Winter: how to take care of your pet when it's bad outside? 30

With a cushion, a stool, a chair or an ottoman, your living room will transform into an agility ground! Arrange these elements to make it a real course and encourage your dog to follow you. If necessary, motivate him with a few well-placed treats …

Your dog will exert himself by concentrating on the obstacles to circumvent or to pass but also by running everywhere like a little madman!

2- A little education?

After physical exercise, mental gymnastics! Do not hesitate to revise the little tricks that your animal knows: the idea is that the “exercise” is short, just a few minutes to work on his concentration. Sitting, standing, lying, pawing will be playful postures for him if their accomplishment is also rewarded by caresses.

3- A chase game

Cat lover, now is the time to titillate his hunting instincts! Arm yourself with feather dusters or toys to encourage him to follow you or climb on objects that you have previously arranged.

4- A greedy enigma to solve

A few treats arranged in a Kong® for dogs or a Pipolino® for cats, it works the brain! Your companion will rack their brains to obtain them and will quickly become more crafty each time the experience is repeated. Be careful, however, not to play too often or to make the game last too long at the risk of it becoming torture, especially if he is hungry!

You can also make these little toys yourself: in a shoebox with a pierced lid, your cat will have to put its paw inside to remove the kibble. For dogs, remove the cap from a small plastic bottle and place treats inside: he'll have to spill the bottle to get them.

5- A little climbing?

Go and hide in a room not too far from him and ask your dog to come and get you! To complicate the game, turn off the light… Whenever he finds you, congratulate him!

Cats also love this game: “Hiding and interfering in the most inaccessible places are behaviors rooted in the nature of the cat. (…) For his pleasure, let him regularly enter the cupboards, wardrobes, closet and have fun going to surprise him in his hiding place! It will quickly become a game between him and you ”suggests Laetitia Barlerin in her book.