Fun Activities to Do with Your Australian Shepherd While in Quarantine
If you are stuck being home 24/7, you’re probably getting pretty bored. Australian Shepherds are great for brightening your mood and helping to make your days at home more fun! Just because you are practicing social distancing doesn’t mean you cannot have fun around your own home. Our pets great us like conquering heroes or rock stars-They are actually good for us and our emotional well-being. Here are a few ideas and some of our favorite things to do with our Australian Shepherds while staying at home.
Learn how to dog yoga with your furry friends!
Try to incorporate yoga into your daily walks and playtime. Not only can yoga reduce stress in your life it can be added quality time with your pets. Get out your yoga mat and invite your Australian Shepherd to check out the new playtime activities. If he seems interested or curious about what you are doing, incorporate him into some of your yoga moves! The first step is to never force your pet to join you…make it fun for you both!
Start a fun game of Find the Treats!
It is important to keep your mind and your Australian Shepherd’s mind active during these weird times. This fun game of “find the treats” will get you and your dog moving and excited. You can pick out your Australian Shepherds favorite treats and hide them in a different room in easy to find places. After your dog has been a “good boy” and waited patiently, give him the go-ahead to start searching for his treats. Be sure to praise your Australian Shepherd after every enjoyable treat, so that he feels extra special! This is a fun game for you and your pet to enjoy on your dull afternoons.
Become A Master Photographer with Fun Photo Shoots!
Do you have difficulty taking clear pictures of your Australian Shepherd because they are always on the move? Or you are never able to get them to look at the camera? Now is the time to work on your skills and have fun while taking Insta-worthy pictures! You can try switching the settings on your camera to help capture your pets’ quick movements.
They probably won’t sit still for long so snapping a quick picture, so they are not blurry is important! Most smartphones have the option of a burst mode which allows you to take several photos quickly. This is a great way to take multiple shots at once and then decide which one is the perfect one you are looking for. You can also try getting down on their level by kneeling or even laying down on the ground to get a great angle for each photo.
If it is possible in your home head for the brightest room to look for the best natural lighting. Taking pictures when it is sunny out will only help the pictures of your Australian Shepherd turn out even better! If you want to try capturing a silly picture, put a little bit of dog-safe peanut butter on the roof of his mouth just before the picture is taken. It will cause him to have his tongue sticking out for the photo.
For really funny slow-motion pictures blow bubbles around him. Watching him have fun with the bubbles is absolutely hilarious. Get your dog to look at the camera by holding a squeaky toy to turn his attention towards you.
Include your Australian Shepherd in a Movie Night!
If you are stuck at home and feel like you have nothing to do, a movie night might be just what you need to clear your head. Call your dog over for a cuddle sesh and enjoy your favorite movie together. You can try a movie with dogs in it to spark your pets’ interest. Dogs will actually watch the tv with you and get engaged with what is happening on the screen, more so when they hear familiar sounds. It’s true, our Australian Shepherds are big Star Wars fans! 😊
A movie night with your Australian Shepherd is the perfect way to get anything stressful off your mind and an added love time with your furry best friend. Here is a list of some adorable dog appropriate flicks.
Work on improving your Australian Shepherds behavior!
Do you have an overly-excited dog, doesn’t listen well or needs to work on potty training? Take this extra time together to work them on these skills. Now is the perfect time to practice a lot! You can try checking out youtube for ideas, there are a ton of great videos out there for learning how to improve your Australian Shepherds “naughty” behaviors.
Teach your Australian Shepherd A New Trick!
Quarantine is a great time to teach your pet a new trick. If your Australian Shepherd has mastered all their basic manners, try moving on to more advanced tricks. You can teach your Australian Shepherd to roll over, play dead, or even stand up on his back legs. Dogs who are used to a lot of physical activity can handle more physically demanding training such as tricks like spins, rollovers, sitting pretty or weaving between his owner’s legs.
There is plenty of time for you and your pet to learn fun new tricks. If you have a stairwell teach your dog to run up and down the stairs after a ball. Our Australian Shepherds love to play this Stairway Dash. You can, in fact, teach an old dog, new tricks!
Have Your Kids Make DIY Dog Toys for Your Australian Shepherd!
If you have children that are home from school right now, chances are they are looking for things to save them from boredom too. Have them work on do-it-yourself projects and make fun toys for their pets. An example would be making a DIY tug of war rope toy from old t-shirts, jeans or fabric you have laying around the house. Some other examples are re-stuff able dog toys, no-sew denim dog toys, water bottle toys and DIY jumping toys. Take advantage of all the resources available on the internet and have fun!
Take This Time to Get Your Groom on!
Groomers in your area might not be open for business right now. Give your pet a bath or spend some quality time brushing out those luscious locks to make sure his health is in tip-top shape. If you have an Australian Shepherd that sheds as much as ours do, your house will appreciate the extra de-furring!
Include Your Australian Shepherd While Working from Home!
When you are working from home, consider pulling another chair next to your desk so your Australian Shepherd can sit right beside you. It can make for fantastic “working from home” photos when you need a break.
You Should Show your Australian Shepherd All the Love (though you knew that already)!
While Americans are increasingly isolated from one another during the coronavirus pandemic, we can take comfort in the companionship of our pets-stay sane at home with the help of your Australian Shepherd. Whatever you find to do, I hope you experience the unconditional love that our pets have to offer!
Got an “Aussie Question” you’d like us to write about? Let us know by dropping a comment below!