Stay At Home With Us

In the past few weeks life has certainly given us a lot to digest. Many stores have closed their doors, schools are closed, public gatherings are not encouraged, many of us are fulfilling job obligations from home and in fact, even our furbabies’ frequent trips to the park might have been postponed. With “Social distancing” becoming our new normal we are encouraged to stay at home, if we do get a chance to take our dogs for a walk it is recommended that we avoid crowding public spaces and invading the personal spaces of others. Being at home more often than the norm might be a mental challenge for you, but rest assured your pet is elated by your more frequent presence.

You might not be able to walk into a physical store as you would per usual, for some this might be worrisome but it doesn’t have to be as many online stores are still in operation. One such is Hero Dog these guys stock some amazing pet mats, beds, mattresses, and other supplies which will definitely make the chill time a favorite. Having the perfect bed to rest, play, or chill on will take away some of the stress that comes with the worry of living in these uncertain times. Just like people across the country and around the world whose lives and daily routines have been affected by what is happening in the world today,  pets who are stuck in quarantine with their parents may experience some amount of stress and even depression if you don’t help them to cope with these sudden lifestyle changes. We might notice changes in their behavior like, trouble sleeping (Hero Dog can fix this), loss of appetite, not wanting to play, suddenly become destructive and or increased barking and growling. In most cases all they need is something to do or a more comfortable bed to rest on. I highly recommend that you check out Hero Dog for the perfect pet bed, you can thank me later.

You might be wondering what can you possibly do with your dog or a cat when you’re under quarantine? While your pets are excited about having you home, you might be struggling to keep them active but it can be less of a struggle to keep them mentally aroused. Treat discovery, hide and seek and a photoshoot are some excellent ideas that will help you to keep them challenged and engaged. Or you can dedicate some of the free time to try teaching a new trick or two. Cat clicker training is worth a try, or brush up on those behavioral commands you have been wanting to introduce. These are all great ways to increase your bond and beat boredom with your cat or dog while doing some mental and physical exercise, there are several videos available on Youtube that you can check out.

Since many of us are now doing more online shopping than we probably used to, you might have been getting loads of packages, so you might have several boxes just waiting to be tossed in the recycle pile. Before you throw them out they can be used to awake  your creativity and have some fun with your pet. A cool thing to do with them is to, arrange the empty boxes on the floor and hide treats in or under some of the boxes. Show your dog to the boxes and let it use its nose to find the treat that you have hidden. Also you can hide them in random places around the house. When each treat is found it is the rewards don’t forget you need to be your dog’s number one cheerleader. Continue the steps above and rearrange the boxes with more treats. A cupcake tray puzzle is another fun activity that you can try. You will need an empty cupcake baking tray and some balls that are small enough to cover the openings, tennis balls can do the trick. Place treats or pieces of your dog’s favorite snack into some but not all of the baking tray’s cups, and cover all of the cups with the tennis balls. Put the tray in front of the dog and let sniff to find the cup with the hidden treat. Each time you play, change the cups where the treats are hidden.

An entertaining activity that you can do with your pet while being quarantined is a photoshoot or just the capturing and captioning of random photos, you do not even need a camera a smartphone can get the job done. then you can create an online or physical photo library or album. Spending more time with your pets you will be sure to make some memories with them that would be best captured in a photo or a video, which you can share with families and friends. Instagram is an online platform that is very simple to use where you can share photos and videos with your family and friends. You can even head over to Pinterest for some cool ideas for making postcards or other art projects using the photos you took.

While there is no proof that pets can contract or transmit the virus, there’s no doubt that it is changing the lives of animals across the world. This is more of a challenge for dogs who live in condominiums and apartments. These quarantine dogs do not have a lot of indoor or private outdoor spaces, so as pet parents we must take extra precautions to keep our pets entertained and mentally engaged in the limited spaces that are available.

While this is without a doubt a frightening time for most of us if not all, there are many things happening that we should be grateful for. It was said that the level of pollution has decreased. People have been catching up on much need rest and with family and friends that they might not have spoken with in ages, and your pets are surely excited that you are spending more time at home. The curve will eventually be flattened. Until then, let us all play our part by supporting social distancing, keeping ourselves and surrounding clean and while you are at it, try the ideas suggested herein to keep the human race and our furry family members safe. Staying home doesn’t have to be boring. We are here for you, let us stay home together.