This Wednesday fun post will be about the fun challenges you can try with your dog.
Many of them went viral all over the web. If you did not get a chance to try them yet — give them a go! We promise you’ll have a good fun, at least they are harmlessly viral, unlike the bug!
Many of them went viral all over the web. If you did not get a chance to try them yet — give them a go! We promise you’ll have a good fun, at least they are harmlessly viral, unlike the bug!
You might also be interested to try our Distractions Challenge Title for a more structured approach to teach your dog to ignore distractions.
Challenge 1: Snoot challenge
This one is a cute one and is likely to result in some super shareable cute photos.
How to do it: You make a circle with your fingers like if you are making OK sign - for small and medium dogs. For large dogs you might need to make a bigger circle using fingers of both hands.
The dog sticks in the nose to fill in the circle made with your fingers. You take some photos and videos to share with your friends and for a giggle.
Here are some inspirations for you:
This cute little trick would also count towards your Novice Trick Dog titles, under the Creativity section
Challenge 2: Chin rest challenge
Another cute and heart-melting challenge to try with your dog.
How to set the challenge: You sit and dog runs to you and puts its chin on your lap, looking upwards at you adoringly (or so is the story goes, more likely it will think “can’t you see I did it, now where is my treat!”).
Instead of putting the chin on your lap the dog can put its chin on your outstretched hand.
This is a super easy trick to teach your dog and you literally can achieve it with many dogs in no time. The additional bonus of this trick is that it forms a good foundation to a number of other tricks and has a calming effect on many dogs.
Here is an example of how you could teach it:
Again, this trick would count towards your Novice Trick Dog titles under the Creativity section.
Dog performing this trick looks so cute and adoring — so it is worth teaching your dog this trick even if for some photos!
Challenge 3: Raw egg challenge
OK, we have to warn you, it can get messy so best do it on washable floors or outside.
How to set the challenge: You give your dog a raw egg to hold in the mouth and aim for the egg to be whole and untracked when the dog gives it back to you. Some people think that it is only for dogs with “soft mouths” such as labradors, but all dogs can do it with some training!
You can do it too — so give it a go. Be prepared though to have a few eggs cracked during the initial training. After all, it is a challenge, so fails are expected and can be just as fun
Make sure you wash the egg before giving it to your dog just in case and please do not attempt it with the dogs who are allergic to eggs or not ready for it. It meant to be fun for both of you — so keep it that way. This trick would count towards your Advanced Trick Dog titles.
Challenge 4: What the fluff challenge
This one is just for fun! It’s priceless to watch dog’s reaction when their owner disappears into the thin air. Make sure that someone films your dog when you vanish or set up an automatic recording.
How to set the challenge: You stand by doorway with a large blanket or a cloth about your length. Lift it up and down several times for your dog to see you and start watching you, then lift the blanket for the first time and hide while the blanket falls down.
It might look like that:
What reaction did you get from your dog?
Challenge 5: Dog outline with food challenge
This is a great educational game for your dog as well as a fun challenge. Dogs with high degree of self control are much better at training and following your commands.
Use this challenge to test your dog’s self control. Can your dog do it?
This is also a fun little trick you could submit under Creativity for the Novice Trick Dog title.
How to set the challenge: Put your dog in a stationary position (sit or down) and then try to outline your dog with pieces of dry food or kibble without the dog eating them. You can even put the food on the dog’s paws etc. Can your dog stay still and resist the temptation? Show us your photos!
This is one of the ideas you could try:
Challenge 6: Will the dog steal the food challenge?
Another self-control food challenge but arguably harder than the challenge 5.
Start with challenge 5 and then try to progress to challenge 6. Can your dog be trusted to be left unsupervised in the room with food and not eat it?
How to set the challenge: Put some of your dog’s favourite food on a plate within the easy reach of your dog. Make sure that your dog is fully aware that the food is there. Even better put your dog in a “sit and stay” position straight infant of the plate with the food and leave the room telling your dog not to eat the food.
Can you leave the room for 1 minute without your dog trying to eat the food?
Would your dog resist the temptation if you leave it say for 5 minutes?
Here is an example of this challenge with several dogs:
And here is another one:
Set up a camera or your phone to record your dog when you leave the room. It is very useful and informative for future training to watch your dog’s trail of thought and reaction when its tries to resist the temptation even if you came to the empty plate.
Challenge 7: Indoor maze
Another challenge, where you are asking your dog to navigate a maze. You build it in your room or corridor using items around your home such as empty boxes, chairs, cushions, tins, bags etc. Gradually make the maze more complicated.
How quickly can the dog get to the other side of the maze?
Keep the dog’s and your safety in mind when building the maze. Only do it if you feel your dog would enjoy doing this challenge. Most dogs love it and it can be an excellent boredom breaker and exercise for both of you.
Challenge 8: Toilet paper wall challenge
This one is both funny and ridiculous. It is also the feature of the current lockdown and challenges with the toilet paper. So if you are lucky enough to build a huge stash of the toilet paper you can attempt this challenge with the real thing. The rest of us can use substitutes such as kitchen rolls, cushions, soft toys and even small cardboard boxes or empty packaging.
How to set it up: In the doorway you gradually build level by level a wall using your toilet rolls (no toilet rolls will be harmed in the process) or other substitutes and ask your dog to jump over the wall to you. How high can you build the wall without your dog tumbling it down with the jump?
For your dog’s safety we would advice you not to ask your dog to jump over anything tall than twice the dog’s shoulder height on hard surfaces and avoid asking puppies to do the jumping too.
Share what you’ve got!
Here is one of the examples of such challenge:
As you can see this challenge can be attempted also with other animals such as cats.
Challenge 9: Silent tricks challenge
How many tricks can your dog can perform on your hand signal only?
No voice commands! No luring with food! And preferably no luring with hands either! No cheating!
This is not just a fun challenge but also great training for your dog!
Here is a lovely video of dog performing 15 silent tricks (Ok nearly silent tricks in this case). Can you beat the score?
Share your videos!
Silent commands are also included into all levels of Trick Dog Titles.
Challenge 10: Find a new way to make your dog happy
Unlike the other challenges above this is a challenge for you.
Can you discover a new way to make your dog happy?
Try something new and see if your dog enjoys it.
You can try dog massage or a new way of petting, stroking a different tummy rub, a new game, new food, new toy (you can make many toys at home) etc.
In case if you’d like some help or if are looking for some more ideas here are 30 games you can experiment with and some further puppy socialisation games.
Share the photo of your happy dog and keep discovering more ways how to keep each other happy!
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