Activities For Irish Saint Terriers
Prepare for unexpected vet bills
Introduction
Irish Saint Terriers are a combination of the Saint Bernard and Irish Terrier breeds. Medium to large in size, your Irish Sant Terrier needs a moderate amount of daily exercise. A brisk 45 minutes of activity should keep your dog mentally stimulated. It also helps keep your dog’s weight in check, as obesity can be common in Saint Bernards.
Irish Terriers got their start as messenger dogs, and Saint Bernards have been used for tracking and rescuing in the snowy Alps for centuries. As a result, your pup will be highly intelligent and eager to spend most of their time outdoors. If you live in a cold weather climate, expect your Irish Saint Terrier to prefer to take a nap on a snowy porch instead of a couch. Â
Build a Snowman
If you live in a place where it snows for six months out of the year, your pup will think they’re in heaven! If you have a fenced-in yard or well-trained pup, you can build a snowman with your dog’s supervision. The activity is free; all you need is snow and warm clothes. Don’t forget the gloves for a snowball war with your pooch.
It may be more difficult to get your dog to come back inside after the snowman is built. You might want to avoid the yellow snow while you are chasing Fido down. Have your dog fetch the sticks for the snowman’s arms to work off some of that energy.
Field Trip
If your Irish Saint Terrier is friendly and sociable, why not take a field trip to your local hospital or nursing home to brighten everyone’s day? Finding a dog-friendly place to take Fido for visits shouldn’t be too difficult. But if you don’t have any luck, you can get your pup into therapy dog classes and train them to become a full-fledged therapy dog.
Those classes can be pricey, but the occasional field trip only costs gas. Some people might be intimidated by your dog’s size. A vest or harness that says “Pet Me” can be easily purchased online or even in your local pet store.
Follow the Leader
The Follow the Leader game is a great way to teach your pup obedience in the form of a game. It teaches your dog to listen to you and treat you like the alpha. After the game has been perfected, you can switch roles and you follow the dog. That keeps the game fresh so your pup won’t get bored.
This is an indoor activity and all you really need is treats, which you probably already have in the house. Once your pup has mastered following you, you can add obstacles (chairs, etc.) to make it more fun for the both of you.
More Fun Ideas...
Stuffed Chew Toy
Hiking
The Saint Bernard part of your Irish Saint Terrier will love getting out on the trails and back into their natural instinct of climbing mountains. They enjoy the cool weather but don't do well in hot climates, so be sure you are hiking on a cooler day. If you feel really ambitious, you could train your pup in search and rescues and volunteer with your local fire department.
Conclusion
Irish Saint Terriers make fantastic watchdogs, but when they aren’t on guard, they can be clumsy doofuses. They are great family dogs, but can accidentally knock over smaller children. Bigger dogs usually don’t know how big they really are.Â
A great way to keep the hijinks to a minimum is daily exercise that lets your pup work off energy and turn into a couch potato. Follow the leader or giving Fido a chew toy stuffed with peanut butter are two indoor activities you can do. Your dog will most likely prefer the great outdoors. Hikes, building a snowman or a field trip to visit senior citizens are all activities that your four-legged pal will enjoy.