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Here’s a list of ways to keep your dog busy indoors.

#stayhome #quarentine

Looking for some easy ways to keep your dog busy and entertained?

Keeping your dog entertained can be a challenge. And trying to come up with new ways to keep your dog entertained can be more exhausting than actually getting up and doing it.


The Benefits of Keeping Your Dog Busy

Bored dogs get into trouble. We’re their main source of entertainment, so if we don’t give them stuff to do they’ll come up with activities of their own — and that’s when we end up with chewed up shoes and curtains.

By playing with your dog a few times a day you can decrease the likelihood of them developing destructive habits such as excessive barking or chewing.


With help from my dog Laika we’ve come up with a big list of fun indoor activities for dogs. So if you’re looking for some indoor games to play with your dog you’ve come to the right place.

Play a Game of Find The Treats

Nose work games are one of the easiest ways to tire out your dog. When you teach your dog some basic nose work games such as ‘find the treats’ you’re mentally tiring them out and helping them hone in on some of their natural skills. (chopped up carrots are my favorite treat to use for this game)
Grab some treats and have your dog watch as you place them around the room. Give your dog the cue to “find the treats” and encourage your dog to pick them up, remembering to praise them every time they find one. After your confident that your dog understands what “find the treats” means you can making it a bit more challenging. Have them stay in another room as you hide the treats, and start hiding them in spots they have to sniff out such as under a rug.

Play the the Shell Game

The shell game is a simple problem solving game for dogs. To play the shell game with your dog let your dog watch as you place a treat under one of three cups. You then shuffle the cups around and encourage them to ‘find the treat.’ The shell game gives your dog plenty of mental stimulation, and helps them work on their problem solving skills.

Teach Your Dog to Clean Up His Toys

If your dog’s toys are kept in a container you can teach them to put their toys away. I know it sounds weird to teach your dog to clean up after themselves, but it’s actually a lot of fun. Teaching your dog new skills boosts their confidence, and it’s a great way to give them more mental stimulation.
If your dog already knows “drop it” have them pick up a toy and give them their drop it command once they’re standing over the container. Praise them like crazy, then rinse and repeat. Eventually with consistency you’ll have a dog that will be able to clean up after himself.

Play a Game of Tug of War

Playing a game of tug of war is one of the best ways to engage in meaningful play with our dogs. It’s a great way to mentally and physically exercise your dog. And since it doesn’t require a ton of room you can play it indoors.

And contrary to what some people say playing tug will not make your dog aggressive, and letting them win will not make them dominant. Letting your dog win just makes the game more fun for your dog, and it will encourage them to play more. Dogs that play tug with their owners have been found to be more obedient and have higher confidence.

Tug is a great way to exercise your dog as long as you have your dog follow a few basic rules such as “the game stops if your teeth touch my hand.”

Teach Your Dog to Help With Chores

Dogs love having a job to do, even if it’s something as simple as fetching you your slippers. You can make them feel even more useful by teaching them the names of some items you wouldn’t mind  having retrieved.

If you want to impress all of your friends teach your dog to fetch you something from the fridge. When teaching your dog to open the fridge tie a towel around the handle so it’s easy for them to pull open the door. And if you’re feeling like a superstar you can teach your dog to help out with daily chores.

Play Interactive Games

To keep my dog busy on rainy days I love using interactive games such as tug, find the treats, puzzle games and fetch. Interactive games are an easy way to give your dog plenty of mental stimulation, and they can help cut down on problem behaviors such as excessive chewing or barking.

But take it from me; if you’re going to play fetch indoors use a lightweight ball to avoid breaking all of the things. (lesson learned) A game of tug is a lot of fun for dogs, and it’s a great way to increase your dogs manners and impulse control. It’s also a pretty good workout. Minute for minute it’s one of the more physically demanding games we play.

Make Your Dog Work for His Food

We give our dogs a nice comfy life — they get a warm bed, lots of attention, and all their meals for free. But our dogs were bred to work alongside us, and a lot of our dogs are missing out on some mentally stimulating activities. They’re natural scavengers, so having to work for food isn’t mean or unusual — it’s normal and mentally stimulating for them.
One of the easiest ways to challenge your dog’s mind is by making them work for their meals. You can make your dog perform some tricks before he gets his dinner, or you can have them eat from a food dispensing toy.

Dogs may help reduce allergies in children

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center may have found a new way for families to prevent eczema in their children: Adopt a dog.

The researchers studied 636 newborns at risk for developing asthma, allergies, or eczema, and found that children with dog allergies who lived in a house with dogs were far less likely to develop eczema than were allergic children who lived with no dogs. Conversely, children with dog allergies who did not own dogs were four times more likely to develop eczema.

On the other hand, children with cat allergies who lived with cats were more likely to develop eczema than were allergic children who lived in a cat-free house.

While researchers are still looking for a cause of the recent rise in childhood eczema, the study proves that dogs may be an ideal pet for families with allergy-ridden children.

“The number of children with allergic eczema is rising, but the reasons for this are unclear,” says Tolly Epstein, MD, corresponding author of the study and assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. “Our research suggests that exposure to dog allergens early in life may actually have a protective effect against developing future allergies among a high-risk population.”

