Article http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/radio/more/cabinfever_print.

html

Deal With Doggy Cabin Fever

By Steve Dale

Font Size: [small] [medium] [large]

Spring showers can cause bored bowsers. While lots of dogs love the rain, people generally do
not. Dogs can get cabin fever too. "When a dog stays indoors for more than a couple of days,
you're pushing it; all that energy has to go some place," says Suzanne Clothier, author of "If A
Dog's Prayers Were Answered Bones Would Rain From the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships
with Dogs" (Warner Books, New York, NY, 2002; $24.95).

Some dogs are content to fetch a plush, but teaching your dog an organized game is more fun,
for you and your dog.

"These sorts of indoor games help better your dog's obedience, increases confidence, and
unlike a brainless game of fetch, dogs get to think," says Clothier. "Another real plus is that
kids can play these games on rainy days too. It's really great when the dog keeps kids busy."

Here are two of Clothier's favorite games:

Human Shell Game

Required Stuff: One child to hide and three preferably old and large blankets.

The rules: Bundle up all three of the king-sized blankets or sheets side by side by side. A child
hides under one of the blankets or sheets and curls up in a ball, so all the blanket or sheet
bundles look the same. Meanwhile, the pooch is off in another room. To release the dog, an
adult enthusiastically says, "Fido, go find Susie! Or Susie calls the dog to her. When Fido
sniffs out Susie, he gets a cookie and finds one of his favorite people.

Hide 'n Seek

Required Stuff: One person to hide, a few tidbits of kibble or dog biscuits.

The rules: Tell Fluffy, "sit/stay" (an adult may be required to enforce the sit/stay if
necessary). The first few hiding places aren't too challenging, but that's the idea. Have the
person "hide" about three feet in front of the Fluffy, and call her. Naturally, she'll see the
person, and smell the treats. And that's the point. The next time, the person hiding goes a
little further, perhaps partially down a hallway. Again, the dog sees the person, and hopefully
is there in an instant when called.

Once your dog gets this, the person hiding can actually run off into a room, but the dog should
have a view of which room it is. Instead of hiding, stand in a corner of the room in plain view.
So far, this is way easy, but the idea is to teach the dog the game. While the one person goes
off to hide, a second player must remain with Fluffy to enforce a "sit/stay" until an appropriate
hiding place is found. Whenever the dog succeeds, make a big deal about it, and offer a few
pieces of kibble or a cookie.

Now, the fun starts. Begin hiding in other rooms, even upstairs or downstairs. Begin with a
few easier hiding places — where your dog can easily find you. However, soon, you or your
kids will be hiding in closets, shower stalls, under the covers in bed and all sorts of creative
places. You'll learn that outsmarting a dog's nose might be impossible.

When Fluffy does her thing consistently, cut down on the treat or kibble rewards about half the
time. This is the Las Vegas theory — intermittent reinforcement is even more exciting. Ask
anyone who likes the slot machines.

If you want to make the game harder, play at night — with the lights off. Or add a second
player, each hiding in a different location. Two people hide, while an interested third party,
mom for example, tells the dog which person to find. Only the correct person is holding the
valued cookie prize.

Soon, you can elevate to graduate school, teaching Fluffy to sniff out inanimate objects, like
your car keys. Think about it. How handy would it be to use Fluffy to find your keys each time
you lost them. Truly, if your dog succeeds at this level, you might consider search and
rescue, finding people lost in the woods or in crumbled buildings after disasters. For more
about this, pick up a copy of "Guide to Search and Rescue Dogs," by Angela Eaton Snovak
(Barron's Educational Series, Hauppauge, NJ, 2004; $12.99).

For more indoor games, check out Clothier's website, www.flyingdogpress.com.

Clothier says you can have the best trained dog in the entire world, but still have a
relationship issue with your dog. Her advice about enhancing that relationship with your dog
doesn't sound all too different than marital advice from Dr. Phil. "We can't all have profound

1 of 2 1/20/05 18:10
Article http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/radio/more/cabinfever_print.html

relationships 24/7. But we can sure have profound moments. We do need to better understand
what they're trying to tell us. And we need to learn to listen to what they're saying.
Communication is the key. Playing games is a way to enhance that communication and
strengthen relationships."

No child under seven should play with a dog unsupervised. Any dog with a history of
aggression to children should also never play without adult supervision.

< back to original page

By visiting this site, you agree to the terms and conditions

of our Visitor Agreement. Please read. Privacy Policy.
Copyright © 2005 Discovery Communications Inc.

The leading global real-world media and entertainment company.

2 of 2 1/20/05 18:10