

After some of the comments I have heard said by teachers today via my OH about the " ridiculous fuss and inconvenience" of the virus and having to change their behaviour I have finally decided to stop assuming anybody has common sense . In fact , if anything, this Outbreak has finally proved that common sense isn't really common at all.

Although , and totally off piste , or not , as it was a example of older people exercising and keeping their chin up indoors , I've just seen a great clip of film on BBC Wales News of people in a Retirement Home. They were playing Human size Wheelchair Hungry Hippos with tubs on sticks and plastic balls . Great stuff , with the right precautions 😋

[stiff19]

We’ve played hide and seek for years indoors and out and our dog lives to play it 👍

I think vets should come under key workers who need help as there are still sick pets also 🙏

I have heard nothing about veterinary surgery’s able to stay open if there was an enforced lockdown but hopefully the care of sick animals will be included.

[Highlandtiger in reply to stiff19]

My vets sent a message yesterday. They are open and they’ve put in place lots of procedures to protect them and owners. Video consultations by various methods in first instance but open for pets needing treatment. Different procedures for dropping off pets, picking up meds and so on if required. I was quite reassured.

[stiff19 in reply to Highlandtiger]

Great news 👍 touch wood my dog is well at moment , well bless, apart from old age catching him up but with life’s unpredictability’s it’s a concern when protecting family 🙏

Thankyou

[Blearyeyed in reply to Highlandtiger]

Yes , people forget that many of our pets are Chronic Health Sufferers too and need their jabs , our pets may be our closest or only companions for a while . We need to keep them healthy as well as keeping ourselves safe .

[Blearyeyed in reply to stiff19]

Good point , HT has had some news though , you could always ring your local vet and ask exactly what they want you to do for routine checks , prescriptions and emergencies at the moment , they will probably be grateful that you helped them pass on the info .