Fun Ways To Train Your Dog in Your Yard

Everyone knows that dogs enjoy playing in the backyard, but many pet owners may be surprised to hear that simply opening the door and letting their dog entertain itself is inadequate. Taking your dogs to the backyard gives mental, physical, and emotional stimulation to your pets by providing them with sunlight and ample space to play. Not only is playing outdoors enjoyable, but it also helps improve their behavior within the house.

The combination of mental and physical exercise keeps your dog well-behaved, balanced, and healthy. When it comes to entertaining activities for your dog, there are multiple options, ranging from dog agility tunnel to fetch toys and scent work to spend some time with your furry friend.

BACKYARD TRAINING ACTIVITIES THAT YOUR DOG WILL ENJOY

Dog scent games

You might enjoy training your dogs to utilize their exceptional smell sense to locate objects.

Hide and seek

Hide a few dogs’ treats in a safe place in the backyard, then let them sniff these out. It is a fun game to play with your dog and teaches them a useful skill.

Pick a hand

Put a treat in one hand, place the other hand behind your back and exchange the treat. Extend out your fists for your dog to sniff. Wait until the dog paws or sniffs at one of your hands; afterward, open the hand to disclose if it holds a treat.

FOCUS GAMES

The name game

This incredibly simple and helpful exercise reinforces your dog’s behavior of looking at you when you call their name. Simply say your dog’s name and reward it whenever it looks at you. This is an excellent game for focusing your dog’s attention.

Locating the toy

Get two jars or boxes and a favorite toy for your dog. Make your dog sit while you put the toy under a separate box. Rearrange the boxes and instruct your dog to “find the toy!”  You can assist your confused puppy by touching or indicating the correct box. When the dog finds the toy, give him applause and a treat.

Upgrade the fetch game

Dogs love to fetch, reflecting their natural tendencies to hunt and catch prey. Finding dog toys with different bounces enhances engagement and mental stimulation because balls tend to bounce in particular ways. Upgrade your game with specifically made dog fetch toys, varying from rope tug toys to plush dog toys.

Dog flier discs are designed to float in the air and bounce on the floor, making the chasing and the capturing more exciting.

Dog agility exercises

Most individuals consider “agility” to train professional dogs fighting on a professional course. Nevertheless, all dogs can benefit from backyard agility training. Agility involves dogs in a variety of ways. The tools and coursework stimulate the mind and teach new tricks and skills. Also, agility gives intense physical activity and the ability to engage and strengthen a wide range of muscles.

As your dog’s skill level improves, you may adjust the order of the challenges or make them more challenging, so playing with agility tools never gets old. If you are wondering where you should begin with agility exercises, consider a dog agility tunnel.

Play water sports

Many dogs enjoy water games in the backyard. A spring day that is warm and sunny is ideal for water games. Simply activate your sprinkler and enjoy watching your dog run back and forth with delight.

If you don’t have a sprinkler, put tennis balls or other dog ball toys in a dog pool or a bucket of water and encourage your dog to catch the balls as they float up and down.

THE BOTTOM LINE!

Your dog’s consistent and precise training will keep him cognitively stimulated and reduce overall stress. Remember that you can only correct your dog if you find him in the act of barking, digging, or clawing at the door; correcting after the fact is ineffective.