Play With Me

It rains a lot in Ohio, some say even more than Seattle.   And when it rains, we can't take Charlie out for  his usual daily walks...even though he has a rain coat.  He just gets too muddy and it's not very fun. (He, of course, would beg to differ).  So, with the exception of brief potty breaks in our tiny backyard, on rainy days Charlie's stuck in our house all day and, inevitably, he gets bored and starts whining to get us play with him.  He'll sit right in front of one of us, staring up with his sad eyes and whimper, as if to say, "Moma/Papa, please play with me. "

We ultimately found several ways to keep him preoccupied so that we can concentrate on things we need to do instead of having to spend the entire day being interrupted by his constant (but cute) pleas for attention. These activities also prevent him from resorting to his own imagination to concoct  fun, creative ways to keep himself entertained, like dragging a roll of toilet paper around the house or climbing on the desk to grab pens and bite them until the ink spills all over the place.   

Below is a list of some of the activities:

BULLY STICKS:

A bully stick is basically a dried bull penis designed as a chew treat for dogs. Believe it or not, Charlie loves these things.  It tastes good and it's safer than other chew treats, such as bones or rawhides, because it's easily digestible.  There are various brands of bully sticks. Most  have a distinct odor, it's kind of mix of cow manure and day-old meat--some brands are worse than others. From Charlie’s perspective, the stinkier, the better. He can chew on theses things for up to 40 minutes at a time, and after taking a break, he'll go back to it for some more good chewing. For us, the benefit of the peace and quiet we get outweighs having to put up with the foul odor wafting throughout the house.

FROZEN KONG:

We stuff 'Kong' toys with a mixture of goodies, such as freeze-dried liver, ham, canned dog food, ricotta cheese, and peanut butter. We like to freeze the stuffed Kong because it takes longer for Charlie to eat the tasty filling inside.

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS:

Like many new dog owners, we initially bought a lot of expensive dog toys for Charlie. What we discovered, however,  is that although he likes new toys, he soon gets bored with them and stops playing. Because Charlie can make toys out of anything, we started giving him mundane household items, such as an empty water bottle or plastic containers. He likes to chew them and chase them around the house. When he is done, we throw them away (I mean, recycle). He gets more excited with a new bottle than with a familiar, plush doggy toy.

STUFFED ANIMAL TIED TO A STRING

The one toy that continues to capture Charlie’s heart and mind is a dog-shaped stuffed animal with a string attached to its neck. Charlie likes to fling it around. Sometimes we attach the other end of the string to a fishing pole and swing it around to let him chase and catch it.  Like a cat, this seems to tap into his predatory instinct, and he goes wild chasing it. He exerts a lot of energy with this activity, so after 5 minutes of wild chase, he is ready to take a nap.

TREASURE HUNT

We make him “stay” in one room and then hide treats throughout the house. When he is released from the 'stay' position, he runs excitedly around the house to find the hidden treasures, while one of us says "find the treat, find the treat".

HIDE AND SEEK

While playing a game of fetch, we run to a hiding spot, such as under the desk, behind a shower curtain, or under a blanket.  Charlie usually finds us right away, but sometimes he runs around the house crying, unable to find us.

TREAT DISPENSERS

There are a variety of treat dispensing toys on the market. Charlie’s favorite is the IQ ball. This ball rolls faster than the other ones he has, so he gets more excited chasing it. It also takes the longest for treats to roll out, providing long-lasting entertainment. One of the problems with this toy, however, is that it's pretty loud if you have wood or tile floor. Also, it tends to roll under the furniture as he's playing with it, and when it does, frustrated Charlie howls like a wolf until we get it for him.

 

Tricky treat ball is a quieter a treat dispenser, but is not as fun for Charlie as the IQ ball. The treat comes out fairly quickly, but it can hold quite a bit of food, so sometimes we use it to feed him part of regular dry kibble.

Twist N Treat is way too easy for Charlie. No matter what we put in it, everything comes out in less than a minute. So, we put peanut butter around the openings to seal them in, which forces Charlie to lick away the peanut butter before he is able to get the treats out.

Tug-a-jug is too difficult for Charlie. He can't get it through his head that he needs to tilt the bottle or bang it around to get the treats out. All he does is gently roll the bottle on the floor. After several minutes, he just gives up and walks away.

BIRD WATCHING

Charlie is very interested in birds. While on a walk, he sometimes sits down or lies down on the street to watch birds chirping in the trees or picking up worms from the ground. While in the house, he looks out the window and enjoys bird watching.