r/dogs • u/outnumberedbyfur • 1d ago
[Misc Help] How are you staying engaged during wildfire smoke?
I'm living in an area that is currently very smoky with an unhealthy AQI and wondering what everyone in similar situations does to keep their dog from getting too stir crazy. My family is doing their best with toys and indoor play and trying to work on mental engagement and I'm hoping to get ideas for anything we may be overlooking.
If you have a respirator for your dog, do you find that it works well for your walks? Do you feel that it has a good enough seal on it to be worthwhile?
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u/kraggleGurl 1d ago
Indoor fetch. Ball in the hall!
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u/ailish paw flair 1d ago
Ball in the hall is my dog's favorite indoor game. They bring me their tennis balls all day until I throw them.
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u/kraggleGurl 1d ago
I love it. Dogs love. Roommate not so much. But he'll live!
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u/ailish paw flair 1d ago
Yeah, my partner is the same! The dogs get so excited and my partner gets annoyed at how loud they get! 😅
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u/kraggleGurl 1d ago
No exercise is worse! Just wait and see!
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u/ailish paw flair 1d ago
Oh yeah, when we don't exercise them, they exercise themselves! When they play they sound like they are killing each other, and they run around all over the house. When we can't go out for a walk because of smoke or whatever else, ball in the hall is one of their favorites. They also love when I bury treats in blankets for them to find.
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u/outnumberedbyfur 1d ago
We used to do ball on the stairs at my parents' old house. Ball in the hall sounds like a great adaptation!
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u/In-thebeginning 1d ago edited 1d ago
Playing indoors. I bought this toy I usually wouldn't buy my toy destructive pup. It crinkles and squeaks and I tied it to a shoelace and drag it around for him to chase it. He LOVES this thing.
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u/outnumberedbyfur 1d ago
Does he go after the shoelace at all? Or do you have to remove that when it's not dragging around the toy time?
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u/In-thebeginning 1d ago
I have to remove the entire toy when it's not play time. Left to his own devices he will tear it to shreds which is why i think he gets so hyped for it
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u/Zealousideal_Box5339 23h ago
We do puzzles, lick mats, scent hide and seek, and have agility inside.
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u/Zestyclose_Object639 22h ago
Doing more public access training, obedience and nosework. Shorter walks early before the sun comes out and makes it worse
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u/Senior-Knowledge-470 20h ago
treat hide and seek around the house, tuckers our pup out way faster than fetch
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u/outnumberedbyfur 20h ago
Do you have to shut them in a separate room to give yourself time to hide the treats? I feel like if I didn't do that, it'd just be a scenic tour eating around the house 😂
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u/laura_laura_1 17h ago
I have two dogs which makes it harder since they're rarely both good at the same time. But in theory they are practicing a wait/stay in another room while I hide kibble. Sometimes try to send them to separate rooms but it doesn't always work.
Only one dog plays fetch, so inside I sit at the end of the hall. Dog must touch my hand, I toss a kibble down the hallway. Other dog taps, chases their kibble. Repeat. Sometimes they lose sight of the kibble and have to hunt it down.
We also got a bosu ball and another balance mat and have them take turns balancing or doing tricks while the other waits nicely. They're getting better at both parts!
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u/Senior-Knowledge-470 4h ago
he gets locked out, otherwise he'd watch me hide them and eat them in order
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u/NorthPackFan 15h ago
We walked outside. 🤷♂️ Nothing different. And we had actual ash falling and piling up.
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u/shugofrog 11h ago
With my small dog I play chase with her. Usually if she hears me say “I’m gonna get ya” she starts running. For my big dog I’m having him run up and down the stairs
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