How to make the most out of Corona quarantine.
Whether people are in quarantine or not but we are spending a lot more time at home than usual due to all restrictions caused by Corona.
Many of us have our homes already cleaned from top to bottom, all jigsaw puzzles have been assembled and tv shows are more or less same reruns so many of us are getting really bored at home. Here are some ideas what you can do to make the time go by.
Teach new behaviours to your dog
This is a unique chance to teach something completely new to your dog. Or if your dog has any issues or unwanted behaviours, now is your chance to tackle them too.
In winter time Miki likes to sleep outside on our terrace. In Finland during winter time the temperatures can fall as low as -25°F so it’s not possible to leave the door open for Miki to come and go. I solved the problem by purchasing a doorbell (with a large button) just for Miki and taught him to ring the bell when he wishes to come back inside. Miki has now rang the doorbell over five years whenever he wants to get back in. I taught him the doorbell before I let him go outside just by himself so he hasn’t formed any unwanted behaviours like barking on the door or scratching the door to get back in.
Teaching replacement behaviours to the unwanted ones requires more time and a lot of repetition. In normal circumstances most of us don’t have the time to do it so if your dog has any issues you should now grab the bull by the horns.
Play with your dog
In normal daily life we may just walk our dogs around few blocks and pet him while watching tv. When was the last time you played with you dog doing nothing else at the same time?
Miki doesn’t really enjoy playing, but he is eager to do almost anything when there is a chance of getting food rewards. We have now played with some interactive toys that were long forgotten. Miki is not a retriever by nature but now we have played a game where he fetches toys and gets a single food kibble as a reward. Whatever works!
Now when you have just about all the time in the world you can craft brain games and interactive dog toys by your self. You can find tips and instructions with pictures here.
Teach new tricks or rehearse old ones
If you find yourself bored you can always teach new tricks to your dog or rehearse old ones that are somewhat forgotten. Teaching new tricks is fun and you can teach dogs just about anything. These YouTube videos may get you inspired:
“Meet Porter. The World’s First Driving Dog”, where a dog named Porter has been taught to drive a car.
“Dog Flies Airplane”, where a dog named Shadow has been taught to fly a real airplane.
“20metre dalmatian bicycle race”, where two dalmatians have been taught to ride bicycles. This is SO FUNNY :D
You can also check the tricks Miki masters in here.
Charity work
You can do some charity work despite the Corona restrictions.
If you are good in arts and crafts or knitting or something like that, you can prepare items for charity fairs in advance. There will be a great need for charity after the Corona episode and you may as well prepare for it now when you have extra time.
You can read here about the charity work I do, I hope it inspires you.
Minimute wishes you all sunny spring days and fun times with your furry sweetheart!
8.4.2020