7 Ideas For When It’s Too Hot To Train Outside

In the summer heat, everyone writes articles and makes social media posts warning dog owners about the heat and all the safety precautions you should take. While these are very helpful, no one writes about how to keep your dog from going stir crazy while staying inside. In this article, I will go over a few different options you can do with your dog to get that extra energy out.

Before we get into things you can do with your dog when it’s hot outside, you must first understand that dogs don’t just require physical stimulation like walking or playing fetch. They also require mental stimulation. There are many different ways you can provide mental stimulation for your dog and a majority of these options will help with that.

1) Brain games

You can buy dog puzzles very inexpensively! Get some treats or their food and put them in the game and let them try to figure it out. You can also make DIY brain games; you can take an empty water bottle and cut holes in it, and then fill it with food. Your dog will be encouraged to roll and play with the bottle to get the food to fall out. If you have an old towel laying around, put treats inside it, then tie it in a knot and let them try to figure out how to get to the treats.

2) Frozen treats

You can buy toys that are made to be filled, but you can also just use a bowl out of your cabinet. You can take things like peanut butter, canned pumpkin, plain greek yogurt, sardines for their coat, different fruits, or unsweetened applesauce. You can throw all of these things together as long as your dog likes them and then put the bowl in the freezer for 24 hours. Once it’s frozen, you can let your pup enjoy! You can also put these inside a crate with your dog when you leave. Make sure that any food you choose to freeze is safe for dogs to eat.

3) Obedience training

If your dog isn’t trained already, you can look into getting some obedience training – this will give you something to do with your dog, and it is a great way to bond. You can do obedience training in your home, and after you have a well-behaved dog, you can look up dog-friendly places in your area and give them a try. This will give your dog mental and physical stimulation and really tire them out.

4) Teach your dog a trick

Everyone loves to show off what their dog can do, so why not teach your dog a trick? If you find a trick that you would like to do with your dog, you need to break it down into very small steps to achieve the end goal. You can contact a dog trainer if you don’t know where to start, or begin doing research to find step-by-step instructions. You can teach your dog lots of tricks, even if your dog is older – because you can in fact teach an old dog new tricks!

5) Change your routine

Do you normally take your dog for a walk every afternoon – when in the summer, it may be too hot to take them out? Consider waking up a little bit earlier and playing outside with them, or waiting until it cools down outside to go for a walk instead. Your dog will get adjusted to a new schedule and they will be happy to get some exercise.

6) Play hide and go seek

Have someone else hold them as you run away and hide. If you are by yourself, put them in a sit or down-stay and then go. Once you are hidden, call their name and wait. When they get to you, praise them or give them treats, and then make the hiding spots more and more difficult. This makes them use their nose to find you, not just their eyes. If you find your dog really enjoys it, you can look to see if there is a trailing class near you and get some training and certification.

7) Take your dog to the lake, beach or pool

Safety first, of course – make sure to get your dog a life jacket if they have never been swimming before (you can always take it off later if they are doing well). Even if your dog doesn’t love a bath, they may still love the water. If they like to swim, you can throw toys in for them to get. This is a great option for older dogs because it’s much easier on their joints. If you are introducing your dog to water for the first time, start small with water that they can walk into and don’t force them to swim. Once they get more comfortable, let them explore at their own pace. If you have a pool, make sure your dog is able to get out safely even if they don’t love to swim – it’s very important in case they were to fall in accidentally.

In conclusion

Remember that all dogs are different. Your dog may love all of these things on this list – or perhaps only one of them – but it’s worth giving them all a try. One thing for certain is that you will gain a better bond with your dog in the process!