Can coronavirus from China affect pets ? Yes see more

A pet dog in Hong Kong has contracted coronavirus from its owner in what is believed to be the first known human-to-animal transmission of the disease, local health officials confirmed Wednesday.

The pooch was placed under quarantine at an animal facility after three tests confirmed it came down with a “low-level infection” of the COVID-19 virus — though it shows no signs of illness, a spokesperson for Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said in a statement.

There is “no evidence” that pets could be a source of the virus or that they would even become sick once infected, the spokesman stressed. But the department advised that pets like cats and dogs from households of confirmed cases should be placed under official quarantine.

“Apart from maintaining good hygiene practices, pet owners need not be overly concerned and under no circumstances should they abandon their pets,” the AFCD spokesperson said.

Officials first tested the dog on Feb. 26 and found low levels of coronavirus from its nasal and oral samples a day later. Two repeat tests earlier this week resulted in a “weak positive” for the virus, the department said.

The dog will continue to be tested and will be returned to its owner once the results come back negative.

“People who are sick should restrict contacting animals,” the statement said. “If there are any changes in the health condition of the pets, advice from a veterinarian should be sought as soon as possible.”

A coronavirus patient's pet dog that tested positive for the virus last week is now "likely" the first case of human-to-animal transmission, health authorities said Wednesday. The dog was found to have a low-level infection of the coronavirus after being tested repeatedly for the disease, a spokesperson for Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said in a statement.

The department first tested the dog on February 26 and later detected low levels of coronavirus from its nasal and oral samples a day later. Officials repeated both tests this week, finding it resulted in "weak positive" for the virus.

The statement said veterinary health experts were consulted and "unanimously agreed that these results suggest that the dog has a low-level of infection and it is likely to be a case of human-to-animal transmission."

PDF about CoronaVirus from Global Veterenary Communety 

The Exotic Cat

The Exotic is called to be a harmonious example of balance and refinement. The huge head should be balanced squarely on a thick neck. The skull of the Exotic should be smooth with snub nose and chin vertically aligned and a muzzle that smoothes evenly into full cheeks. The breed should have a stocky and steady body type which lays low on the legs and has a well-rounded midsection and level back. The midsection should be muscular. Legs should be short, thick, and strong with large, round and firm paws. Toes should be carried closed. The tail, like the in the Persian, should be short but proportional and carried without a curve.

There are 88 colors of Exotics, most stemming from the wide variety of Persian colors and patterns. There are no color classifications for the breed; the main difference between Persian coats and Exotic coats is the length. The coat of the Exotic should be dense, plush, and soft, accentuating the rounded shape of the cat and giving it a teddy-bear like appearance. The eye color of the cat should match the coat type, for example a breed standard white Exotic should have deep blue or copper eyes; in the case of an odd-eyed cat, the deepness of color must match in both eyes.

Considered the 'lazy man's' Persian, the Exotic offers the beautiful face and colors of the Persian without the necessary and excessive amounts of grooming. Though it is a hybrid of the American or Domestic Shorthair and the Persian, the Exotic maintains a good number of Persian qualities. The exotic is a quiet cat, rarely vocal. They are easy going and love attention, begging not with their voices but with an intense stare. They love to be kissed and cuddled, more a 'baby' than a 'buddy'. Exotics will sit in your lap, on your shoulder and even hug you when hugged. They are known to sleep with their owners unless preferring a cooler location than the bed. Perhaps because of the breeding with shorthairs, Exotics love to play, and will ponder how to retrieve a toy that has been put away out of reach. They love the simple pleasures in life and will spend hours watching water drip from a faucet or playing with a paper ball. Best kept indoors, the Exotic excellent at adapting to a changing environment and can be introduced to a new home at any age. It is a sweet and loving cat and easily deserves to be called the "best of both worlds".

All in all, the Exotic is a lovely cat, allowing those with busy lives to have the beauty of a Persian in a cat that doesn't require the necessary amounts of grooming.

The breed is relatively new and had its start as an illegal attempt by breeders of American or Domestic shorthairs to breed in the silver and blue colors found in Persians to create a more beautiful short hair. Rather than allow what had become a beautiful hybrid to perish in obscurity, CFA Judge Jane Martinke fought for a new breed to be added to the registries and the Exotic was born. The breed quickly achieved championship status in 1967, though some breeders still sought to breed outside the American Shorthair- Persian combination. Any other pedigree is now disallowed, all exotics must be the product of Persian- American Shorthair heritage.

Cymric Cat

Identical in all but coat length to the Manx, the Cymric and Manx have been combined into one category by some feline associations. A study in circles, the Cymric resembles a bowling ball that is medium in size. The Cymric takes up to five years to reach full maturity. Once maturity is reached, the males will weigh between ten and twelve pounds and the females between eight and ten. They lack a tail and ideally have a rounded rump with a small dimple in place of the tail. The hind legs should be longer than the front with rounded, medium sized feet. Ears are wide at the base and set wide on a rounded head. Eyes should be rounded, large angled and slightly lifted at the outer edge. Coat should be silky, well- padded and thick. The Cymric is allowed to come in any color just like the lovable Manx. There should be tufts of fur between the toes, britches should be easily visible and the ears should be fully furnished in the Cymric but not in the Manx.

