# Fun things to do in the house



## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

I need some ideas for fun things to do in the house with Daisy. She's almost 8 years old, not a crazy wild dog, really she's very mellow. But we're so limited in what we can do these days. She needs to have ACL surgery on her knee. Running and jumping is not good for her. She's not ball oriented, as far as tossing a ball ... but then I don't want her to chase anything either. 

We go to the lake still several times a week for short periods so she can fish and swim. I don't let her outside much when we're home because I don't want her running or romping with the kids or other dogs. So she's spending a lot of time indoors. 

I don't want her to get depressed. What are some things I can do to make all this indoor time more fun for her?


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Wow you really have limited things for Daisy. All I can come up with is to peel some grapes for her and feed them to her while you rub her belly and she watches her soaps while lounging on the couch.


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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

Does she like squeaky toys? Or looking out the window? Maybe a new puppy ?

Maybe a good chew toy? Good luck Jo and Daisy!


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Since it is so freaking hot out, I have been practicing obedience in the house with the boys and they love it. I have one down stay in the kitchen and then have the other heel into the living room and stay. Then go get the other and heel to the hall etc. They get treats and think it's fun!

Play hide and seek with her favorite toy. Have her stay while you hide it and then "Find your woobie!" My boys love that!

If you throw a toy in the house does she run too hard to fetch? I do that while I'm here on line : ) and Selka doesn't run, he just walks fast. But he is alittle lazy. : )
Gunner bounds off the couch to retrieve!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

(tsk tsk Rob, no grapes, they are bad for dogs!)

Jo Ellen, I sometimes put treats in an empty Gatorade bottle and the let dogs bat it around till they get all the treats out. You can always fill a kong, freeze, and let her go at that for a while. There are treat dispenser balls you can get too. Or try teaching her some new tricks. Hide and seek, if her toys have names she recognizes hide them and have her search for them.

I hope you and Daisy get to enjoy lots of lake time before she really has to have the surgery.


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## kgiff (Jul 21, 2008)

Hmmm.... Our one quiet game is rolling a ball back and forth. I'll roll the ball to Cisco and he'll roll the ball back to me (pushing it with his nose). Not sure that will work since she's not ball oriented.

What about teaching her some quiet tricks like balancing a treat on her nose or covering her eyes with her paws?

Hope her surgery goes well.


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## Memphis & Holly's Mom (Feb 16, 2008)

I can't think of any new suggestions...there are some really great ones here...I hope one of these (or more..LOL) can be done with Daisy, so she can have fun, but still not overdo it and put stress on her ACL...my 2 love a chewie...


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

When I was at home and Lucky was adelecent pup climbing the walls because we didn't have a fenced yard , he'd get cabin fever and drive me nuts. Always in trouble.

Someone said (on this forum) that dogs are happiest 'working".

I started trying to teach him chores around the house using clicker training. I soon lost the clicker, but continued with the concept.

My goal....get Lucky to pick up dirty clothes off the floor and drop them in the laundry basket. I also would call him and have him take things I handed him (like a dirty dishrag) to the laundry basket. He was really doing good...only occassionally running off with the dishrag for a game of chase.

I got him to pick up something, take it to the basket and drop it and then called him over too repeat on something else. He loved it. Picking something up on command was the hardest.....dropping it was easy.

Maybe Daisy would think learning tasks fun and interesting...I wish I kept it up but life intervened on our consistancy.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Daisy loves her chicken chews! I have to be careful with the food and treats though, she can't gain any weight and without normal exercise, it would be really easy for her.

I like the rolling something back and forth idea. How can I teach her to use her nose to roll something back to me? 

Basic obedience is good too, or teaching her new tricks. I've been really lax on that, we're very out of practice. But I bet if I used pieces of kibble, she'd be very motivated -- she's sure she's starving :

She has a whole basket full of squeaky toys and she plays with them but I don't think they're exciting enough for her to find if I hide them ?? I can try that though!

Throwing someting in the house I think is risky. She doesn't go slow when it's something she wants, and if it's not something she wants she doesn't go at all LOL

Thanks for the ideas everyone !! :wave: 

Oh, no puppies : I've given this considerable thought over the past couple of years. Daisy and I are a pack of two for the duration. I'm at peace with that.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Life intervenes ... isn't that the truth :bowl:


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## mainegirl (May 2, 2005)

jo,
here are two websites that might help


http://www.mabcr.org/home/postsurgerybc

http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~may/activ

beth, moose and angel


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

games where she has to use her nose - hiding her meals in a several places around the house...


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Get her an XXL antler chew and she will be busy for hours. The first order lasted my crew over a month and they are now on the second batch. They don't splinter or break off big chunks and are supposed to be really good for them. Just make sure as they wear down, to take away before they get to be too small. http://www.petexpertise.com/dog-toys/antlers-chews.html


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## Griffyn'sMom (Mar 22, 2007)

LibertyME said:


> games where she has to use her nose - hiding her meals in a several places around the house...


YES! We play "Find It" with Griff on rainy or yucky days. We have him sit and wait in another room and go hide a toy (his favorite is plain old stuffed socks) - then give him the OK to find it! He runs around like a nut with nose a sniffing and then he gets lots of praise when he finds it - we say "Good Find!". He loves this game.

We also play hide and seek with him that way too. :


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## DawnMonachino (Oct 3, 2008)

I play "hide and seek" with my girl. I have her sit and stay in one room and then hide some treats for her in the other rooms of the house. (under pillows, blankets, in the crevice of her bed, etc.) This way she is mentally stimulated and is using her instinct in finding things. She gets very excited and the tail is wagging the whole time.


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## avincent52 (Jul 23, 2008)

Oaklys Dad said:


> Wow you really have limited things for Daisy. All I can come up with is to peel some grapes for her and feed them to her while you rub her belly and she watches her soaps while lounging on the couch.


Aren't grapes bad for dogs? I was surprised to discover that grapes and raisins can cause renal failure or something.


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## Bogey's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

Oaklys Dad said:


> Wow you really have limited things for Daisy. All I can come up with is to peel some grapes for her and feed them to her while you rub her belly and she watches her soaps while lounging on the couch.


Grapes?!?!? Those can be lethal for dogs!


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

I think he was being sarcastic!


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## Bogey's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

Oh.:uhoh: Sorry! I just learned that though and was terrified. We always have grapes around.


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## whalesarecool (Jun 12, 2012)

hmm what i would do is lay on the couch with u :banana:and brush her
(sorry i just got that banana randomly )


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## whalesarecool (Jun 12, 2012)

DawnMonachino said:


> I play "hide and seek" with my girl. I have her sit and stay in one room and then hide some treats for her in the other rooms of the house. (under pillows, blankets, in the crevice of her bed, etc.) This way she is mentally stimulated and is using her instinct in finding things. She gets very excited and the tail is wagging the whole time.


ok that is just cute and funny:heartbeat


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## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

Lots and Lots of belly rubs..... Lola would let me do it all day!:wavey:


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## jluke (Nov 18, 2011)

*Picking Things Up...*

On the picking things up theme -- if she knows (or you want to teach her) the names of her toys, you can teach her to put them away in a box or a basket which is fun and useful!


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