Depriving your dogs and pooches of attention can cause more trouble at home
Art by Saii Shah | Photo by Tadeusz Lakota/Unsplash
Dogs are known to be great companions. They can also provide many benefits for your health and your household. But remember that your dogs also need attention and physical activity to be on their best behavior. Amid social distancing and home quarantine measures at the height of COVID-19, your furbabies may start noticing the change in your routines and naturally may become restless. So how do you balance your pup’s needs with your other responsibilities?
Walk around the house
Under self-quarantine at home may also mean less physical activity for your dog since it’s currently not advisable to walk them around the neighborhood. This lack of mobility can cause complications to your dog’s health. You don’t have to go outside to address this change. Take a few minutes to walk around your house with your dog at the start of the day for them to burn excess energy and also for you to get some exercise in. Walking around your living room or up and down the stairs inside the house is enough.
Take a few minutes to walk around your house with your dog at the start of the day for them to burn excess energy and also for you to get some exercise in
Monitor feeding
Less physical activity also means less opportunity for your dogs to burn fat. Aside from restlessness, immobile dogs are prone to obesity through overfeeding, which can cause further complications such as heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. Avoid spoiling your dogs and limit the treats you give. Feed them appropriate portions and at scheduled eating times so they eat well and behave when they see food.
Play games
If you don’t have time to move around, you can multitask and play fetch with your dog. Since your dog will be doing all the running, you could be sitting on your desk working while your dog just catches the toy you throw.
If you do have the time to move around the house, another game you can play is hide and seek. Videos have gone viral of owners hiding from their dogs while they run around the house looking for them. This is a good exercise to get both of you moving.
Talk to your dogs
Staying home alone can get to your head sometimes, eliciting feelings of loneliness that could lead to more negative emotions. Dr. Danielle Bernal says that talking to your dog can benefit them as much as it can benefit you.
“During a period when you aren’t chatting with people the same way that you would in an office, talk away to your pets! It’s as good for them as it is for you, especially in a solitary time,” Bernal tells FOX News.
Dogs deserve love and attention just like any human. If you feel out of place and restless when you’re left alone for long periods, your dog probably feels that way too. Spend some quality time with your pets—it can help you as much as it helps them.