Activities For Finnish Hounds
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Prepare for unexpected vet bills
Introduction
If you are a big fan of hunting dogs who are friendly, energetic and have a strong work ethic, then the Finnish Hound is the dog for you. This national pup of Finland has a long history of chasing down hares and fox and due to that background, they need some good, high energy activities to keep them busy. This guide will point you in the direction of engaging pursuits to undertake with your fun-loving Finnish Hound.
Backyard Scavenger Hunt
Popular
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Sunny Day
Cheap
Easy
15 min
Items needed
Dog Bone
Dog Treats
Activity description
Finnish Hounds are scent hounds which means that they are very good at using their impressive noses to follow a scent trail and find their prey. While you may not want your Finnish hound to be chasing actual live animals, you can easily set up a fun tracking game for them right in your backyard. This game will appeal to your dog's need to track scents and reward them with their favorite treats. Set up scavenger hunts for your dog anytime as you can change the location of the treats making the game harder each time. Opt for a sunny day when you and your dog won't mind playing outside.
Step
1
Aromatic treats
Get a few dog treats that smell really potent. This will help your dog smell them when they are outside in the open air where there are a lot of other scents that may distract your dog. Make sure the aromatic treats are something your dog likes! Toss your Finnish Hound one or two treats before setting off on your scavenger hunt just to entice their appetite.
Step
2
Hide the treats
Hide the treats in your backyard in a variety of places. Put a few treats low on the ground where your Finnish Hound can easily reach them but also put a few treats higher up or behind bushes and trees - you want your dog to be challenged! Remember where you put the treats just in case your dog misses one or two, you can pick them up later.
Step
3
Hunt!
Give your Finnish Hound one treat and then let them go search for more. Giving them a treat before starting will let them know what scent they are tracking and help them find their scavenger hunt prizes. You will be surprised how quickly your dog finds the treats! Those Finnish Hounds sure have powerful noses.
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Flyball
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Sunny Day
Moderate
Normal
30 min
Items needed
Tennis Ball
Flyball Box
Hurdles
Activity description
If you have a Finnish Hound and you are in need of a new way to give them a little exercise, flyball is the perfect solution. Not only does flyball give your dog the opportunity to run, jump and catch a ball but it also appeals to their hunting instincts - catching a tennis ball can be related to catching a wild animal! Flyball is fun to practice with your dog and is not outrageously expensive, all you need are a few hurdles and a flyball box. Flyball is ideally played outside but you can easily set it up indoors when the weather is bad!
Step
1
Hurdles
Train your Finnish Hound to jump over hurdles by leading them over the jumps using treats and by running over the hurdles yourself. Grab your Finnish Hound's favorite treats and show them what you are holding. Then, run over the hurdles, dangling the treats in front of your dog. Jumping over that hurdle to get a treat will be easy for your Finnish Hound! Next, have your dog stand at the start of the hurdles while you are at the other end. Call your pup and watch as they race over the hurdles to you to get their treat.
Step
2
Flyball box
Show your dog how to use a flyball box. When your dog puts their paws on the spring-loaded box, a tennis ball will pop out for them to catch. It won't take long before your Finish Hound learns that paws on the box means tennis ball in their mouth! This is an intelligent breed of pup after all! You will find training your dog to get excited about catching a ball isn't too hard.
Step
3
Connect the dots
Now that your dog knows the components of flyball, they are ready to play. Have your pup jump over the hurdles, pounce on the flyball box, catch the ball and race back over the hurdles. See how fast your dog can go! Practice often and you will find that your Finnish Hound gets faster and faster. You can even consider entering them into flyball competitions!
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Indoor Obstacle Course
Popular
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Any Day
Free
Easy
45 min
Items needed
Treats
Blankets
Chairs
Couch Cushions
Activity description
You likely know by now that your Finnish Hound is full of energy and your little speed racer doesn't care whether it is raining, snowing or one hundred degrees outside - they just want to go! When the weather is unpleasant, an indoor obstacle course is the perfect way to keep your dog entertained and active. Indoor obstacle courses are easy to set up and can be altered any way you like, keeping them fresh and exciting. This activity is totally free as you can use whatever obstacles you have around the house. While it is the perfect thing to do on a rainy day, you can set up obstacle courses anytime you want to hang out inside with your Finnish Hound.
Step
1
Find obstacles
Set up your obstacle course using a variety of things around the house. Use the couch as an obstacle to climb up and over, make a tunnel for your dog to crawl through using blankets draped over chairs and utilize the stairs as a "mountain" to climb. Get creative but make sure there are some ups, some downs and definitely some "unders"!
Step
2
Guide through
Use your Finnish Hound's favorite treats to lure them through the obstacle course, showing them how to tackle each obstacle you have set up. Take each obstacle slowly and repeat each one several times so your dog knows how to do each trick on their own. Use command words like "up" and "over" as you train your dog to go through the course so later, you can just use words to guide them through.
Step
3
Run it
Once your dog has gone through the obstacle course slowly a few times, see how fast they can go. Time your dog and use your command words to encourage them through each obstacle. Finnish Hounds can be very quick dogs so keep working on the obstacle course over and over until they are running through like the speed racers they are! If you and your pup get bored, switch up the obstacle course and start again. You can spend the whole day making and playing on obstacle courses with your dog!
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More Fun Ideas...
Make Friends
Finnish Hounds were used for centuries as pack hunting dogs so they are able to easily get along with other pups. Find a few dog friends for your Finnish Hound to play with in order to keep them happy and well socialized.
Hunting Clubs
If you are interested in seeing your Finnish Hound in their natural environment, sign them up for a nearby hunting club. These clubs will train your dog to hunt in a modern and controlled environment that will still utilize their natural abilities as hunters.
Conclusion
Finnish Hounds are not the easiest dog to have as a pet however, dedicated owners will be able to find many ways to have fun with their pup. Make sure your Finnish Hound gets a lot of exercise every day in order to curb bad behaviors that could crop up due to boredom. Try any activity that will keep your dog running around! Add in a scent trail and your dog will be the happiest pup on the block!