Gentle giants and extremely playful, these excellent jumpers are highly intelligent and wonderful family pets. They are very curious and will use their excellent jumping ability to propel themselves to the highest of corners to investigate something that may have attracted their attention. They have been known to use door handles, fetch toys and even bury a toy that they find themselves particularly attached to. Though soft voiced they can be quite talkative and have an enchanting trilling way of speaking. Very people oriented, the Manx will bond hard and fast to those they call their own making re-homing difficult. When introduced properly they will get along easily with other pets and children.

Because this is a tailless breed, there is an absence of vertebrae and with this absence there is always the concern of injury. Owners should always be sure to support the hind quarters of a Cymric or Manx when carrying their cat to prevent placing extra strain on the shortened spine. In addition, children and adults should both be careful not to poke or prod the missing tail area as this can cause extreme pain- the nerve endings in the spines of these animals are not only present, they are exposed and unprotected. Owners should be careful to discuss any genetic spinal disorders with the breeder and be sure to have their kitten examined by a vet before purchase. Other care for the Cymric is fairly easy, they enjoy a careful brushing to help keep mats under control and do not have any dietary requirements.

The Cymric and the Manx share a long and colorful history, with tales of their missing tails even including a story that Noah shut the door of the Ark on their tails and cut them off. They were first discovered on the Isle of Man in a feline population that was believed to have descended from cats aboard ships from nearby England and Wales. Eventually, a genetic mutation occurred within the population and the kittens began to be born without tails. Because the Isle of Man is fairly small and isolated, in-breeding led to this becoming a common trait amongst the cats and by 1750 they were known as 'stubbins'. The first painting of a tail-less cat was created in 1810 and by the late 1800's they were ready to be seen at the begin of the cat fancy era. The short hair versions were the first to be shown and to gain success, with the long-haired Cymric receiving recognition in later years.

CA top humane state in nation

 The Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest animal protection organization, has released its second annual “Humane State Ranking,” a comprehensive report rating all 50 states on a wide range of animal protection laws dealing with pets, animal cruelty and fighting, wildlife, animals in research, horses and farm animals.

Last year, California topped the list, followed by New Jersey, Colorado, Maine and Massachusetts. This year, Illinois moved into third place, due to passage of a raft of important animal protection measures during the 2010 legislative session, including bills to prohibit the keeping of primates as pets and to protect animals from antifreeze poisoning.

Also making great strides were Louisiana, Oklahoma and Alaska. Oklahoma—one of the top three puppy-producing states in the country—gained major points for passing a comprehensive puppy mill bill in 2010, and also passed legislation protecting pets in domestic violence situations and for allowing the creation of pet trusts. Louisiana, which was the last state to ban cockfighting in 2006, strengthened its laws for spectators of cockfights. And Alaska gained points for making egregious acts of cruelty a felony on the first offense and for closing a loophole that allowed the possession of chimpanzees as pets.

“Our Humane State Ranking provides a big-picture look at how states are faring on animal-protection policies, and how they rank in the nation,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. “There are some states that are adopting innovative and strong policies to protect animals, while others are lagging badly.”

In 2010, The HSUS helped pass 97 new laws and regulations to protect animals and helped to defeat dozens of other harmful measures.

At the bottom of the list, the states with the weakest animal protection laws are Alabama, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota, with South Dakota ranking last with a score of eight out of 65. Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota and South Dakota got low marks in part because they are the only four states in the country with no felony penalty for egregious acts of animal cruelty. Alabama, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota are also among the 11 states that do not have felony-level penalties for cockfighting. Ohio is expected to move up in the ranking if the state follows through with a series of eight reforms advanced by The HSUS and agricultural groups in the state to deal with cockfighting, puppy mills, exotic pets, and factory farming issues.

The ranking was based on 65 different animal protection issues in 10 major animal protection categories including: animal fighting; animal cruelty; puppy mills; use of animals in research; equine protection; wildlife abuse; factory farming; fur and trapping; exotic animals; and companion animal laws.

Dogs may help reduce allergies in children

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center may have found a new way for families to prevent eczema in their children: Adopt a dog.

The researchers studied 636 newborns at risk for developing asthma, allergies, or eczema, and found that children with dog allergies who lived in a house with dogs were far less likely to develop eczema than were allergic children who lived with no dogs. Conversely, children with dog allergies who did not own dogs were four times more likely to develop eczema.

On the other hand, children with cat allergies who lived with cats were more likely to develop eczema than were allergic children who lived in a cat-free house.

While researchers are still looking for a cause of the recent rise in childhood eczema, the study proves that dogs may be an ideal pet for families with allergy-ridden children.

“The number of children with allergic eczema is rising, but the reasons for this are unclear,” says Tolly Epstein, MD, corresponding author of the study and assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. “Our research suggests that exposure to dog allergens early in life may actually have a protective effect against developing future allergies among a high-risk population.”