How to Connect with your Dog During Quarantine

Jun 12

There is no doubt about it: having a pet during times of crisis can be extremely beneficial. Pets bring comfort, and they make it easy to restore some sort of normalcy in your life because they have a routine with easy to fill necessities (food, shelter, and comfort). Studies have shown how having a pet can reduce blood pressure, enhance the immune system, and calm anxiety. And to top it off, having a dog helps promote healthy lifestyles by encouraging people to take a break from work, and get outside and go for a walk. Why not lean into that? Express your gratitude to your pet for all the wonderful things they offer you just by existing in your life!

But what about your dog, how are they fairing during the Shelter in Place? Is Spot doing well with all of this extra attention? Does she wish she could have some quiet time to just take a nice long nap? Is Fido lonely because he’s not meeting up with his friends at the dog park? How many times can you practice your obedience training before you and your dog just get bored? Well good news, most dogs are overjoyed that you are home with them! But let’s look into what you can do to help them relax, and how you can connect with them even more during this time.

Look at them

Dogs can feel your stress or anxiety, and they may get more clingy to try to help relieve you of that stress. A way to help your dog realize that they have helped you, is to look at them. This might sound a little “woo-woo” or “fruity,” but it’s backed by science. When you pet a dog, it releases the feel-good hormone, called oxytocin, inside your body. This is why scientists have been able to prove that animals can reduce health concerns like high blood pressure. So how can you give them the gift of oxytocin in return? Give them a nice round of good ‘ol eye contact. Release the tension in your face, look them in the eyes, and watch their stress melt away. (Bonus points if you give them a soft grin, and speak nice calm words while you do this). Giving your dog a good dose of oxytocin helps to develop the bond between you and your dog. You can train them to enjoy eye contact by using the command of “Look” or “Watch,” and giving them a little treat reward plus your eye contact. Eventually they won’t want the treat, they will just want your eyes to give them approval.

Time for Tricks

So what about training? It gets tedious practicing the same tired “sit, stay, come” routine. And we all know, your dog is not very interested in doing it anymore either. Well, reinforcing obedience is a standard practice for Dog Tired Adventures, and we are always trying to find ways to make it exciting. Try turning these moments into a game. Ask your dog to sit and stay, then go hide behind a door or in a hallway. Call for your dog to come, and let him use his brain to try to find you. Most people would call this game “Hide and Seek,” but your dog will love the chance to save you from being “lost.” Another way to train your dog is to teach them new tricks. Teach them to roll over, turn in a circle, weave between your legs, dance, or even how to jump. Set up a low barricade, and lure them over it with a high quality treat (i.e. cheese, hotdog, or their favorite jerky). Then gradually raise the stakes. Eventually, you can put a broom between two chairs, and your dog will be able to clear the obstacle! Hello in home agility training!

Curing Loneliness

Do you think your dog misses her friends from the dog park? (Hint: we are still offering group dog walks with Dog Tired Adventures!). But if you would prefer your dog to maintain social distancing, there are other ways to give them interactive stimulus. Tamar Geller, author and creator of The Loved Dog, suggests when you take your dog for a walk, to let the walk be for them. What this really means is to let your dog set the pace. Let her stop and smell what she wants to take time on. And let her enjoy her time outside with you. Giving her the opportunity to stop and sniff allows her brain to interact with the other dogs walking through the neighborhood. I affectionately call it “checking their pee-mail,” because sniffing is a form of communication between dogs. They leave each other little messages by releasing their pheromones.

At Dog Tired Adventures, we have several Brain Games we play with the dogs to help enrich their walks. Dogs can use energy (and get tired) in two ways. One through physical exercise. Two, through mental stimulation. One of our favorite games is “Find It.” This game can be as easy as dropping a treat on the ground, and telling Fido to find it. But you can step up the challenge as their experience increases by leaving treats by a car when you leave for the walk. When you return, tell them to “Find it.” You can also play this game in your home by putting some treats in a towel or blanket, fold it up, then tell your dog to find it. Let them use their nose to snuffle through the fabric to find their rewards. You can get even more crafty by putting the folded, treat loaded towel inside a canvas tote bag. Get creative - the options are limitless with this one!

Give Them Some Space

These are all pretty fun and easy ways to help connect with your dog while you are in sheltering in place. But something to remember: sometimes your dog does just need a long quiet nap. Like the ones he used to have when everyone was at work and school. Establish a human-free zone for your dog, so he can take his nap and enjoy his personal alone time. There will be days when he won’t go in that room or corner ever. But sometimes, he will really appreciate that you gave him his space for however long he needed. Sometimes, dogs just need a break from the stimulation and socialization (just like humans). Afterall, we can’t all have good days all the time!

Enjoy your Dog

We are so happy you want to learn how to connect with your dog during shelter in place. The connections you build with your dog will only help strengthen the bond you have. Any extra attention you can spare with your dog will help release those endorphins we talked about earlier. So why not take the time to help them build up all of those feel-good chemicals while we are here with them in the home? Speaking for your dog, they really appreciate it! And don’t forget, you can still continue doing these little things for your dog, even after we resume to a more standard lifestyle.