Activities For Bracco Italianos

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Activities For Bracco Italianos

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Introduction

The Bracco Italiano is a hunting breed from Italy that is beginning to grow in popularity across the globe. Even though they have mainly been used for hunting, they do make very affectionate and loving companions for the family. The Bracco Italiano is a loveable dog that needs a lot of exercise to keep them healthy and happy. They can become vocal and destructive if left to their own devices for too long. Look for fun activities to do with your Bracco Italiano that makes them feel they have completed a task and fits in your budget.

Touch Training

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Cheap

Normal

30 min

Items needed

Collar

Treats

Activity description

Touch training, also known as targeting, is used for service dogs but is also a great way to teach your dog to perform tasks and tricks to amaze your friends. Touch training is when you teach your dog to touch something with their nose or paw. They can learn to turn on a light switch, ring a doorbell, close a door, or give a polite greeting to visitors. You can teach touch training any time and do not need any special equipment. All you will need is a lot of patience and treats. When you begin teaching touch training, chose a quiet room to keep distractions to a minimum. Once your dog has the basics of touching down, you can start adding distractions.

Step

Teach to touch

The hardest part of touch training will be to keep your Bracco Italiano focused. Treats will help them be motivated to learn. Start in a quiet room where there will be minimal distractions. You will begin teaching them to touch your hand. Hold your hand out, palm out, about an inch away from their nose. Once they reach out and touch your palm with their nose give them a treat. Continue this activity and begin giving them the command “touch”. Step back and have your dog come to you to touch your palm, give plenty of praise and treats when they correctly touch your palm.

Step

Transition to objects

Once your dog is consistently touching your palm when you give them the touch command, you can move to having them touch objects. To ring a doorbell, you will need to teach your dog to jump up and touch the bell. You will want to expand on the touch command so your dog knows what is expected. Give them a command such as “touch bell” and show them the doorbell. Give them a treat when they properly jump up and touch the bell. You can also teach them to ring bells to signal their need to go outside. Have them touch the bells before going outside and give them praise and treats when they do so correctly.

Step

Consistency

Always be consistent in your commands and praise. Your dog will be more willing to do as you ask when they are getting the proper accolades. Also, if you give multiple commands for one trick, they will become confused and not know what is expected of them. Never be harsh with your dog when they are doing touch training. Your Bracco Italiano will not want to work for you if you are aggressive or uncaring in your training methods.

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Take a Stroll

Popular

0 Votes

Sunny Day

Free

Easy

30 min

Items needed

Leash

Collar

Treats

Clean-up Bags

Activity description

Sometimes the best activity for your Bracco Italiano is to simply take a stroll through your neighborhood and enjoy being together. Remember to keep your dog on their collar and leash while out walking and also take along a few treats. Practice good walking etiquette and do not allow your dog to pull ahead of you or be unruly when meeting others out for a walk. Tuck a few clean-up bags in your pocket in case your dog drops a surprise along the way. Most towns will have a rule that requires you to clean up after your dog. Going for a walk is free, easy and will help you and your dog get your daily exercise.

Step

Plan your route

Take the time to plan your walk. There are probably certain dogs and neighbors that you wish to avoid or there is a park along the way that you want to visit. Take a minute and decide how long you want to stay out on your walk. If you plan on visiting a park and being gone for more than 30 minutes, be sure to tuck a bottle of water and a collapsible bowl in a bag to take along for your dog. You want to make sure they are taken care of while out walking.

Step

Use the right collar

Some dogs can easily slip certain collars. Even well-trained, obedient dogs can have moments of stubbornness, especially Bracco Italianos, and therefore if they balk or twist just right they could slip out of their collar and get loose. When using a cloth collar, pick on that fits snug right behind their ears. A martingale leash or a choker chain that is properly placed is the best choice.

Step

Enjoy your stroll

Do not take a stroll during the hottest or coldest part of the day, instead choose a time that will make your walk more enjoyable for both you and your Bracco Italiano. Make sure your dog listens to you and does not run loose while you are out walking. Keep your dog on a loose leash but close to you so you can intervene if any problem arises. Do not overtire your dog and offer them a drink partway through the walk if the weather is hot. Avoid walking on blacktop in hot weather, it will burn your dog’s feet; stay on grass or concrete.

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Nose Work

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Cheap

Normal

15 min

Items needed

Collar

Leash

Treats

Scents

Activity description

Nose work is a fun activity, especially for the Bracco Italiano. This activity can be done indoors or outside and is a cheap activity that will allow them to use their natural abilities. You will begin by using some smelly and yummy treats for your dog. When doing nose work, always keep it fun and exciting and be consistent in the commands that you give. There are many benefits to teaching your dog nose work and eventually, you may even be able to expand on their training to do search and rescue work. Nose work is a great way to keep your dog entertained but keep each activity short, about 15 minutes, before giving them a break. You can do a few 15-minute sessions of nose work throughout the day to keep your dog on their toes.

Step

Introduce the scent

When introducing nose work, start with a particular treat that your dog loves and is pungent in smell, making it easier for your dog to locate the treat. Let them smell the treat and then remove them from the room before you hide the treat. When doing nose work, stick to one scent to start and once they become adept at finding that scent, you can begin adding more smells to their training.

Step

Hide the scent

Be sure to start out easy when hiding the treat. You do not want your dog to become so frustrated in their first few attempts that they give up and do not search for the treat. Once your dog has found the first few treats easily enough, you can begin finding tougher hiding places. Remember, when doing nose work outside, there will be several other smells that could easily grab their attention so be sure to encourage them as they search for the hidden treat.

Step

Make it harder

Build your dog’s scenting capabilities by making it harder and harder to locate the desired scent. This will sharpen their sense of smell. While nose work is a fun activity for you and your dog, you can turn it into a worthwhile cause and train your dog to do search and rescue. Even if you do not have aspirations of joining a search and rescue team, it will be fun to test your dog’s scenting abilities.

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More Fun Ideas...

Host a Playdate

Hosting a playdate can be fun, especially when it is held outdoors. You can even turn it into a pool party in the warmer months. Provide plenty of toys and cool, clean water for your four-legged guests. You can serve snacks and drinks for your two-legged guests as well. Invite dogs that are close to your dog’s size to keep any possible mishaps from happening when large and small dogs play.

Take a Long Drive

Some dogs actually enjoy hopping into the car and taking a drive with their favorite person. Plan a drive through the countryside and make a stop at a park for some impromptu playtime. Before setting out on a long drive make sure to pack bottled water, water bowl, collar, leash, and treats for your dog. If your dog does not find riding in the car enjoyable, this is not a good activity to choose as they will be miserable.

Conclusion

No matter what activities you choose for your Bracco Italiano, the main thing to remember is that they do require daily exercise to keep them happy and healthy. Braccos that are not given the proper amount of exercise will become destructive and very vocal. When picking activities for your dog, find activities that you and your dog will both find enjoyable. This will help solidify a deep bond between the two of you.