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Preschool teachers and dog owners absolutely dread rainy days (and I speak from experience on both counts). I used to teach preschool in Massachusetts and on the days my class could not go outside, the kids would quite literally try to the climb the walls. As a dog owner, my experience has been that boredom and pent-up energy causes dogs to eat the walls instead of climbing them (and I mean this literally – my parents had a Hungarian Sheepdog who literally chewed a big chunk out of their wall one day when he was a puppy and bored). Here are some suggestions for keeping your dog active and mentally stimulated when your hometown is in the grip of winter weather and your dog is stuck indoors for days at a time. No wall eating required!

Activity #1: Play Treat Hide-And-Seek (this suggestion comes certified dog trainer, Mark Goldberg): Begin with a hungry dog. Show her a tasty treat, something high value like a small bit of chicken, and toss it on the floor in front of her. Tell her “find it.”

Toss the next treat around a corner so it lands out of sight. Tell her “find it” again and help get her started by pointing inthe right direction. Slowly work your way up to hiding the treats behind curtains, under furniture, and eventually in other rooms. Increase the challenge by hiding the treat inside a toy like Pup Beads.

Although this activity might seem less exhausting that a run in the park, the fact is that your dog will be actively using her strongest sense, the sense of smell. The olfactory center of your dog’s brain occupies a tremendous amount of resources. This means that working scent busily for 15 or 20 minutes can be quite tiring!

Activity #2: Create a Layered Canine Cake (no baking involved!): Keep your dog occupied with a “layered” cake or Kong toy. To keep your dog working, fill approximately one third of the toy with something sticky that your dog loves (peanut butter or cream cheese works well for most dogs). To this layer, add some kibble and favored treats. Then “ice” your cake with some more peanut butter or cream cheese. This should keep most dogs happily occupied for several hours!