17 Mar How to Drain a Dog’s Energy at Home (Part 1)

Dogs are energetic and playful creatures and need daily activity and energy depletion. But some dog breeds have a lot more energy and require a lot of activity. These days, when our dogs aren’t always allowed to play outdoors due to apartment life, quarantine and the corona pandemic, we need to entertain them at home. In this article, we’re going to talk about ways to drain the dog’s energy and teach you interesting games that you can play with your dog at home. So stay tuned.

The necessity to drain the dog’s energy

The different body structures of dogs

Dogs have high energy and their body structure is suitable for a lot of activity and running. Especially dogs that used to have extremely high energy for hunting, being shepherds and herding dogs. Now dogs are home and don’t have the opportunity to work and drain energy as before. So we need to provide them with conditions that they can be active and play enough. Keeping a dog properly is a great responsibility and it’s necessary to drain his daily energy in the appropriate ways to prevent behavioural problems in him.

Fixing behavioural problems

It’s interesting to know that many behavioural problems of dogs such as barking, chewing on household items, etc. are due to the dog not being depleted of energy and getting upset. Therefore, by draining the dog’s energy and proper training and education, you can easily have a well-behaved and polite dog. Remember that a tired dog is a happy dog! The more active the dogs, the happier, healthier and even easier it is to train them.

Draining dog’s energy outside or inside the house

The best way to drain a dog’s energy is to take him out and let him play and drain his energy outdoors. But these days, when we can’t get our dog out much because of a coronavirus pandemic, we need to learn how to drain a dog’s energy with fun games at home. Not all dog breeds have the same level of energy, some dogs are hyperactive and some require little daily activity. If you haven’t brought a dog yet and your living conditions are such that you can’t take the dog out much and the dog is often at home, we suggest you choose one of the dog breeds suitable for your apartment and lifestyle.

Teaching your dog basic commands and obedience before the game

Before you want to play any kind of game with your dog, you must teach him the basic instructions and basic commands. Dog training, especially teaching the dog basic commands, prevents emotional and uncontrollable behaviours. Because if you don’t teach these commands to your dog, your dog may get too excited in the middle of the game and the game will get out of your control. So first establish a good relationship with the dog, make sure he hears and obeys you and knows the basic commands well; Then play with him. The basic commands are:

• Sit down
• Stay
• Come on
• Leave it
• Lie down
• And other important commands

Following the rules and principles of playing

In addition to teaching basic commands and obedience, you need to follow a series of rules in all games.

• Choose a suitable space for the game that your dog can’t break and damage equipment.
• When the dog is very hungry or has just eaten, it isn’t a good time to play. Between meals is the best tie for draining energy.
• Avoid dangerous, breakable, sharp objects and anything that may cause damage to the dog.
• Each game session should be about 15 minutes, no more. In this case, you maintain the excitement of the game and you can even use it as a reward.
• Provide suitable and varied toys for dogs.
• When playing, increase the excitement of the game by using a happy and energetic and happy tone.
• You can also use a variety of dog treats to encourage the dog to play.
• Stop playing whenever you feel the dog is behaving violently due to excitement. Try to calm the dog down and then play again.
• Enter the game yourself and play with the dog. Even the funniest toys aren’t as enjoyable and exciting for your dog as playing with you.