For most of us, cabin fever can quickly set in because our day-to-day lives revolve around routine. Whether that’s getting up, walking the dog, going to work, going to the gym or popping in to see family and friends for a cup of tea. All of our normalities have stopped to prevent the spread of the virus.
I’ve decided to have a different outlook on our current lockdown situation. Instead of thinking about all the things we CAN’T do, I’m looking at what we CAN do. Remember all those things we said we would have done if we had the time? Well would you believe it, we have so much time now.
So now I’m working from home and don’t have the travel to and from the office, I have so much more time to spend with Woody (aka my new work colleague). It’s an opportunity to strengthen the bond we have between us and our pets. This is how I’m planning on spending lockdown with Woody...
1. Walks
Being outside is good for the soul. Not only is it great for your physical health, but it’s also wonderful for your mental health too.
Since the lockdown rules have been put in place, we have been advised to have one form of exercise a day. I will be using mine to walk Woody once a day. We’re lucky to live just along the canal and have a lot of fields/woods/lakes all within walking distance to head to. I’m trying my best to avoid peak times for a walk to ensure we come into contact with people as little as possible. If we do, I’m making sure we keep a good distance apart and we’re not allowing Woody to greet any dogs (which he’s not too happy about!)
Woody loves being outdoors so we are taking advantage of the fact that we are still able to have our daily walk and are already beginning to appreciate what’s on our doorstep. Bring on the wet and muddy walks!
2. Mental stimulation
I mix this up daily from a pet safe chew , a Kong toy, a licki mat or puzzle game to get his brain thinking.
Woody has a really high scent drive so we also play games around the house like ‘hide and seek’ where we hide his favourite toys or treats and he has to go and find them. It’s a brilliant, fun and rewarding game that we all love. You should give it a try, I’m sure you’ll be amazed at how well your dog does!
3. Tricks
Woody’s go-to trick is ‘put ‘em up’, he nails it every time but I’m looking at working on teaching him new tricks too. This is a great way to keep him entertained and occupied because he loves to please. Have you had a trick in mind that you wanted to teach your dog? Now is the time to do it. I’m currently teaching Woody to cross his paws - watch this space!
4. Naps
When it all gets too much, sometimes you need to just take a nap! Dogs sleep a lot more than people do so it would be rude not to have an afternoon snooze when your dog does. Embrace the weekend siestas!!
5. Music
If all else fails, we still have music! Spotify have recently launched their Pet Playlist and of course Woody has his own. Whether you just need some calming tunes or ones to dance around the kitchen. Just dance it out!
Stay safe puppers, it’s a crazy world out there at the moment but we will get through it together. You know why? Because we are the lucky ones who have our dogs to keep our spirits up.
The world needs more smiles right now and lucky for me, Woody’s smile is infectious!
